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The Keep
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
Award-winning author Jennifer Egan brilliantly conjures a world from which escape is impossible and where the keep the tower, the last stand is both everything worth protecting and the very thing that must be surrendered in order to survive. Two cousins, irreversibly damaged by a childhood prank, reunite twenty years later to renovate a medieval castle in Eastern Europe. In an environment of extreme paranoia, cut off from the outside world, the men reenact the signal event of their youth, with even more catastrophic results. And as the full horror of their predicament unfolds, a prisoner, in jail for an unnamed crime, recounts an unforgettable story that seamlessly brings the crimes of the past and present into piercing relation. From the Trade Paperback edition.
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JillR
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Pickpick

I have no idea what I just read! I loved A Visit from the Goon Squad and Manhattan Beach, so I read this whilst (im)patiently waiting for The Candy House to be released in paperback. This story is on the crazy/confusing side, but the writing is just great and I couldn‘t put it down, whilst also having no idea what was going on!

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RaeLovesToRead
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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#manicmonday #letterK @CBee @The_Penniless_Author

📖 The Keep (Jennifer Egan)
✒ Stephen King
🎬 Knives Out / Keeping Mum
🎤 The Killers (❤)
🎶 Kiss It Better (Rihanna)

The film choices here are a bit half-hearted. I will note in the comments if I think of any TV shows or films I like better.

The_Penniless_Author What about Kids? I forgot all about that movie; I must have watched that a hundred times when I was in high school. Or how about Keeping Up Appearances? Is that something English people watch? 😂 2y
RaeLovesToRead @The_Penniless_Author Not seen either! My J answer for movies was half-hearted too. Films I saw a long while ago and liked, but haven't booted up again since! 2y
The_Penniless_Author Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom that's been airing over here on PBS for what feels like my entire lifetime. And yet I still haven't seen more than five minutes of an episode. I just assumed everyone in England was aware of it. 😅 2y
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RaeLovesToRead @The_Penniless_Author Yes, I'm AWARE of it. But I haven't seen it. It's not going on the list! 2y
The_Penniless_Author How about KC Undercover? 😄 Laura used to watch that show. That's how Zendaya got famous! 2y
RaeLovesToRead @The_Penniless_Author Genuinely don't know what that is 🤦🏼‍♀️ 2y
37 likes6 comments
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BarbaraBB
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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#BookReport 38/22

Just finished these two this week, both were very engaging. Completely different though. I am having two books in progress too, so I did read a bit more than the picture implies!

Megabooks Great week! Glad you enjoyed The Keep 💜 2y
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BarbaraBB
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Pickpick

It‘s a rainy Sunday and the first day that feels like autumn. A perfect day to curl up with this modern gothic novel. Egan is an excellent writer. I can visualize the medieval castle where the book is set vividly. There are two storylines, coming together nicely in the end and leaving much space for interpretation, which I like.
Thank you for sending me this book Meg, I knew nothing about it before diving in and it was a wonderful surprise 🖤

RaeLovesToRead I really liked this book. It was weird, but I liked it! 2y
squirrelbrain Great review - stacked! 2y
Megabooks Oh fantastic!! Glad you loved it too! 😁💜 2y
batsy Nice review! I really enjoyed it, as well. It got under my skin in a way I didn't expect. 2y
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BarbaraBB
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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A wonderful package arrived today from my dear friend Meg 💕. Your card is so sweet, it‘s been a consolation to share my father‘s illness with you. I love the cream (I am addicted to hand cream) and the books. The Keep seems fantastic, a gothic one! China Room I‘ve been meaning to read since it‘s publication! And I love that I can add one to my #BOTM collection. I bet I‘m the only one in the Netherlands who has one 💪🏽 😉. Thank you so much 🤍

Megabooks Pleased it survived customs and is things you‘ll enjoy! I‘m glad I could be there to support you. You‘re a wonderful friend and person!! 😘😘 2y
TrishB Lovely ❤️ 2y
56 likes2 comments
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Megabooks
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Pickpick

Egan continues to impress me with her skill and imagination. This is so much wilder and more unexpected than I want to share in the summary! A must-read for gothic novel lovers!

