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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
This book was too boring for me!! He wrote well, but the book felt like one run on sentence after another. At points, I felt something towards the characters but I noticed towards the end, I only cared about finishing the book.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3 STARS
""House of Sand and Fog" opens with a highway crew comprising several nationalities picking up litter on a hot California summer day. Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military under the Shah, reflects on his job-search efforts since arriving in the US four years before: "I have spent hundreds of dollars copying my credentials; I have worn my French suits and my Italian shoes to hand-deliver my qualifications; I have waited and then called back after the correct waiting time; but there is nothing". A father of two, Behrani has spent most of the money he brought with him from Iran on an apartment and furnishings that are too expensive, desperately trying to keep up appearances in order to enhance his daughter's chances of making a good marriage. Now the daughter is married, he sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, thus unwittingly putting himself and his family on a trajectory with disaster. The house, it seems, once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic who wants it back. What starts out as a legal tussle soon escalates into a personal confrontation--with dire results.Dubus tells his tragic tale from the viewpoints of the two main adversaries, Behrani and Kathy. To both of them, the house represents something more than just a place to live. For the colonel, it is a foot in the door of the American Dream; for Kathy, a reminder of a kinder, gentler past." (From Amazon)
I read this as the movie was just great as well as the novel.
""House of Sand and Fog" opens with a highway crew comprising several nationalities picking up litter on a hot California summer day. Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military under the Shah, reflects on his job-search efforts since arriving in the US four years before: "I have spent hundreds of dollars copying my credentials; I have worn my French suits and my Italian shoes to hand-deliver my qualifications; I have waited and then called back after the correct waiting time; but there is nothing". A father of two, Behrani has spent most of the money he brought with him from Iran on an apartment and furnishings that are too expensive, desperately trying to keep up appearances in order to enhance his daughter's chances of making a good marriage. Now the daughter is married, he sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, thus unwittingly putting himself and his family on a trajectory with disaster. The house, it seems, once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic who wants it back. What starts out as a legal tussle soon escalates into a personal confrontation--with dire results.Dubus tells his tragic tale from the viewpoints of the two main adversaries, Behrani and Kathy. To both of them, the house represents something more than just a place to live. For the colonel, it is a foot in the door of the American Dream; for Kathy, a reminder of a kinder, gentler past." (From Amazon)
I read this as the movie was just great as well as the novel.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I should have quit at the end of Part 1 and let my imagination come up with the ending. It would have been better than the direction the book ended up taking.
This novel focuses on two perspectives. The Behrani’s are an Iranian family that flees to the US after a violent regime change leaves the former General and his family on the death list. Despite being high status in Iran, Mr Behrani cannot find a well paying job and has to work menial positions while his family pretends to keep up their pooldar (wealthy elite) status. The money the family brought with them is slowly dwindling, and after marrying off their daughter, Mr Behrani takes their remaining savings and purchases a house at auction. He finds that he will be able to sell the house at three times what he paid, and starts to envision the future that he and his family deserve.
The only problem is Kathy. She lived in the house. A house her father left her and her brother in his will. A house that was sold under faulty pretenses, of an unpaid tax bill that she didn’t actually owe. Kathy, a recovering addict, spirals with the loss of the house following quickly on the heels of her husband leaving her. One of the officers, Lester, tasked with evicting her from the home is captivated with Kathy. His own life flips upside down, and thus begins a chain of events that could be stopped at any time if it weren’t for stubborn man pride.
Oof. The Lester/Kathy “romance”. Sympathizing with Mr Behrani, when he’s actually a really unlikable character. The bad decision after bad decision. Disliking Kathy even though she’s been put in a really horrible situation. The unsatisfying ending. Maybe read the first part and stop there.
This novel focuses on two perspectives. The Behrani’s are an Iranian family that flees to the US after a violent regime change leaves the former General and his family on the death list. Despite being high status in Iran, Mr Behrani cannot find a well paying job and has to work menial positions while his family pretends to keep up their pooldar (wealthy elite) status. The money the family brought with them is slowly dwindling, and after marrying off their daughter, Mr Behrani takes their remaining savings and purchases a house at auction. He finds that he will be able to sell the house at three times what he paid, and starts to envision the future that he and his family deserve.
The only problem is Kathy. She lived in the house. A house her father left her and her brother in his will. A house that was sold under faulty pretenses, of an unpaid tax bill that she didn’t actually owe. Kathy, a recovering addict, spirals with the loss of the house following quickly on the heels of her husband leaving her. One of the officers, Lester, tasked with evicting her from the home is captivated with Kathy. His own life flips upside down, and thus begins a chain of events that could be stopped at any time if it weren’t for stubborn man pride.
Oof. The Lester/Kathy “romance”. Sympathizing with Mr Behrani, when he’s actually a really unlikable character. The bad decision after bad decision. Disliking Kathy even though she’s been put in a really horrible situation. The unsatisfying ending. Maybe read the first part and stop there.
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No