Cart
|
|
my account
|
wish list
|
help
|
800-878-7323
Hello, |
Login
MENU
Browse
New Arrivals
Bestsellers
Featured Preorders
Award Winners
Audio Books
See All Subjects
Used
Staff Picks
Staff Picks
Picks of the Month
Bookseller Displays
50 Books for 50 Years
25 Best 21st Century Sci-Fi & Fantasy
25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
25 Books From the 21st Century
25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
25 Women to Read Before You Die
25 Books to Read Before You Die
Gifts
Gift Cards & eGift Cards
Powell's Souvenirs
Journals and Notebooks
socks
Games
Sell Books
Blog
Events
Find A Store
Don't Miss
Big Mood Sale
Teen Dream Sale
Portland Like a Pro Sale
Powell's Author Events
Oregon Battle of the Books
Audio Books
Get the Powell's newsletter
Visit Our Stores
Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
(0 comment)
Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
Read More
»
Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
(0 comment)
Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
(0 comment)
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
Customer Comments
William Kennedy has commented on (11) products
The Sisters Brothers
by
Patrick Dewitt
William Kennedy
, January 01, 2012
Where to begin? The Sisters Brothers is without a doubt one of the most original and engaging books I've picked up in awhile. After reading, and thoroughly enjoying Mr. DeWitt's debut novel "Ablutions," I was looking forward to reading this. "Ablutions" is a brief fantastic story of a barman who works at a downtown LA dive. Told in the second person, it mines similar terrority as Denis Johnson and Bukowski, but with a fresh and inventive narrative. For some reason, I expected "The Sisters Brothers" to be more of the same. Another tale of the down and out, the hopeless and deranged. Patrick DeWitt has grown leaps and bounds since his debut and gives us something unique - a good old fashioned Western that rips along like a horse set loose from the corral for the first time in years. This novel bends genres and acheives something greater than just being a Western. In fact, the story itself is something universal, it just happens to be set during the early days of the gold rush. Eli and Charlie Sisters are two hired guns sent to California to kill a man named Hermann Kermit Warm. They don't question why he has to die, they simply follow orders. The journey to find Warm is a large portion of the book and allows us the chance to see how different Eli and Charlie are from each other. Charlie is brutal and selfish, a cold hearted killer with vicious instincts, while Eli is a bit softer, open to the beauty in life - or at least the possibility of finding happiness someday. Eli narrates the story with thoughtful observations and through him we begin to understand the complicated relationship between the two brothers. I read this book in a storm over two nights. Novels often fall into two categories, at least as far as reviewers are concerned - the literary, and the genre books. Literary means difficult and serious while genre (mysteries, sci-fi, paranormal, romance etc.) are easy and mindless reads. Of course, this is not always the case but it is a hard stigma to fight. What Mr. DeWitt does is completely ignore whatever classification his novel may be given, and tells us a ripping good story full of humor, violence, and heart. Charlie Sisters knows a little something about the way of the world and how greedy and selfish people are at their core. To find a way to be someone different in the midst of all that is Eli's goal, and Mr. DeWitt takes us right along with him. I loved this book. I loved the way it was told and the way it made me feel. Highly recommended for anyone and everyone who enjoys great fiction.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Sunset Park
by
Paul Auster
William Kennedy
, November 14, 2011
Paul Auster is not a writer who reinvents himself with each book, rather he continues to build a world with his novels, some of which share characters, themes, and style. Auster has created a universe populated with the characters of his imagination - a universe of randomness and coincidence, heartbreak and redemption. Sunset Park is a worthy addition to the Auster cannon, a very human and emotionally driven story of the young and the aging, and the similar difficulties we face. Auster presents us with a cast of characters, all very real and well drawn, whose lives intersect - not in random ways necessarily, but in the common ways that we as humans enter one another's lives. I will not repeat the plot summary, as you can read that on whatever site you happen to view. I will say however, that I love the way Auster draws parallels between the younger characters and their older counterparts. We see Miles Heller struggle with guilt and self doubt, only to witness both his father and mother experience the same feelings and emotions. Or the way that Ellen discovers who she is and how she needs to be loved, then we see Miles' step mother in need of the same reassurance. Auster seems to be saying, "We are all human and essentially need the same things, maybe in different ways and styles, but we all need to be loved." That is a central theme of this novel, that we are all distinctly different, but we are still very much the same. I find Auster to be a brave writer in that he never shies away from love and all its manifestations. He gives the same time and attention to each character until we feel that we can see them clearly and understand all their various predicaments and hardships. "Sunset Park" is a more straight forward narrative then we've seen from him in the past few years. Written in the present tense, it lends a quality of urgency to the story, as though everything is happening now, not in the distant past. As with most Auster novels, I look forward to reading it again and picking up on the subtle nuances I may have missed the first time around. And on a side note, his vivid description of William Wyler's 1946 film "The Best Years of Our Lives" was so impacting that I went and bought the DVD the next day.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