When they were kids, Danny left his cousin Howard lost in a cave. This caused a rift in the family, but years later, a wealthy Howard invites Danny to a castle he‘s bought in Europe. However there‘s a previous occupant in the castle‘s keep wreaking havoc on all who enter.

Megabooks @tpixie 🤫 I‘m keeping my mouth 🤐 2y
vivastory This sounds amazing 🤩 I'm a sucker for gothic novels, traditional & contemporary. One of the most terrifying books I've ever read is Matthew Lewis The Monk. Are those stargazer lilies? They're my favorite flower! 2y
Megabooks @vivastory I think you‘ll love this one, and I think you‘ll really appreciate the skill she had crafting the story. I don‘t want to share too much though. 🤐 They‘re Mona Lisa lilies but very similar in appearance to stargazers. 2y
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Cinfhen Another book I might need to try!! 2y
batsy I enjoyed this! It was genuinely creepy. 2y
Sweettartlaura This one is GREAT! The only time Egan disappointed me was with Manhattan Beach. And it was only because it was SO straightforward. Well-written, great story - I just love her work this one, or Goon Squad 🤷🏻‍♀️. I just picked up Candy House - hoping it‘s more like this one ☝🏻 2y
jlhammar I have this on my shelves, but haven't read it yet. Glad to see it's a pick. 2y
squirrelbrain Great review! 2y
Vansa @Sweettartlaura exactly my views about Manhattan beach too. But definitely read Candy house,it's a worthy sequel to Goon squad.And it's lovely to meet those wonderful characters again 2y
tpixie @Megabooks I deleted my post. Just in case ✅ after I get done with my book clubs I‘m gonna have to try to read this! 2y
Megabooks @Cinfhen it was a great gothic horror weekend for me! 2y
Megabooks @batsy agreed 💯 2y
Megabooks @Sweettartlaura I did not care for Manhattan Beach either, but I loved Good Squad, Candy House and 2y
Megabooks @jlhammar I‘d recommend it for sure, especially if it‘s already hanging out on your shelves 👍🏻 2y
Megabooks @Vansa agree about MB and Candy House 💯💯 2y
Megabooks @tpixie oh thank you! Enjoy it when you pick it up! It‘s a good title 👍🏻 2y
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Megabooks
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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I‘m having a little gothic/horror weekend. ☠️

The Keep is a gothic revenge tale about two cousins and a castle in Europe. Tagged ⬆️

Hide is a thriller/horror tale about a girl playing a game of survival in an amusement park. Tagged ⬇️

Hidden Pictures is supernatural horror about a kid being haunted in a house in New Jersey. He draws increasingly disturbing pictures for his babysitter. Tagged ⬇️

vivastory Thanks for the tag! Both Keep & Hidden Pictures are on my TBR. I've seen Hide floating around social media the past few days but I didn't know what it was about. Sounds good. Adding it to my TBR 📚📚📚 2y
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Megabooks @vivastory I‘m pleased with how much I‘m enjoying HP! His debut was a surprise pick for me, and I‘m liking this even more. About 33% in. I just started The Keep now that I have a moment to sit down. (The other two are audiobooks.) Hide is up after HP. I‘ll tag you in my reviews if you want. 👍🏻👍🏻 2y
vivastory I'd def like to see your reviews! I appreciate it! I have Impossible Fortress on my TBR shelves. I was recently thinking of reading it. I just placed a hold on HP at my library. Premise of Hide reminds me a bit of the following, which I meant to read last fall & didn't get around to 2y
vivastory And apparently full contact haunted houses is a real thing?! I can't even process it...😬 😱 2y
Cinfhen You‘ve gone from #MemoirGirl to #HorrorGirl - what‘s going on ?!?! 😝😜😘all three sound ghoulishly good 2y
Megabooks @vivastory I have heard of full contact haunted houses, and I just don‘t think I could do it!! 2y
Megabooks @vivastory it looks like reviews on Reprieve are mixed on here. I‘ll probably wait to see what you think because we often agree. Impossible Fortress was different than anything I read that year in a good way. (I read it for the #BotmChallenge. I‘m not sure I would‘ve picked it up otherwise, but I‘m glad it put him on my radar.) 2y
Megabooks @Cinfhen only one memoir so far this month! It just seemed like I needed a good scaring this weekend! 👻 2y
squirrelbrain Ew, too much horror for me! 🤣 2y
Megabooks @squirrelbrain lol! It‘s like an itch I have to scratch sometimes! 😂☠️ 2y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Hidden Pictures had me at New Jersey. 2y
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Megabooks
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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2nd & Charles was good to me this time. 😁 I got my id and was able to sell my books! Then I couldn‘t help but get a few backlist titles from favorite authors with some of my credit. 😏

