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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
This book has a very interesting structure, it resembles a play, possibly a Greek tragedy. This way we can experience the story how it presents itself to the narrator, who first sees the Goldens arrive, and slowly gets more and more acquainted with them. Unfortunately this structure, which is very interesting from the intellectual point of view, prevented me from getting to know the character on my own, but forced me to fully rely the narrator (aka author), who told me right from the beginning, who is who. This introduction resembled an extended list of characters, to long for my taste. The characters themselves, though not entirely unbelievable, can be best described as symbols rather than people. The most alive people in the story were for me the narrator’s parents, who only come up now and then. I am wondering if the author thought about his own parents when he wrote this characters, because they seem to be the only ones he has a real warm connection to.
I won’t talk long about all the references to the very end of the end of the book (When we finally discovered…) og the intertextual references, which were really interesting when done with context, but for the most part were an irritating list of films I knew nothing about. There were just too many of both.
What I want to talk about is some themes that the book comments a lot on. They are important themes that everybody is talking about nowdays: autism, gender issues, the current political situation in the US. I understand that the author wanted to paint a picture of modern America, but it seems like he desperately tries to join the conversation and has nothing new to say.
Another thing is the culmination. After he has been baiting us for so long with the remarks that we will find out all in the end, the culmination we get is disappointing. He doesn’t lie, we do find out all, but we get what seems like a summary on the life of Nero Golden up to date, taken form any gangster fiim, you name it. And the big reveal, I got it already in the first third of the book.
That said, Rushdy is brilliant in writing about what he knows: the immigration, the longing for home, cultures, literature, a certain mood in the air. The book has a lot of atmospheric cinematographic descriptions and it can be easily dissected into expressive quotes. Sadly, these quotes don’t make a good novel.
These I only some points I wanted to touch upon, but I could have talked about it for a long time, which is too one of the upsides of this novel, and it can be highly recommended for a book club.
I won’t talk long about all the references to the very end of the end of the book (When we finally discovered…) og the intertextual references, which were really interesting when done with context, but for the most part were an irritating list of films I knew nothing about. There were just too many of both.
What I want to talk about is some themes that the book comments a lot on. They are important themes that everybody is talking about nowdays: autism, gender issues, the current political situation in the US. I understand that the author wanted to paint a picture of modern America, but it seems like he desperately tries to join the conversation and has nothing new to say.
Another thing is the culmination. After he has been baiting us for so long with the remarks that we will find out all in the end, the culmination we get is disappointing. He doesn’t lie, we do find out all, but we get what seems like a summary on the life of Nero Golden up to date, taken form any gangster fiim, you name it. And the big reveal, I got it already in the first third of the book.
That said, Rushdy is brilliant in writing about what he knows: the immigration, the longing for home, cultures, literature, a certain mood in the air. The book has a lot of atmospheric cinematographic descriptions and it can be easily dissected into expressive quotes. Sadly, these quotes don’t make a good novel.
These I only some points I wanted to touch upon, but I could have talked about it for a long time, which is too one of the upsides of this novel, and it can be highly recommended for a book club.
i really believed in my heart this book would NEVER END. i am so glad i made it. it was so dense. it was loaded with so many things i feel like i am took dumb to comprehend, references i did not understand. it was well written and mildly interesting. i'm just so happy its over. maybe my reading slump is finally done.
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:
No
I had a hard time getting into the story but then I really liked it. All the hints to modern society and so on. Really a good read for our times
Despite laughing out loud more than I have with any other book, dnf. Do people HAVE to be weird to be interesting? I don't think so...
The day after the November 2016 election, the entire world was left grappling with the unlikely victory of the Orange One. To this day, it’s an event too painful to reminisce to some (including me). Whenever we feel a certain disappointment or heartbreak, we are known to have an automatic response – a knee jerk reaction. We’re either overcome – so much so that we can’t function, or we get up. Fight like we’ve never fought before.
For Salman Rushdie, this book was his response. Some of his critics expressed their disappointment as his 13th novel came off as a string of ramblings and rants about the state of America as we speak. To him, however, this was a novel set in a world gone insane. So everything was grandiose, over exaggerated, but wholly apropos.
The synopsis defies the entirety of the novel. In fact, I can’t begin to start giving you a little rundown if only to hook you in so you may traverse the novel the way I reluctantly did at first. For me, Rushdie is a road not travelled. I have no idea what was in store for me, so I approached this book with great trepidation. It didn’t take long until I’m in its grip, however. All I could think about while the story was unfolding was how Shakespearean or Greek-ly tragic it was. When you have all the riches in the world but the world spits you out lifeless and bloody in response.