11 22 63
by
Stephen King, Scribner
William Kennedy
, November 08, 2011
I have a feeling that if Stephen King were to lose both of his arms and legs in a terrible accident, he would find a way to type using his nose. This man needs to write like most of us need to breathe. What's intereting is that he started out as a genre writer tapping into the most primal fears of the American public. Over time he has developed into one of the most gifted writers of our time, a man whose memory of a past world is so clear and vivid that it's nearly as frightening as the monsters in his books. King has left behind the standard horror genre for many years now, some could even trace it back to just after he recovered from being hit by a car. Something shifted in him and his writing as never been better. I personally don't like to read massive plot summaries in reviews, there are plenty of other places to get that information. So, I will keep this simple. This book is a massive time travel epic involving an attempt to prevent JFK from being killed by Lee Harvey Oswald. That King makes all of this seem plausible is a testament to his wonderful gifts as a storyteller. In a book this big there would have to be a lot of filler right? Wrong. Writers take note - whether you like horror books or not, pick up several King books and read them, especially some of the larger ones like "Under The Dome," or even "It" and watch how a talented novelists plots a book. 1,000 pages never seemed so small. The writing doesn't draw attention to itself, rather it creates a very clear sense of time and place and allows the reader passage there. Maybe that's why the whole time travel plot didn't feel far fetched, because King's writing iteself is something of a time travel device transporting us back to the early 1960's. Stephen King is a man who doesn't stop. I'm grateful for that.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(5 of 7 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Visible Man
by
Chuck Klosterman, Scribner
William Kennedy
, October 04, 2011
Chuck Klosterman's second foray into fiction shows significant growth from his debut novel "Downtown Owl," which I found to be dull, repetitive, and pointless. I've been a fan of Mr. Kolsterman's essays for some time and find his insights into all things pop culture amusing and incisive. So, I was anxiously awaiting "Downtown Owl" when I heard he was publishing a novel. That book simply lacked his trademark wit and clarity of prose. For a metal head from North Dakota, he certainly can write. For those of you who share my disappointment with "Owl," rest assured. "The Visible Man" is far better. Rather than rehash the plot, which you'll find summarized somewhere on this page, I will say that the book is a strange and wonderful trip with a man (a potential lunatic) who finds that being unseen provides him with an enormous amount of freedom. He shares his story with a somewhat incredulous therapist who wonders why this man has contacted her...and those reasons are later made surprisingly clear. For those who plan on reading the book, I will not say anymore beyond this; when all is said and done, the plot reminded me a bit of another Chuck...Palahniuk and his fan favorite novel "Rant." There is a fair amount of genre bending in this novel as well and the results might surprise even Klosterman's most ardent fans. I am pleased that Klosterman chose to focus on a small cast of characters - mainly the man and his therapist, thereby enhancing the narrative and keeping tightly wound. This book is recommended for those of you who like your fiction fun, and well written. This novel is both.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(3 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
The Sisters Brothers
by
Patrick Dewitt
William Kennedy
, April 30, 2011
Where to begin? The Sisters Brothers is without a doubt one of the most original and engaging books I've picked up in awhile. After reading, and thoroughly enjoying Mr. DeWitt's debut novel "Ablutions," I was looking forward to reading this. "Ablutions" is a brief fantastic story of a barman who works at a downtown LA dive. Told in the second person, it mines similar terrority as Denis Johnson and Bukowski, but with a fresh and inventive narrative. For some reason, I expected "The Sisters Brothers" to be more of the same. Another tale of the down and out, the hopeless and deranged. Patrick DeWitt has grown leaps and bounds since his debut and gives us something unique - a good old fashioned Western that rips along like a horse set loose from the corral for the first time in years. This novel bends genres and acheives something greater than just being a Western. In fact, the story itself is something universal, it just