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The Ruined House
The Ruined House: A Novel | Ruby Namdar
2 posts | 1 read | 5 to read
“In The Ruined House a ‘small harmless modicum of vanity’ turns into an apocalyptic bonfire. Shot through with humor and mystery and insight, Ruby Namdar's wonderful first novel examines how the real and the unreal merge. It's a daring study of madness, masculinity, myth-making and the human fragility that emerges in the mix." —Colum McCann, National Book Award-winning author of Let the Great World Spin Winner of the Sapir Prize, Israel’s highest literary award Picking up the mantle of legendary authors such as Saul Bellow and Philip Roth, an exquisite literary talent makes his debut with a nuanced and provocative tale of materialism, tradition, faith, and the search for meaning in contemporary American life. Andrew P. Cohen, a professor of comparative culture at New York University, is at the zenith of his life. Adored by his classes and published in prestigious literary magazines, he is about to receive a coveted promotion—the crowning achievement of an enviable career. He is on excellent terms with Linda, his ex-wife, and his two grown children admire and adore him. His girlfriend, Ann Lee, a former student half his age, offers lively companionship. A man of elevated taste, education, and culture, he is a model of urbanity and success. But the manicured surface of his world begins to crack when he is visited by a series of strange and inexplicable visions involving an ancient religious ritual that will upend his comfortable life. Beautiful, mesmerizing, and unsettling, The Ruined House unfolds over the course of one year, as Andrew’s world unravels and he is forced to question all his beliefs. Ruby Namdar’s brilliant novel embraces the themes of the American Jewish literary canon as it captures the privilege and pedantry of New York intellectual life in the opening years of the twenty-first century.
LibraryThing
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Gittelbooks
Panpan

I believe this book is above my pay grade. Finer minds than mine will hail it as a masterpiece but I struggled through its pages like I was wearing concrete boots. Laden with heavy Old Testament biblical imagery & text, the excess verbiage took its toll. I know there is a message to be had here, which is why I persevered to the end, more out of respect for the author‘s efforts than any real reading pleasure. Not for the faint of heart IMHO.

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mrozzz
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From last night: fellow author Anne Roiphe interviewed Ruby Namdar and I am still reeling. It was such a full, intellectual discussion- I was totally rapt.

Namdar's novel (originally released in 2014, this is a new translation) focuses on a secular Jewish man living in the Upper West Side of NYC just before 9/11 when he becomes haunted by ancient texts. I loved how he talked about it and I can't wait to push this book to the top of my TBR! 😄

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