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jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
I received an Advanced Readers Copy of The Believers from the First Look program at Barnes & Noble. The Believers is the latest novel by author Zoe Heller, who also wrote Notes on a Scandal. I read Notes on a Scandal several years ago for a book club and enjoyed the book, so I jumped at the chance to get an early look at her latest work.
The central character in The Believers is Audrey, a British woman who met an American lawyer, Joel Litvinoff, at a party in the UK in the 1960’s and within a very short time decided to marry him and move to New York. The bulk of the tale takes place in present day New York, where we find Audrey and Joel married with 3 adult children. Audrey and Joel are radical left wing activists. Joel is a a high profile lawyer who frequently defends people that no other lawyer would touch. His latest case is defending an accused terrorist. Audrey is a monstrously outspoken and difficult woman who is steadfast in her beliefs in the benefits of socialism and that organized religion is bad. The Litvinoff family is very dysfunctional.
On the morning of his opening statement in his terrorist defense case, Joel collapses in court after suffering a stroke. He is taken to the hospital where he remains unconscious. Joel’s stroke causes the other members of his family to question what they believe in and whether it makes them happy or not. One daughter starts exploring the faith of Orthodox Jews, much to her mother’s chagrin. The other daughter is dealing with infertility and a marriage with little affection. The adopted son has his own world of problems with substance abuse. And Audrey is in the center of it all, not being the most supportive and understanding mother.
The Believers was a good read with bits of smart, dry, satirical humor woven throughout. Heller does it great job of satiring the east coast liberal elite. Living in a relatively liberal east coast state myself I found a lot of truth in her jabs. For example, Audrey thinks of herself as being a socialist and all people being equal, yet she thinks that her maid should be more deferential towards her.
I enjoyed Heller’s writing and she does an excellent job with developing characters. The Believers was more of a character driven novel than a plot driven one. The narrative alternates between the different family members so that we get a view into each of their lives. Heller expertly describes the dynamics between the members of the dysfunctional Litvinoff clan.
I recommend this book to fans of dry, satirical humor.
The central character in The Believers is Audrey, a British woman who met an American lawyer, Joel Litvinoff, at a party in the UK in the 1960’s and within a very short time decided to marry him and move to New York. The bulk of the tale takes place in present day New York, where we find Audrey and Joel married with 3 adult children. Audrey and Joel are radical left wing activists. Joel is a a high profile lawyer who frequently defends people that no other lawyer would touch. His latest case is defending an accused terrorist. Audrey is a monstrously outspoken and difficult woman who is steadfast in her beliefs in the benefits of socialism and that organized religion is bad. The Litvinoff family is very dysfunctional.
On the morning of his opening statement in his terrorist defense case, Joel collapses in court after suffering a stroke. He is taken to the hospital where he remains unconscious. Joel’s stroke causes the other members of his family to question what they believe in and whether it makes them happy or not. One daughter starts exploring the faith of Orthodox Jews, much to her mother’s chagrin. The other daughter is dealing with infertility and a marriage with little affection. The adopted son has his own world of problems with substance abuse. And Audrey is in the center of it all, not being the most supportive and understanding mother.
The Believers was a good read with bits of smart, dry, satirical humor woven throughout. Heller does it great job of satiring the east coast liberal elite. Living in a relatively liberal east coast state myself I found a lot of truth in her jabs. For example, Audrey thinks of herself as being a socialist and all people being equal, yet she thinks that her maid should be more deferential towards her.
I enjoyed Heller’s writing and she does an excellent job with developing characters. The Believers was more of a character driven novel than a plot driven one. The narrative alternates between the different family members so that we get a view into each of their lives. Heller expertly describes the dynamics between the members of the dysfunctional Litvinoff clan.
I recommend this book to fans of dry, satirical humor.
methanojen's review against another edition
An excellent book. A pleasure to read -- I was disappointed to have it end. I will have to read more of Zoe Heller's work.
tamara_danielle's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
4.0
Joel Litvinoff, a prominent New York lawyer, collapses in a court room with a stroke and lapses into a coma. His family rushes to his side, but as he lapses into a coma they must come to terms with his failings and their own beliefs about their place in the world. His wife, Audrey, wonders when her feistiness turned into combative anger and her belief in her husband's Socialist ideals can be reconciled with the appearance of a long-term mistress. One daughter, Rosa, flirts with Judaism, while the other, Karla, reluctantly examines how her parents' view of her has stifled her own growth, while Lenny, the adoptive son, belatedly grows up.
Well-written and with complex and contradictory characters, this novel was hard for me to put down. Even the minor characters are revealed with care and subtlety.
Well-written and with complex and contradictory characters, this novel was hard for me to put down. Even the minor characters are revealed with care and subtlety.
meghan111's review against another edition
3.0
Follows the Litvinoffs - a family of prominent leftist New Yorkers - through a difficult period that begins when the father, Joel, a well-known attorney defending a Muslim client accused of terrorism, has a stroke while in court and is left in a coma. Joel's wife, Audrey, is relentlessly negative and alienating. His daughters are unhappy, unsuccessful, and searching for meaning - Rosa has returned from living in Cuba and is experimenting with Orthodox Judaism, while Karla is an unhappy hospital social worker contemplating leaving her marriage. I liked the ingrained political radicalism within this, where all of the characters have a background of activism. Heller doesn't let anyone off the hook for their personal behavior, which is hard to get through at times, when everyone is acting unpleasantly.
emjay2021's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this one. The characters are interesting, the plot is interesting, and I liked Heller's writing. There is more humour than I thought there would be. It's the only book of hers I've read, which makes me think I ought to check out some of her other novels too. Many of the characters will make you want to shake them until they stop being so awful and clueless, but it's pretty compelling despite how maddening they are (or maybe because of it).
susannavs's review against another edition
2.0
Eeehhh...it was okay. I don't really know what else to say - I didn't like any of the characters, and the overall storyline wasn't AMAZING like some other books with unlikeable characters (think "Lolita").
wsk56's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting novel about a politically progressive Jewish family in which each member is struggling with some aspect of life. The father and husband, Joel, a very well- known and loved attorney, has just had a stroke. He is in the hospital for almost the entire book. His wife Audrey struggles to get him the best care and keep him alive at all cost. She is an angry, vile woman; it is difficult to have any feelings of sympathy or empathy for her. There are two daughters and a son. Rosa, the youngest, is seeking to learn about and perhaps become an Orthodox Jew. Karla is unhappily obese. She and her husband are trying to adopt a child. She starts an affair with a man she met at work. Lenny, the adopted son, is a drug addict. None of the characters, except the comotose Joel seem to have any convictions. They are vaguely political, such as Rosa's work with disadvantaged girls in Harlem. Yet she really doesn't seem to enjoy the work. Audrey seems to have followed her husband into his work as an attorney, but without any real ambitions of her own. They all rally at the end and there is some resolution. I was not very clear on the underlying theme of the story. The real joy in the book is seeing the two daughters search for meaning in their lives. Their unfolding self-discoveries are really the heart of the novel.
nssutton's review against another edition
2.0
i'm usually not impressed with stories of family dramas - this was no exception. i'm sure the fact i took a four day break with only 80% completed was no help at all.
glory317's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A well written book with a lot of insufferable characters.
The various POV’s help move the story along and give some respite from the more unlikeable characters - thought I would’ve liked to hear directly from Lenny.
The various POV’s help move the story along and give some respite from the more unlikeable characters - thought I would’ve liked to hear directly from Lenny.