happens to be set during the early days of the gold rush. Eli and Charlie Sisters are two hired guns sent to California to kill a man named Hermann Kermit Warm. They don't question why he has to die, they simply follow orders. The journey to find Warm is a large portion of the book and allows us the chance to see how different Eli and Charlie are from each other. Charlie is brutal and selfish, a cold hearted killer with vicious instincts, while Eli is a bit softer, open to the beauty in life - or at least the possibility of finding happiness someday. Eli narrates the story with thoughtful observations and through him we begin to understand the complicated relationship between the two brothers. I read this book in a storm over two nights. Novels often fall into two categories, at least as far as reviewers are concerned - the literary, and the genre books. Literary means difficult and serious while genre (mysteries, sci-fi, paranormal, romance etc.) are easy and mindless reads. Of course, this is not always the case but it is a hard stigma to fight. What Mr. DeWitt does is completely ignore whatever classification his novel may be given, and tells us a ripping good story full of humor, violence, and heart. Charlie Sisters knows a little something about the way of the world and how greedy and selfish people are at their core. To find a way to be someone different in the midst of all that is Charlie's goal, and Mr. DeWitt takes us right along with him. I loved this book. I loved the way it was told and the way it made me feel. Highly recommended for anyone and everyone who enjoys great fiction.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(6 of 7 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Catch a Wave The Rise Fall & Redemption of the Beach Boys Brian Wilson
by
Peter Ames Carlin
William Kennedy
, October 20, 2010
What makes this particular biography unique is the fact that it was written with the consent and participation of Brian Wilson. Trying, as it would seem, to set the record straight, or at least correct some of the falsehoods perpetuated by his physician/guru Eugene Landy, who purportedly had a very strong influence on "Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story." Peter Ames Carlin explores the history of the Beach Boys through their leader (at least for the first decade) and he writes as an obvious fan of the group and their music. In writing of Brian's gradual coming apart, he give amples time and space to the other members of the group, who in Brian's absence, continued to write and record some of the Beach Boys best and most creative albums. Yes, "Pet Sounds" is a masterpiece, but what about "Sunflower," "Friends," "20/20?" These albums stand on their own as fantastic contributions to the world of music. Mental illness is a grey area, and thankfully, Carlin doesn't put Brian on the couch and try to dissect why he is the way he is. Of course, Brian's relationship with his father, his wife, and the other band members is looked at, but Carlin doesn't attempt to explain away what is essentially a state of being, a creative mind that buckled under the weight of the world. I haven't read any other Beach Boy or Brian Wilson biographies, so I can't compare or judge based on what isn't here. On it's own, this book provides an extremely insightful look at one musical genius and the history of the Beach Boys through that lens. Obviously, for any fan of the group, for anyone who truly appreciates the Beach Boys legacy and not just their "fun in the sun" albums, this is a great book.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Tell All
by
Chuck Palahniuk
William Kennedy
, October 20, 2010
21 of 25 people found the following review helpful: Half Formed Ideas, May 10, 2010 This review is from: Tell-All (Hardcover) To criticize a Chuck Palahniuk book is to invite the howls of rabid fans who will die trying to convince you that either, you don't get it, or you're stupid. I guess I'm prepared for both. I love literature, I love what words can do when put together by a master writer. Most of what I read are novels by the tried and true practitioners of the art form: Don Deillo, William Gaddis, Philip Roth, Paul Auster, Denis Johnson etc. So, Palahniuk is not necessarily my cup of tea in terms of literature, however, I have found several of his novels to be clever if not entertaining reads. Especially Lullaby and Diary. In recent years Palahniuk has devlolved into writing some incredibly half hearted, almost insulting books. I hesitate to speak for him, but it comes across as though he knows full well he has a cult like following, and regardless of the quality of the work...it will sell. Tell-All falls into the same category as his last two novels, "Snuff" and "Pygmy." It is brief and uninspired, an added twist seems to be present simply for the sake of itself. It is alluded to if not completely given away long before the final pages. Palahniuk is a writer in love with gimmicks: be it sing-song repition, backwards counting page numbers, broken english etc. Most reviews have already mentioned the celebrity names in bold type, which in and of itself is not as bothersome as the lack of creativity in the writing. I would love to see Palahniuk set himself to writing a novel that challenges not only his skills, but those of his readers. I can't help but thinking it's time for him to grow and mature as an artist, I don't want to believe that he reached his peak with "Diary."
