Describe your new book. Oddfellow's Orphanage is a series of stories/vignettes that tell the tale of the newest arrival to a curious orphanage, a...
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There's been a renewed interest in Washington, DC, with the Obamas moving here last year. If you want to read about the real DC, and the people who actually live here, this is a terrific start. Edward P. Jones was born and raised in DC, and writes about the mostly African-American residents in a way that portrays the beauty and sorrow of even an "ordinary" life. Interestingly, Jones' second book of short stories (All Aunt Hagar's Children) was written as a companion to this book. In an interview with the Washington Post, Jones -- who is notoriously reclusive -- said that the sequence of stories in his second collection mirrored the sequence in the first, so that readers should really read the first story in Lost in the City, then the first story in All Aunt Hagar's children, etc.
Having never read E.L. Doctorow before, I didn't know what to expect. Fortunately, this is an excellent book. It's surprisingly funny, given that it is based on a true story about two aging brothers who become increasingly paranoid and claustrophobic as they live in their parents' Upper West Side mansion. Told from Homer's perspective, the book describes his brother Langley's efforts to care for him while shutting out the outside world more and more over the years. Entertaining, funny, and sad, all at the same time.
Do not, I repeat, do not begin this book if you have other pressing matters you must attend to. You will not be able to put this down! Stephen Carter has written the perfect smart summer read. His main character is a rising Harlem literary star in the 1950s who stumbles onto political intrigue that extends into the Watergate years. This book manages to be a real page-turner, without ever being trashy or sensationalistic.
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Susmita has commented on (3) products.
Lost in the City by Edward P Jones
Susmita, April 12, 2010
There's been a renewed interest in Washington, DC, with the Obamas moving here last year. If you want to read about the real DC, and the people who actually live here, this is a terrific start. Edward P. Jones was born and raised in DC, and writes about the mostly African-American residents in a way that portrays the beauty and sorrow of even an "ordinary" life. Interestingly, Jones' second book of short stories (All Aunt Hagar's Children) was written as a companion to this book. In an interview with the Washington Post, Jones -- who is notoriously reclusive -- said that the sequence of stories in his second collection mirrored the sequence in the first, so that readers should really read the first story in Lost in the City, then the first story in All Aunt Hagar's children, etc.Homer and Langley by E. L. Doctorow
Susmita, November 24, 2009
Having never read E.L. Doctorow before, I didn't know what to expect. Fortunately, this is an excellent book. It's surprisingly funny, given that it is based on a true story about two aging brothers who become increasingly paranoid and claustrophobic as they live in their parents' Upper West Side mansion. Told from Homer's perspective, the book describes his brother Langley's efforts to care for him while shutting out the outside world more and more over the years. Entertaining, funny, and sad, all at the same time.Palace Council by Stephen L. Carter
Susmita, August 4, 2008
Do not, I repeat, do not begin this book if you have other pressing matters you must attend to. You will not be able to put this down! Stephen Carter has written the perfect smart summer read. His main character is a rising Harlem literary star in the 1950s who stumbles onto political intrigue that extends into the Watergate years. This book manages to be a real page-turner, without ever being trashy or sensationalistic.(3 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)