@vivastory they had a copy of the Egan we talked about! I‘m so excited to see what she does with noir.

RaeLovesToRead I loved The Keep! 2y
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vivastory Looking forward to your thoughts on all of these!! 2y
Cinfhen Glad all worked out this time 🧡I have but have not read the Strout. 2y
Megabooks @RaeLovesToRead that‘s great to know! I‘m excited. 2y
Megabooks @vivastory thanks!! I hoping to get to 1 or 2 in June. 2y
Megabooks @Cinfhen yeah, my library didn‘t have the ebook, and the plot sounded good, so I grabbed it! Each was only $5, so I still have a lot left to shop in the future. 🎉 2y
Cinfhen Pretty photo 🤩 2y
Chelsea.Poole Let me know what you think of this one— I am curious about and have it checked out at the library 2y
Megabooks @Cinfhen thanks! 2y
Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole you may read it before I do because I‘m saving it for next month‘s bookspin list. 👍🏻 2y
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RaeLovesToRead
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Continuing with #12booksof2021 - here is my July pick!

The Keep was a weird little book that read more like two intertwined novellas. I was pleasantly surprised by how much it engaged me!

I can't think of much to compare it to. It was quirky.

Graywacke Have you read her Goon Squad novel? I‘m wondering if it holds up to that, which I really enjoyed. 3y
RaeLovesToRead @Graywacke I haven't! This was my first Jennifer Egan book... I've heard good things about her other books though... Will add to my shopping basket! 😊 3y
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Mogoeg
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Pickpick

Egan is a polarizing writer, but I thought this was terrific. I liked it from the start & I liked it all the way through, but the whole time I was semi-consciously measuring it in the back of my mind against 'A Visit from the Goon Squad' (which is one of my favorite books) & it wasn't quite measuring up. But I finished it a couple of days ago & I can't stop thinking about it. It is still not my favorite of hers, but it's pretty damn good.

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RaeLovesToRead
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Pickpick

This book was incredible.

Two stories wrapping around each other and coming together in a magical way. I loved it.

Manages to be compelling despite having really unsympathetic characters.

What a surprise gem ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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RaeLovesToRead
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Good afternoon to all my lovely Litsy buddies! ❤

It's boiling hot and I am not coping 🥵🥵😅

Luckily I'm free today, so I can lounge around in my beachwear wishing it was snowing 😆

Today I'm reading The Keep. Im surprised how compelling it is, given that both the narrator and the MC aren't at all likeable!

You may notice a couple of new arrivals too... I got a bit overexcited while ordering screen protectors and treated myself 🤣😍

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BarbaraJean
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Pickpick

Both surreal & puzzling, this wasn‘t what I expected—but I really enjoyed the ride. At first, we follow Danny as he arrives in Eastern Europe to help his cousin renovate a castle, their reunion bringing up memories of childhood he‘d rather forget. There‘s a framing narrative woven throughout that made me question the first narrative, and the way both stories twist & turn, then wrap around & collapse into each other, is fascinating & so well done.

