Welcome to Litsy!

Did a little road-tripping with Dad this afternoon! #BlameItOnCindy #BlameItOnHelen #BookerLonglist

#BookerLonglist2022 Book 6

I liked this book but I didn‘t love it. This is very meta we have stories within stories, different authors, different reasons for writing and of course that good ole staple the unreliable narrator to be fair I am not sure any of the narrators in the whole of the book are reliable.

Full review here soon https://wordpress.com/post/thereadersroom.org/20183

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The phrase ‘alternative facts‘ came to mind as I was reading this superbly composed & executed novel. It is about creating the ‘reality‘ of who someone is and what impact they have. In every story there is a motive driving the narrative and it may be impossible to tell how much of it is true and how much isn‘t. And who gets to decide this anyway?

A story of a man and woman, their genius, his ego, her ‘place‘. And the truth of it all.

This is a cleverly structured book. We learn about a rich financier‘s life (and wife) from 4 differing points of view, but which is real? It brings a bit of sophistication to the ‘unreliable narrator‘ trope. It dipped in places in the 2nd part, but overall a very enjoyable read.

It leaves me with a dilemma though… it‘s not top 3 on my #booker2022 list but it could be on my top 6 shortlist, which means another book may have to drop out. 🤔

A novel within a novel within a novel. What I expected from To Paradise and Sea of Tranquility, I pleasantly found in Trust. Fabulous title and excellent audio narration - Told in four parts, we slowly come to understand what and whom we can trust. A book about perception, wealth, mental health, fact & fiction. I really enjoyed the experience❣️ #Booker2022LongList

Two hours to go!! REALLY enjoying this book. It requires some patience but I feel like the payoff will be worth it. A novel within a novel with MANY layers. A bit of business background is helpful but not necessary to understand the art of manipulation 😉

Just started this one from the #Booker2022LongList
I have high hopes although this book seems to be divided between loathing or loving 🤷🏼‍♀️

I realised this book was going over my head , but I knew too it was brilliant to me. So I needed to Youtube some interviews with the author. Turns out I had no idea what was going on. I found out a lot about the structure of the book. I also am very drawn to the author, his intelligence, his warmth , especially when he tells us of his favourite character in the book , then he becomes a self revealing man . Now back to the book 👍🏻♥️

Sunday morning reading. Really enjoying this. Helen and Benjamin are fascinating characters 👍🏻

Trust. My first venture into the Booker long list. I‘m intrigued by where this opening sentence will lead to…

While I think the writing here is quite good, the structuring of the book so that the reader finally sees what‘s going on in the third section kept me at arm‘s length and prevented me from really enjoying this. While it‘s clever, I feel like the cleverness overshadowed the story.

Oh yeah. This is one of those those books that is SO intriguing how accomplished it is! I‘m one of those extremely averse to knowing too much about plot/characters/spoilers/anything and sure enough, I wish I had known more. OTOH, I did know — vaguely — maybe? — about, the idea? Of a variety of view points and versions and perspectives, whatever, but it didn‘t make sense or enough that I gave it anymore than a glance of thought. What I did know ⬇️

It's a crying shame that half of this list is American -- the Booker never should have let the Yanks in. That said, Trust is a great book and all of you should read it.

https://publishingperspectives.com/2022/07/the-uks-booker-prize-for-fiction-name...

When I started this audiobook I had to stop and check to make sure it was a fiction book because it has such a unique construction that it felt like a biography or memoir.

Diaz has created a cleverly crafted novel that is layered in such a rewarding way that as the story comes together it makes for an unforgettable reading experience.

The way Diaz writes about wealth and humanity reminded me a bit of a modern Steinbeck.

I‘ve sat on writing a review of Trust for awhile, mostly because it‘s had me thinking. It‘s clever, structurally inventive storytelling, that challenges its reader through form and content. It‘s a book that is about a lot of things, big ideas that are woven together by connection between capitalism and fiction. I‘m still thinking about the things Diaz has to say about truth and perception, fiction and finance.

It‘s just the three of us 🎶

What do you two think of these options for #lmpbc? Which one are you more interested in?

The four narratives, told by different individuals, is about a man who has been able to amass a fortune through the stock market. Did he cheat his way into rigging the market? Was he as brilliant as he was made out to be? The story within the story is about his wife. Who is left to tell her side of the story when the woman is no longer around to tell the tale. Does a man's legacy matter more than a woman's?

I absolutely loved this novel from the author of In The Distance, which I also loved. This one explores the way we are remembered through time and how this can be changed by others accounts of us. It came together wonderfully at the end and I thought all the risks Diaz took paid off. 5 ⭐️ read for me.

We stopped at this cafe for lunch , so nice. On a little road trip & have arrived at our first stop in Mayo. Settling into relaxation mode now with tagged book. ☺️

For years, between books, I worked on a novel about her. It remains both unfinished and the greatest mistake of my writing life. Because I labored unsuccessfully on that book for so long, my mother acquired, forever, the texture and weight of a half-formed character in my mind. I have even come to distrust my love for her.

#SundaySentence

I‘m not that crazy about books with no dialogue. I always feel as though the characters remain flat even if the story is interesting. Which this one wasn‘t. The book jacket calls it “immersive” and “brilliant” but I didn‘t see it.

This book proved to be a real feat of construction, as well as being brilliantly written and thought-provoking to boot. I can't stop thinking about it; easily my favorite 2022 book so far.

A character sketch in two sentences:

Mrs. Brevoort was exuberant in her grief, exploring all the social possibilities of mourning. She found unsuspected radiance in the deepest shades of black and made sure to surround herself with particularly plaintive and misty-eyed friends so that she could highlight her arrogant form of sorrow, which she called “dignified.”

Intimacy can be an unbearable burden for those who, first experiencing it after a lifetime of proud self-sufficiency, suddenly realize it makes their world complete. Finding bliss becomes one with the fear of losing it. #SundaySentence

(Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash)

Because he had enjoyed almost every advantage since birth, one of the few privileges denied to Benjamin Rask was that of a heroic rise: his was not a story of resilience and perseverance or the tale of an unbreakable will forging a golden destiny for itself out of little more than dross.

#FridayReads #FirstLineFridays

Coffee and a new BookPage makes for a good morning! Trust, the book featured on the cover, sounds interesting.

Beautifully done. Engrossing tale of the capitalist excesses of the early twentieth century, but refracted through a complex set of different narrative lenses which keeps you hooked to the last page. Profoundly resonant into these days of the mega-wealthy. If you have limitless resources, can you really bend reality to your will? Highly recommended. Coming in May.

It‘s Books Are Magic - so you know they‘ll ALL be good! 🤣🤣🤣. The tagged one caught my eye

http://booksaremagic.squarespace.com/home-1/most-anticipated-spring-2022-jbsrt