Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Just okay; while there were some good moments and an interesting story arc overall, it just felt like a lot of work to get through to the end. Too many extraneous cultural references, without the impact of some of Rushdie's other works.
This is the first Salman Rushdie book I have ever read; I received the book through SantaThing.
It wasn't for me. There are a few good pieces in it, like The Joker vs Batwoman 2016 election comparisons (the rant about the Joker is spot-on) and the discussions about gender options.
However the rest of the story is just a convoluted story part Gatsby, part Lear, part Godfather Bollywood movie about a family I never care about told by a narrator I never empathize with. It was fantastical and nutty. There are SO many art, pop culture, mythical, historical, movie, music, literary, political etc references my head spun. I am sure this is a kind of political satire or commentary, but that is not my genre.
Grandiose, but not me.
It wasn't for me. There are a few good pieces in it, like The Joker vs Batwoman 2016 election comparisons (the rant about the Joker is spot-on) and the discussions about gender options.
However the rest of the story is just a convoluted story part Gatsby, part Lear, part Godfather Bollywood movie about a family I never care about told by a narrator I never empathize with. It was fantastical and nutty. There are SO many art, pop culture, mythical, historical, movie, music, literary, political etc references my head spun. I am sure this is a kind of political satire or commentary, but that is not my genre.
Grandiose, but not me.
I’m a fan of detail in my fiction. I love it whether it’s literary (Donna Tartt) or historical (Alison Weir, Ken Follett), but when it isn’t specific to the story and is in fact an extrapolation of some minor concept, it can be exhausting. This means I left Salman Rushdie’s The Golden House feeling that the book was 800 pages long when it was actually only 380. Why? Because Rushdie has a brilliant mind so crammed with dazzling thoughts that they can sometimes take over the page. Which isn’t to say that those thoughts are unnecessary, because they’re not, but while current events provide the backdrop for the novel, they often take over center stage.
There is a story in The Golden House and it’s a doozy. In 2009 Nero Golden (not his original name) comes to America with a lot of money and three unusual sons. Petya, the oldest, is somewhere on the autism spectrum and agoraphobic. Apu thinks of himself as an artist and wants to live accordingly (but still on Daddy’s dime). Dionysus (D) is gender conflicted. Beyond those details everything about them is a mystery: their real names, where they come from, and where they got their money. They move into a mansion in an exclusive neighborhood in Manhattan and soon become an object of fascination for René, a young man with dreams of becoming a filmmaker who lives in the neighborhood. He decides the family, with all its secrets, would be the perfect subject for a documentary, but the closer he gets to them the more tangled his life becomes with theirs. By the time The Golden House ends nothing will be as it began.
The rest of this review is at The Gilmore Guide to Books: http://wp.me/p2B7gG-2qd
There is a story in The Golden House and it’s a doozy. In 2009 Nero Golden (not his original name) comes to America with a lot of money and three unusual sons. Petya, the oldest, is somewhere on the autism spectrum and agoraphobic. Apu thinks of himself as an artist and wants to live accordingly (but still on Daddy’s dime). Dionysus (D) is gender conflicted. Beyond those details everything about them is a mystery: their real names, where they come from, and where they got their money. They move into a mansion in an exclusive neighborhood in Manhattan and soon become an object of fascination for René, a young man with dreams of becoming a filmmaker who lives in the neighborhood. He decides the family, with all its secrets, would be the perfect subject for a documentary, but the closer he gets to them the more tangled his life becomes with theirs. By the time The Golden House ends nothing will be as it began.
The rest of this review is at The Gilmore Guide to Books: http://wp.me/p2B7gG-2qd
Novel about the super rich Golden family in recent New York City, exploring the ideas of identity and truth.
What I loved:
The writing was lovely and the characters interesting, but I didn't feel connected to the narrative. There was so much heavy foreshadowing that I was expecting something more extraordinary. There were some lovely moments of truth and beauty.
What I learned:
Rushdie despises Trump as much as the rest of us. Although his appearance as a backdrop character felt forced.
What I loved:
The writing was lovely and the characters interesting, but I didn't feel connected to the narrative. There was so much heavy foreshadowing that I was expecting something more extraordinary. There were some lovely moments of truth and beauty.