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(2 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Lean on Pete
by
Willy Vlautin
William Kennedy
, October 20, 2010
Willy Vlautin has successfully carved out a niche for himself writing about the lives of the down and out, the depressed, and the hopeless. In his first two novels, he used this specific stroy structure with effectiveness, but now on this, his third novel, it is beginning to wear a little thin. It's not easy to rise above constant comparions to writers like Raymond Carver and John Fante and Bukowski. This sets the reader into expecting a certain level, if not quality of work. Willy's style of writing is essentially a lack of style, he writes plainly and simply. There is no poetry or beauty in his words. The emotions you feel while reading his work are visceral reactions, not heightened states of awareness like other authors can draw out of a reader. That said, he used this "style," this spare, stripped down prose to great effect in "The Motel Life", which really is a fanatstic debut novel. He followed up with "Northline," which is also a good read, but is also the book during which the simplicity of his prose begins to become monotonous. He has developed the unfortunate habit of telling us every mundane detail of a character's life with very little attention paid to the internal struggles or fears. He will literally describe a character tying his shoes, brushing his teeth, eating a meal, without any stylistic flourishes. It starts to sound too much like real life...which may be the point, but I want to see real life through a clearer lens. The trouble with "Lean on Pete" is not story, this is something Willy does well. He besets his characters with hardship after hardship and allows them to overcome, or at least, survive. It is in rendering these awful events with a completely unblinking eye that we start to lose the impact of devastation. For example, in "Lean On Pete", death makes an appearance more than once, yet through the eyes of Charley (the fifteen year old narrator) we feel none of his pain. In fact, through out most of the book I was wondering whether or not this kid had any feelings at all. Vlautin chooses not to let us inside his head, Charley tells his story as if numb to all that's happening around him. I want to root for Charley, I want to see him succeed, but it's so much easier to track with a character if you feel, as a reader, that you can relate, or at least understand and sympathize with what they are going through. Halfway through "Lean On Pete" I wanted it to be over, it is more or less the same formula as Vlautin's previous two books. Take good hearted characters, beat them to hell, and have them make it out on the other side...maybe not better, but at least alive. You could combine all three of Vlautin's novels into one volume and not notice any variation in voice, style, or prose. I don't expect much from writers I appreciate, but I do long to grow with an artist. To track with them as they employ new methods, new techniques, and even new genres. Willy seems stuck, which is too bad because he does write well, but it's too...polite. I wish he would branch out and write something furious and burning. Although I was disappointed with "Lean On Pete," I whole heartedly recommend "The Motel Life" and "Northline."