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BarbaraJean
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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I completed my Goodreads challenge when I finished this book last night! I showed it to my husband and he said: “Oh, that‘s a bummer. You‘ve maxed out and now you can‘t read any more books till January.” 🤪🤣

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🎊🎉🙌🏻 5y
TheLibrarian Congrats!! And that sounds like something my husband would say! 5y
Graciouswarriorprincess Congratulations! 5y
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Daisey Congratulations! 🎉 5y
Chrissyreadit Congratulations!! 5y
JoScho 🥳💜🥳💜🥳 5y
33 likes6 comments
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Billypar
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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#7days7covers #covercrush Day 4
@merelybookish
@GripLitGrl want to play? Post 7 covers in 7 days, no explanation needed, and tag a new person each day.

Leftcoastzen Nice cover. 5y
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Amiable
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Panpan

Reads like two novellas awkwardly jammed into one. I don‘t usually notice curses, but this is excessive. Is it for shock value? I just think it‘s lazy. And yes: I “get” the plot. It‘s about power, confinement & escape. The characters are all imprisoned in some way, if not in a physical location (i.e. a tunnel, a castle keep) then in a mental cage of their own making (i.e. paranoia, addiction). In the end, it was irritating & didn‘t appeal to me.

BridgetteM I thought it was only so so. I had to laugh at the “don‘t think about it” scene. It still makes me chuckle when I think about it. 6y
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WhereTheBooksGo
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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How brilliant is Jennifer Egan?! I devoured this Gothic tale of guilt and redemption in two sittings, caught up by the dynamics of Danny and his cousin Howard's history. A must read.

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Sweettartlaura
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Pickpick

This is amazing!
Completely modern - exploring themes of communication, reality, reinvention - in an ancient, crumbling castle, thereby capturing all the gothic essence this is ensconced in.
Egan is a masterful nuanced storyteller. Even before you know how much the narrator is involved in this tale, you sense that this isn‘t really Danny‘s story.
And then there‘s Holly - & I have no room for her - ugh.
Just READ THIS. Even with its stupid cover.

artkavanagh It‘s time I read some Jennifer Egan. I have a copy of 𝐴 𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑛 𝑆𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑑 somewhere but I never started it. I‘ve been put off her a bit by the disappointing film version of 𝑇𝒉𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝐶𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑠. 7y
Sweettartlaura @artkavanagh Both Goon Squad & The Keep are winners. Haven‘t read The Invisible Circus, but so far she hasn‘t let me down. Enjoy! 7y
artkavanagh @Sweettartlaura thanks again. 7y
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Sweettartlaura
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Starting tonight, & sharing the blurb because the cover is stupid. But 20 pages in, I‘m already reminded how Jennifer Egan is BRILLIANT!❤️

MinDea 😆😆😆😆 The cover is stupid! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 7y
batsy I loved this, so subtly creepy and disturbing. 7y
Sweettartlaura @MinDea It totally is 😜 7y
Sweettartlaura @batsy I am LOVING this! Your description is perfect. Staying home sick today - tummy troubles - and if I don‘t sleep too much, I‘ll probably finish this. 7y
batsy @Sweettartlaura Hope you feel better soon and get some reading in! 7y
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gossamerchild
Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Pickpick

I managed to actually read the full 2 hours, and finished my #LMPBC book! Better start than I had anticipated. This book really grabbed me at the end. #24in48

@24in48

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 7y
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gossamerchild
Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Good news, #LMPBC #GroupB and more specifically @ForeverNerdy, the book was here when I got home 🤩🤩🤩

[DELETED] 3803335244 Oh I‘m so glad! I‘ve been sick this last few days just now seeing this ❤️ thanks for posting ❤️ 7y
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ladygrey
The Keep | Jennifer Egan

"This was how the worm got in. You opened yourself to that kind of thinking and the worm crawled inside you and started to eat and didn't stop until nothing was left. You saw yourself as a weak powerless guy and it was only a matter of time before everyone agreed you were that guy."

