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Powell's Q&A | January 17, 2012

Ryan Boudinot: IMG Powell’s Q&A: Ryan Boudinot

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Describe your latest work. Blueprints of the Afterlife is a novel about the following things: giant heads that appear in the sky, a mystical... Continue »
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    Blueprints of the Afterlife

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eBook editions

The Wentworths

by Katie Arnoldi

The Wentworths Cover

ISBN13: 9781585679997
ISBN10: 1585679992
Condition:
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Synopses & Reviews

Review:

"With a wry touch, Arnoldi draws a mocking portrait of a powerful Southern California family that, while not the worst family on record, is remarkably warped by wealth and power. The Wentworths' individual faults play off the milieu of familial grotesques: mother Judith's a dieting narcissist who abuses the servants, while patriarch Gus's compulsive philandering has been inherited and surpassed by his sexually deviant son Conrad, defense lawyer to the scummy stars. Conrad's sister, Becky, is the only offspring with a family of her own, and their problems (kleptomaniac son, depressed teenage daughter) hover closer to the edge of normalcy. The final family member, gay Norman, lives in a fantasy world in the pool house and offers analyses of his kin's foibles. The Wentworths' fortress of supposed superiority is threatened by two women: Angela, a conniving ex of Conrad's, and Honey, Gus's nave paramour. As the family closes ranks, comedy and tragedy ensue. A page-turner both for its well-paced intrigue and for its witty, sordid description of just how awful these people can get, the book's coup isn't the skewering Arnoldi (Chemical Pink) gives her overprivileged clan; it's the redemption they find after they're served twisted justice." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Synopsis:

Arnoldi's searing portrait of a wealthy Westside Los Angeles family boldly dramatizes the dysfunction of the modern American family. Comic and horrifying, tragic and funny, "The Wentworths" is a shocking yet redemptive tale.
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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
Clark, August 27, 2008 (view all comments by Clark)
The Wentworths by Katie Arnoldi is amazing. Arnoldi has a great way of telling the reader the story without using "fluff" or unnecessary details. This held my attention to the wild story because it did not get side-tracked. This book incorporates humor, sex, drama, violence, suspense, well you get the point. I am not sure what this book doesn't incorporate which makes it one of my all time favorite novels. You will not be disappointed with this one. The Wentworths is like a literary drug for your mind, your mind will thank you for the journey.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781585679997
Author:
Arnoldi, Katie
Publisher:
Overlook Hardcover
Subject:
Humorous
Subject:
Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General
Subject:
Fiction
Subject:
Family life
Subject:
Family
Subject:
Los angeles (calif.)
Subject:
Domestic fiction
Subject:
Literature-Family Life
Edition Description:
B-Hardcover
Publication Date:
20080313
Binding:
Hardback
Grade Level:
from 12
Language:
English
Pages:
256
Dimensions:
8.28x5.78x.92 in. .79 lbs.
Age Level:
from 18
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The Wentworths New Hardcover
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Product details 256 pages Overlook Press - English 9781585679997 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "With a wry touch, Arnoldi draws a mocking portrait of a powerful Southern California family that, while not the worst family on record, is remarkably warped by wealth and power. The Wentworths' individual faults play off the milieu of familial grotesques: mother Judith's a dieting narcissist who abuses the servants, while patriarch Gus's compulsive philandering has been inherited and surpassed by his sexually deviant son Conrad, defense lawyer to the scummy stars. Conrad's sister, Becky, is the only offspring with a family of her own, and their problems (kleptomaniac son, depressed teenage daughter) hover closer to the edge of normalcy. The final family member, gay Norman, lives in a fantasy world in the pool house and offers analyses of his kin's foibles. The Wentworths' fortress of supposed superiority is threatened by two women: Angela, a conniving ex of Conrad's, and Honey, Gus's nave paramour. As the family closes ranks, comedy and tragedy ensue. A page-turner both for its well-paced intrigue and for its witty, sordid description of just how awful these people can get, the book's coup isn't the skewering Arnoldi (Chemical Pink) gives her overprivileged clan; it's the redemption they find after they're served twisted justice." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Synopsis" by , Arnoldi's searing portrait of a wealthy Westside Los Angeles family boldly dramatizes the dysfunction of the modern American family. Comic and horrifying, tragic and funny, "The Wentworths" is a shocking yet redemptive tale.
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