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Palo Alto Stories
by
James Franco
William Kennedy
, October 20, 2010
I'm frankly shocked by the positive reviews I've seen for this collection of stories by James Franco. I was hoping to avoid making the obvious statement, but I feel there's no way around it - this book never would have seen the light of day if Franco was not an actor. I don't know much about acting, but I realize it involves inhabiting the psyche of a single person for the duration of a film. Writing however, involves probing the minds of multiple characters and keeping track of their personalities and the stories in which they are a part of. Franco may be a competent actor, but he is no writer. These stories, averaging ten pages each, constitute some of the worst writing I've ever had the displeasure to read. Not only are they bad, they are offensive in almost every regard. If you are going to subject your audience to teenagers engaged in horrific and senseless sexual behavior and acts of violence, you better have some damn good prose to make it all seem surreal. Franco writes in a pseudo-minimalist style that is trying to be some sort of Denis Johnson/Raymond Carver hybrid, but acheives neither. Johnson is incredibly poetic and incisive while creating characters we actually care about. Franco's bunch of denegenerates have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. They are lost and hopeless, but unfortunately they are never tragic. Tragic would imply that these people are aware of how lost they are. Take any Carver story and look at the emotion evoked by these poor wretched people just barely scraping by. This is because Carver cares about his characters, he wants to see them do what's right even though he knows they won't. I went into this book with an open mind. I wanted to like it. I was hoping that Franco would impress me. I walked away disgusted and disappointed. If I may be so bold, he seems enamored by the "literary author" image, but lacks the chops to fully inhabit it. Ammendment: These quotes from other recognized literary authors sound like they've been paid to drool all over Franco's book. Who gives blurbs like these unless you've gotten money to sound this enraptured? "Franco's talent is unmistakable, his ambition profound." "This is a book to be inhaled more than once, with delight and admiration." --Gary Shteyngart, author of Absurdistan and Super Sad True Love Story "Franco's intense artistry swarms all over this gripping book" --Ben Marcus, author of Notable American Women Intense artistry? Profound ambition? Okay...now everyone bow down to Hollywood...all together now.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Knowing Jesse
by
Marianne Leone
William Kennedy
, October 09, 2010
As the parent of a child with severe cerebral palsy, I found this book to be emotionally difficult and almost traumatizing in the best of ways. This was written after all, after Jesse's death and his absence fills this book with meaning beyond what it may have had if he were still alive. As is obvious by the cover, Jesse was the son of actor Chris Cooper and his wife Marianne Leone, two people who loved and believed in their son and fought for him throughout his short life. Marianne is a born writer and the prose she employs to tell her story is full of exquisitely painful writing. The narrative is not traditional, but rather reads like a memory book. A journal of a mother remembering events in her son's life as she attempts to recover from his death. Jesse himself was a remarkable child. The victim of randomness, a brilliant poet trapped inside an unresponsive body. Through the faith of his parents and various other caretakers, he is given the chance to blossom. It is terrible to know that so many children like Jesse are underestimated and sentenced to a life of imprisonment and silence. This book is a reminder that no matter how healthy your child is, a parent's job is not mold but to unfold. To unlock the hidden and untapped reservoirs of beauty and creativity in our children. Both my wife and I related to this story because of our circumstances, and I highly recommend it for any parent of a special needs child. But I also recommend it for any parent, anyone who tip toes into their child's bedroom late at night to watch them sleeping in their perfection and wonders, "What will you be, and how can I help you to become it?"
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Motel Life
by
Willy Vlautin
William Kennedy
, October 09, 2010
Author Willy Vlautin is best known as the singer, guitarist and songwriter for the the Portland, OR based al-country band "Richmond Fontaine." His songs are stories of people both real and imagined, most often down and depressed and just trying to get by. His debut novel is essentially an extended version of his song lyrics, the same hopeless wrecks haunt this book, but we feel somehow that we know them and want to see them succeed. We meet Frank and Jerry Lee Flannigan, down on theirluck brothers who can't seem to catch a break. After an accident involving a young man on a bike, the brothers take off on the run...from the law, their past, maybe even themselves. From this simple plot Vlautin chooses to focus on the relationship of Frank and Jerry Lee and chronicles their wanderings with spare prose. You can sense that their journey is leading them somewhere dark, somewhere they don't want to go, but you can only hope that they'll be okay once they get there. The book starts off right away without any set up, dropping you into the middle of a story already in progress. You come to know and love the Flannigan brothers...they're good kids that bad things keep happening to. You'll probably see someone you know in them, or maybe even a little of yourself. I read this novel after it was first released and I've read it three times since, it's become like an old friend, someone I look to when I'm feeling down. And after reading the book again, I don't feel quite so bad.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(24 of 49 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment