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David Gilbert (1)

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8+ verk 776 medlemmar 60 recensioner 1 favoritmärkta

Verk av David Gilbert

& Sons (2013) 586 exemplar
The Normals: A Novel (2004) 129 exemplar
Remote Feed: Stories (1998) 42 exemplar
Nightmare in Germany (1992) 8 exemplar
Chiffon - Un temps de chien (2000) 2 exemplar

Associerade verk

New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1996 (1996) — Bidragsgivare — 31 exemplar

Taggad

Allmänna fakta

Andra namn
GILBERT, David
Kön
male
Nationalitet
USA
Bostadsorter
New York, New York, USA

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Recensioner

I met the author at the East Hampton (NY) "Author's Night" in 2013 and was intrigued by the title and the cover. I finally got around to reading it this year. It is an engrossing read with virtually no likeable characters - Phillip, Andrew, Richard and Jamie (sons, fathers) are all flawed in numerous ways. The plot is tightly woven, and the writing is very good, though at times over-the-top. There are no happy endings for anyone, but we learn much along the journey of the story. It reminds me of Updike's "Rabbit" series.
I'm hard-pressed to find anything comical - dark or otherwise - in the book as some cover endorsements claim.
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
starkravingmad | 55 andra recensioner | Jan 5, 2023 |
I enjoyed this book and plan to reread it. I enjoyed being in this world of a dysfunctional semi-famous family, shades of Noah Baumbach, Catcher in the Rye, Royal Tenenbaums. Not life altering fiction but it had me reflecting on my relationship with my father and my siblings, at the time I was about to become a dad myself.
 
Flaggad
annekris | 55 andra recensioner | Apr 11, 2020 |
One person in my office loved this book and one hated it, and I think I'm somewhere in the middle. I think the key to reading and enjoying this is to remember that you've got an admitted unreliable narrator--the whole thing is coming through the filter of a very jaded, Manhattan-high-society failed author. The writing is by turns brilliant and self-indulgent, and it's definitely got this jaded literary-scene angle that gets grating, but the characters are all well-drawn and interesting, even if they aren't particularly likable.… (mer)
 
Flaggad
prufrockcoat | 55 andra recensioner | Dec 3, 2019 |
I won a copy of this book from Goodreads First Reads and I was thrilled to tear right into it. The synopsis sounded fascinating and I had this on my To Read list for some time before I saw the giveaway. I love books about books, authors, writers, book shops, libraries, librarians and book culture in general so I'm somewhat predisposed to enjoy the theme. And I did, for the most part. I do have to say though, that this wasn't a favorite or strong like for me. I think my departure with it comes down to the characters. I won't spoil but I had difficulty getting a handle on Phillip Topping (our narrator). He has not only some omniscience that I couldn't quite work out, he had an obsessive, ingratiating way with the Dyers in general, and A.N Dyer, in particular that was off-putting and as if that weren't problem enough, he was fairly early on clearly, an unreliable narrator. By the time a huge twist happens near the end, I was left not knowing if he was truly complicit, imagined that he was or innocent of all but a vivid imagination. Truthfully, I'm really hard pressed to care too much to give it further thought, one way or another. The important thing is, it's done now.

I had issues with other characters in the story but none so deeply that they ruined nor made the story for me. I did enjoy the postcards, letters and excerpts that are sprinkled throughout the story and felt they added a nice patina to the story overall. I didn't very much enjoy Ampersand's excerpts but only because it was the harsh mirror of some history between two characters in the story. A.N Dyer was a complete jerk in his day. I was completely annoyed with the reveal of Andrew's parentage because it seemed insane and not hinged in reality but by the end of the story I don't know if that revelation was supposed to be serious or not and as before, the important thing is, it's done now.

This was a three star read for me. Some of the prose is absolutely lovely and that I think was what I liked most. The characters, I could take or leave and not a one of them will stay with me very long. Still, I'm glad that I read this, it was a fairly quick read and I definitely will pass my copy on to my husband because possibly a male psyche will find more personal resonance than I did.
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
anissaannalise | 55 andra recensioner | Feb 28, 2018 |

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Statistik

Verk
8
Även av
1
Medlemmar
776
Popularitet
#32,780
Betyg
½ 3.5
Recensioner
60
ISBN
114
Språk
5
Favoritmärkt
1

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