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ladygrey
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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But Danny felt good. Too good, almost. Not because he didn't like feeling good -- who doesn't like feeling good? Because some little part of him didn't believe he could feel this good. It seemed too easy. And because of that, there was an anxious feeling in Danny's gut, a wobbly feeling, the kind of feeling that makes you worry (even though you feel good!) that something bad is about to happen.

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quinas
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Pickpick

This book had been sitting on my shelf for ages. Not my favourite book of hers, I loved A Visit from the Goon Squad, but I really like her style of writing, and I thought this was pretty clever and entertaining.

Fernoppy It's been sitting on my shelf for ages too. I've tried A visit from the goon squad twice and couldn't get into it. 7y
quinas @Fernoppy She seems to be a divisive author, this book made some people really angry on Goodreads. I don't think I've ever given a book one star! 7y
Fernoppy Me either. I think I've given two two-star reviews, but that's it. And I really want to like her books because I love her premises, but just couldn't get into it. 7y
3 likes3 comments
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Billypar
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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This postmodern take on aspects of classic gothic novels has the main character​ summoned by an estranged childhood friend to help him in restoring a centuries old castle in Eastern Europe that he recently purchased, a crumbling #brokedownpalace of sorts. But the friends have a complicated history and the narrative takes some unexpected turns, to say the least. Loved my first Egan- will probably visit the goon squad next. #JuneTunz @Cinfhen

saresmoore Well, this sounds pretty awesome. 7y
Cinfhen Sounds scary as hell!! Awesome pick👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻and that cover 🏆✅💓 7y
batsy I loved this book! Great pick for this prompt. I took it with me on a solo trip to Singapore where I stayed alone in a dodgy hotel and this really unnerved me and I got no sleep those two nights 😬 7y
Billypar @Cinfhen There were definitely some parts that were delightfully creepy and suspenseful. @batsy I wish I read this on an international trip- this would be a great travel choice, especially in a spooky, old setting 😱 7y
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MimiLovesToRead
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
Panpan

I'm sorry, but what did i just listen to??

readingallthetime She's an award winner isn't she ? I felt the same way over her first book. 8y
MimiLovesToRead @readingallthetime Yes, the Pulitzer. I don't like books that i have to analyze. 8y
readingallthetime Me either. 7y
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MimiLovesToRead
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Just started this audiobook. It's a bit strange.....

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DebinHawaii
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Day20 #photoadaynov16 #setineasterneurope Books set in Eastern Europe are in scarce supply on my shelves, but these three are set or partially set there. The Historian & The Keep have been on my TBR stacks for longer than I'd like to admit & I grabbed Dracula in October for .25 cents without fully realizing it was a 'Classic Starts' copy for young readers-abridged & rewritten. Hah! Maybe I will enjoy it more than the original read years ago?!😆

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merelybookish
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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To help soothe my election day jitters, I spent an hour in the stacks at the used bookstore. Limited myself to these three. May go back for the Muriel Spark biography. Anyone read any of these?

badnorthern I read The Keep. I liked it. Very different from A Visit From the Goon Squad. 8y
ApoptyGina69 I read a different Radclyffe Hall that was amazing and is an important read. #LGBTQ #queerbooks 8y
merelybookish @badnorthern I loved Goon Squad but have never read any of her other stuff 8y
CherylDeFranceschi I loved The Keep! 8y
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Babssy
The Keep | Jennifer Egan

All that love, all that pain, all the stuff people feel--not just me and you, brother, but everyone, everyone who's ever walked this beautiful green planet--how can all that disappear when somebody dies?

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Poindextrix
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
Pickpick

At first this felt kind of amorphous (not in a bad way), but the deeper I got into it the more it built and the more invested in it I became. It was a quick read, but a slow burn of a book for me.

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Poindextrix
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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Poindextrix
The Keep | Jennifer Egan
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He was some kind of adult, but what kind?