What I learned:
Rushdie despises Trump as much as the rest of us. Although his appearance as a backdrop character felt forced.
this is one of the worst books i ever read
the writer seems to be on verbose mode.
also the book contains lots of movie spoilers. so avoid if u havnt seen classic french or jap cinema.
imagine if a poo had a baby poo, and the baby poo decides to write a book, the golden house would be the book.
dont give this book to new readers, it is such a turn off it would send them back to netflix.
i wish i can have the last 3 weeks back.
the writer seems to be on verbose mode.
also the book contains lots of movie spoilers. so avoid if u havnt seen classic french or jap cinema.
imagine if a poo had a baby poo, and the baby poo decides to write a book, the golden house would be the book.
dont give this book to new readers, it is such a turn off it would send them back to netflix.
i wish i can have the last 3 weeks back.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautiful writing but I get tired of Rushdie showing off rather than telling a better story.
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After not really enjoying Two Years, Seven Months and Sixteen Days, I was wondering if Rushdie's work just wasn't for me anymore. And then, I almost didn't continue past the beginning of this one - it's tedious, the narrator keeps on talking about future events and I was kind of feeling like, "OK, just do something!" and I had heard that this novel was about the Trump presidency, so I mistakenly thought that Nero Golden was supposed to be the stand-in for Trump. It certainly fit - inflated ego, his name is closely associated with Trump's gaudy style, vastly younger second wife, weird adult children - but I thought Nero was too smart! He can speak multiple languages! So I was kind of angry with Rushdie for giving Trump more intellectual credit than he's due - and more ability to plan, think, strategize....and then I convinced myself to keep on listening (Audiobook) and I learned the truth!
Trump as the Joker was excellent, and amazingly timely. Rushdie's depiction of American society, as a place where knowledge and thought are beginning to be pushed under strange, non-nonsensical nationalism felt spot on.
I read a lot of reviews where readers criticize Rushdie's almost continual use of references, whether to history, pop culture, mythology, literature .... the list goes on and on. But I really love it. Sometimes reading feels like a scavenger hunt, or like Easter eggs spread throughout the prose when I know the reference. It adds depth to the words, making what I'm reading feel like it's part of the larger web of all these mixed up pieces.
Trump as the Joker was excellent, and amazingly timely. Rushdie's depiction of American society, as a place where knowledge and thought are beginning to be pushed under strange, non-nonsensical nationalism felt spot on.
Spoiler
Even the fall of the Golden family, and the ways that each of the son's demises presented a current, crucial issue spot on: gender identity, mental illness/ our relationship with technology and society, feelings of nationalism/country/finding one's rootsI read a lot of reviews where readers criticize Rushdie's almost continual use of references, whether to history, pop culture, mythology, literature .... the list goes on and on. But I really love it. Sometimes reading feels like a scavenger hunt, or like Easter eggs spread throughout the prose when I know the reference. It adds depth to the words, making what I'm reading feel like it's part of the larger web of all these mixed up pieces.
There are certain books that are read where the feeling is- I am reading a grown up book right now. This is one of those books. This is a true literary fiction book and one that needs to have time taken with it.
Set in the backdrop of the election of President Obama, the story is of the Golden family. They arrive on America's shores just as he is being elected.
The Golden Family has a particular way of looking at the world and feel they are royalty. They have named themselves after gods to reflect their personality. There is no mother figure until a Russian ex pat walks into the figure to become the matriarch of the family.
A film is being made of the family as we get a peek into their lives. It is filled with a bit of criminal activity, some family difficulty, and it is the life of the golden spoon, so to speak.
As stated, this is a grown up book. Rushdie is right on his game with this one. I have only read one other of his books because one has to be in a certain mood for it. I was so excited for this one not only because of Rushdie's style within realism, but he was touching upon current politics. It is so good.
I gave this one 4 stars!
*Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy. I received it in exchange for an honest review*
Set in the backdrop of the election of President Obama, the story is of the Golden family. They arrive on America's shores just as he is being elected.
The Golden Family has a particular way of looking at the world and feel they are royalty. They have named themselves after gods to reflect their personality. There is no mother figure until a Russian ex pat walks into the figure to become the matriarch of the family.
A film is being made of the family as we get a peek into their lives. It is filled with a bit of criminal activity, some family difficulty, and it is the life of the golden spoon, so to speak.
As stated, this is a grown up book. Rushdie is right on his game with this one. I have only read one other of his books because one has to be in a certain mood for it. I was so excited for this one not only because of Rushdie's style within realism, but he was touching upon current politics. It is so good.
I gave this one 4 stars!
*Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy. I received it in exchange for an honest review*