The Candy House
Books | Fiction / Literary
3.5
(4.8K)
Jennifer Egan
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE of the TOP 10 BOOKS OF THE YEAR by THE NEW YORK TIMES * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY * SLATE* THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER * Also named one of the BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by Vanity Fair, Time, NPR, The Guardian, Oprah Daily, Self, Vogue, The New Yorker, BBC, Vulture, and many more! OLIVIA WILDE to direct A24's TV adaptation of THE CANDY HOUSE and A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD! From one of the most celebrated writers of our time comes an “inventive, effervescent” (Oprah Daily) novel about the memory and quest for authenticity and human connection.The Candy House opens with the staggeringly brilliant Bix Bouton, whose company, Mandala, is so successful that he is “one of those tech demi-gods with whom we’re all on a first name basis.” Bix is forty, with four kids, restless, and desperate for a new idea, when he stumbles into a conversation group, mostly Columbia professors, one of whom is experimenting with downloading or “externalizing” memory. Within a decade, Bix’s new technology, “Own Your Unconscious”—which allows you access to every memory you’ve ever had, and to share your memories in exchange for access to the memories of others—has seduced multitudes. In the world of Egan’s spectacular imagination, there are “counters” who track and exploit desires and there are “eluders,” those who understand the price of taking a bite of the Candy House. Egan introduces these characters in an astonishing array of narrative styles—from omniscient to first person plural to a duet of voices, an epistolary chapter, and a chapter of tweets. Intellectually dazzling, The Candy House is also a moving testament to the tenacity and transcendence of human longing for connection, family, privacy, and love. “A beautiful exploration of loss, memory, and history” (San Francisco Chronicle), “this is minimalist maximalism. It’s as if Egan compressed a big 19th-century novel onto a flash drive” (The New York Times).
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More Details:
Author
Jennifer Egan
Pages
352
Publisher
Simon and Schuster
Published Date
2022-04-05
ISBN
1476716781 9781476716787
Community ReviewsSee all
"I’m sometimes conflicted on how to review book I’ve read. Because did I like this book? No, not really. Do I think Jennifer Egan is brilliant and talented and wrote a masterpiece? Yes. I thought this was kind of boring and hard to keep up with. FAR too many characters and story lines and circles of plot. However, on the other hand Egan was able to fully encapsulate SO MANY characters and connect story lines and complete plot circles!!! So many authors write about the future but the way Egan is able to make you think about your memories and how others would interpret them was genius. I’m curious about her other book but I’m not sure she’s for me. All that being said I think Jennifer Egan is a great talent, but I’m possibly too dumb to understand her writing. Thats it. "
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Aubrey
"I couldn’t finish this book. I tried, halfway done and gave up. It was very disjointed and I kept waiting for a story. "
m c
melanie cameron
"Awful."
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Raashid Williams
"From what I remember, the tone and pacing (and content!) seemed extremely similar to The Goon Squad. This was like being dropped into lives that connected with each other - and, though I found the characters selfish and self-centered, couldn't put it down. Egan's writing brings them to life; the good, the bad, and the rest of it. Many get a belated redemption story that only is told once we jump narratives, and others... well, you'll have to read it.<br/><br/>4/5 stars, though if I were feeling spicy, 3.5"
"I honestly found the book hard to read and get into the story. As a result I wasn't able to finish at this time. Was disappointed because it sounds amazing - will pick it up again sometime in the future and see if things change then - if so I will update my review."
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James S Wilson
"DNF…I listened to the first 3rd (“Build”sections) and I just couldn’t get into it. The cast did a great job, but I didn’t care for any if the characters and the story wasn’t engaging enough for me."
A P
Allie Peduto
"I didn’t follow the plot line well and got very confused trying to connect the stories audibly. Really neat setting though! "
E S
El Setera