The Golden House was a novelty to me. The writing, the structure, the characters, and the way the present America is juxtaposed to the story of this fabulously wealthy family is something I’ve never experienced before. The barebones is really all about the Golden’s. On the run from his past, Nero Golden decided to reinvent his family’s identity. Nobody is allowed to know from which country they came, or the past that acts as a darkness that was always looming in the periphery of the story.
Flushed with millions, the sons were free to do as they pleased to some extent. Regardless of the freedom that was available to them, the patriarch still has the last word. For years, life was, as it seemed – that is, until a much younger Russian beauty captured Nero’s attention and changed the dynamics of the family.
My foray into Rushdie’s writing was generally refreshing, though rocky at times. Still, I found myself completely immersed in his writing, his flawed characters, and the events unfolding before me. I think it’s time to start building my personal Rushdie library.
For Salman Rushdie, this book was his response. Some of his critics expressed their disappointment as his 13th novel came off as a string of ramblings and rants about the state of America as we speak. To him, however, this was a novel set in a world gone insane. So everything was grandiose, over exaggerated, but wholly apropos.
The synopsis defies the entirety of the novel. In fact, I can’t begin to start giving you a little rundown if only to hook you in so you may traverse the novel the way I reluctantly did at first. For me, Rushdie is a road not travelled. I have no idea what was in store for me, so I approached this book with great trepidation. It didn’t take long until I’m in its grip, however. All I could think about while the story was unfolding was how Shakespearean or Greek-ly tragic it was. When you have all the riches in the world but the world spits you out lifeless and bloody in response.
The Golden House was a novelty to me. The writing, the structure, the characters, and the way the present America is juxtaposed to the story of this fabulously wealthy family is something I’ve never experienced before. The barebones is really all about the Golden’s. On the run from his past, Nero Golden decided to reinvent his family’s identity. Nobody is allowed to know from which country they came, or the past that acts as a darkness that was always looming in the periphery of the story.
Flushed with millions, the sons were free to do as they pleased to some extent. Regardless of the freedom that was available to them, the patriarch still has the last word. For years, life was, as it seemed – that is, until a much younger Russian beauty captured Nero’s attention and changed the dynamics of the family.
My foray into Rushdie’s writing was generally refreshing, though rocky at times. Still, I found myself completely immersed in his writing, his flawed characters, and the events unfolding before me. I think it’s time to start building my personal Rushdie library.
Fantastic! Less a plotty novel than it was a chronological experience, I was riveted from the out. The Golden men traveling from an unnamed country, the house they created, the community that blossomed around them, the experiences of the 3 sons, it was all so natural and believable, and I found the writing was almost...casually fantastic. SR is a damn good writer in full possession of his faculties and abilities.
I enjoyed the stuff about Trump without having to say Trump--Trump as the Joker worked really well. His rants--and they could be described as nothing else--about Trump, Gender, Cultural sensitivities all rang true.
And a fantastic and plausible conclusion. Love this book!
I want a list of all the films discussed in the book. I heard the audiobook so I didn't have a chance to jot them all down. I'd heard of some, the Bunuel ones I knew, but a lot of the Indian films I did not.
I found the stuff of the guardianship of the child a little unbelievable since HE WAS HIS DAD. You don't have to be afraid of a restraining order, you petition the court, you take a paternity test, you prove you're the father, and you get placement. Yeesh!
I enjoyed the stuff about Trump without having to say Trump--Trump as the Joker worked really well. His rants--and they could be described as nothing else--about Trump, Gender, Cultural sensitivities all rang true.
And a fantastic and plausible conclusion. Love this book!
I want a list of all the films discussed in the book. I heard the audiobook so I didn't have a chance to jot them all down. I'd heard of some, the Bunuel ones I knew, but a lot of the Indian films I did not.
I found the stuff of the guardianship of the child a little unbelievable since HE WAS HIS DAD. You don't have to be afraid of a restraining order, you petition the court, you take a paternity test, you prove you're the father, and you get placement. Yeesh!
I really enjoyed this. Clever plot and subplots, and an incredible amount of references to literature and movies. One of my favorite images is Donald Trump as the Joker.
I don’t believe in René as a young man - his voice seems like the voice of the author as I know it from other books by him. But I don’t actually mind, because I like that voice.
I don’t believe in René as a young man - his voice seems like the voice of the author as I know it from other books by him. But I don’t actually mind, because I like that voice.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense