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jodyjsperling's review
5.0
Why has no one mentioned this book to me before? I adore The Natural, and The Fixer was good, but a book such as A New Life is written to strike down all other books. It's so good you should feel ashamed if you can't claim the pleasure of having read it. Five Stars? More like a whole galaxy. I'm humbled by the beauty of this book and its remarkably perfect ending.
richsandler's review against another edition
4.0
Bernard Malumud was an English professor at Oregon State University in the 1950's and early 1960's. A New Life is a novel about an English professor who moves from New York to a small college town in the 1950's. Even though fictitious place names are used, the novel clearly takes place in Corvallis at OSU. I imagine this book is semi-autobiographical, but I have no idea how much of Malumud is in this character. For someone like me who just moved from the east coast to Covallis, this book is pure gold. I loved the descriptions of the area and I learned more about why Corvallis and OSU are how they are today. Is this a great book? Nope. But it is well written, engrossing and about a time, not unlike today, when associations and freedoms are under review. Overall, I loved it but it might not be for you.
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