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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
A good read, with great characters and a fascinating plot. I loved the reader too, he did a great job with each character. The point of view shifts between characters and between their past and present. The story unfolds really well. The only thing that sucked was the gratuitous nastiness. The book starts with a teenage boy jacking off to thoughts of his cousin and one of the characters has sex with a Trans women that is completely unnecessary and written only for its shock value. Super annoying. But the rest is great
Cute books with many twists and fun character development.
Psychics and the mob, what’s not to like? This was a madcap tale, but it wasn’t told at a breakneck pace. Very cinematic as well (apparently picked up for TV at the same time it was published).
Mobsters, suburbs of Chicago, superpowers, what more could I want?
This is a 5-star read for sheer enjoyment. The members of the Telemachus family are all slightly dysfunctional, but wouldn't you be if you had psychic powers and every time you used them something went horribly wrong? Daryl Gregory writes characters that worm themselves into your heart. The plot is crazy, including mobsters, internet romance, teenage angst and is written with alternating POVs from each family member. This narrative technique lets you get into their mindset and back story. I finished this last night with a big smile on my face. What else can you ask from a good book?
(I have no idea why goodreads thinks this is an audio cd)
I'm a sucker for a book with a magic trick. This one has several:
First, some good actual magic tricks perpetrated by the charming con artist, poker sharp, patriarch of the Telemachus family.
Second, a bunch of fun interesting sympathetic characters. Often these sorts of low stakes vaguely comic family drama kinds of stories feature a bunch of terrible people who are hard to get invested in (see Jonathan Franzen). Here I felt almost every character (and there is a whole familial ensemble) had their own sympathetic story.
Third, a tricky non-linear structure that set the trick up for the fireworks at the end.
This isn't life changing, but it is a treat.
I'm a sucker for a book with a magic trick. This one has several:
First, some good actual magic tricks perpetrated by the charming con artist, poker sharp, patriarch of the Telemachus family.
Second, a bunch of fun interesting sympathetic characters. Often these sorts of low stakes vaguely comic family drama kinds of stories feature a bunch of terrible people who are hard to get invested in (see Jonathan Franzen). Here I felt almost every character (and there is a whole familial ensemble) had their own sympathetic story.
Third, a tricky non-linear structure that set the trick up for the fireworks at the end.
This isn't life changing, but it is a treat.
Spoonbenders Characters were quirky, writing was good. I had a really had time bouncing back and forth between the early stories as they seemed to ramble a bit, however, I feel that is very much how all of Teddy Telemachuses' life is spent- rambling through his own desires, whims and cons. The only thing I feel Teddy didn't ramble though was his marriage to the love is his life, Maureen. As we met each family member we get a better sense of their powers, what drives them and how they fit into Daryl Gregory's story. My favorite character is the wacky, yet non-communicative Buddy. He does strange things, you don't know into needed that makes for a good story. When the book finally starts moving along I feel a swayed to the other wise, what surfaces is a crazy, well planned out adventure between the mob, i suggest you read the book to figure this up what happens next. I don't believe you will regret it!
I listened to the audio of this book and the narrator (Ari Fliakos) did a great job. Fun story and audio!
Humorvoll erzählte Geschichte über eine Familie deren übersinnliche Begabungen ihnen um Alltag eher Probleme bescheren. Mir fehlt allerdings ein wenig der Spannungsbogen.
Royal Tenenbaums meets [b:A Prayer for Owen Meany|4473|A Prayer for Owen Meany|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1260470010l/4473._SY75_.jpg|1734019].
What's not to like about that?
What's not to like about that?