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ida_s's review against another edition
5.0
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.
ephe's review
4.0
«e imparai la lezione definitiva, il cui apprendimento ci separa dall'innocenza: non esistono spazi sicuri, e il mostro è sempre alle porte, e una parte del mostro vive anche dentro di noi, e noi stessi siamo i mostri che abbiamo sempre temuto e, quale che sia la bellezza che ci ammanta, per quanto fortunati si sia stati nella vita, sul piano economico o familiare, per quanto talento o amore si possa avere avuto, in fondo alla strada il fuoco arde, e ci consumerà tutti.»
pixe1's review against another edition
4.0
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.
ldv's review against another edition
2.0
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.
gilmoreguide's review against another edition
3.0
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
amb3rlina's review against another edition
3.0
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.
tsadooni's review against another edition
1.0
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.
mothid's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kumipaul's review against another edition
3.0
Beautiful writing but I get tired of Rushdie showing off rather than telling a better story.