Particularize Books Conducive To No Book but the World
| ISBN: | 1594486034 (ISBN13: 9781594486036) |
Leah Hager Cohen
Hardcover | Pages: 320 pages Rating: 3.36 | 801 Users | 204 Reviews
Present Regarding Books No Book but the World
| Title | : | No Book but the World |
| Author | : | Leah Hager Cohen |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 320 pages |
| Published | : | April 3rd 2014 by Riverhead Books (first published March 27th 2014) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Literary Fiction. Family. Contemporary. Novels |
Narrative Toward Books No Book but the World
A gripping, morally complex novel that asks: How much do grown siblings owe one another?At the edge of a woods, on the grounds of a defunct "free school," Ava and her brother, Fred, shared a dreamy and seemingly idyllic childhood—a world defined largely by their imaginations and the presence of each other.
Decades later, then, when Ava learns that her brother is being held in a county jail for a shocking crime, she is frantic to piece together what actually happened. Fred has always been different, certainly impaired, never evaluated. Their parents frowned upon labels and diagnoses as much as they did formal instruction and societal constraints. Now, however, the parents are gone, the siblings grown apart, a boy is dead and Fred in jail, and Ava is forced to wonder: is it her job to save her brother? What is our obligation to those we love—and to those we find difficult to love? Convinced that she alone will be able to reach him and explain his innocence to the world, Ava endeavors to tell their enthralling story.
Leah Hager Cohen brings her trademark intelligence and grace to a rich, morally ambiguous story that suggests we may ultimately fathom one another best not with facts alone, but through our imaginations.
Rating Regarding Books No Book but the World
Ratings: 3.36 From 801 Users | 204 ReviewsAssessment Regarding Books No Book but the World
I really liked this book. Cohen did a good job addressing, without completely resolving, some challenging emotional issues. As Ava says in her conclusion: "For why are we here if not to try to fathom one another? Not through facts alone, but with the full extent of our imaginations." Cohen weaves a story (and discusses Ava's storytelling throughout) that seeks to understand the other while reconciling the self within the greater picture.In Ava, Cohen creates a very likeable, yet odd, mainThe idea of this book sounded so good. It sounded like a good mystery story with family stuff. But I just couldn't get into it. The plot was taking a while to get going, and there were so many flashbacks, it was hard to keep track of what was present and past. Just when I thought we were getting somewhere, the story would jump and go back in time. I wanted to like this book, but I really didn't. I couldn't finish it, and I usually finish books I have for review. Sadly, this one will go to the
No Book but the World, by Leah Hager Cohen Take an arresting theme, what happens to children raised in a "Summerhill" type of environment, then screw it up with some dreadful creative writing class prose and you'll have No Book but the World. The prose ranges from deeply mauve to downright swampy The writer has no depth, except in the places she'll take her reader.Just when you think you have a plot or a character going, she pulls the carpet out presse-presse. Be it car accident or sex scene,
This book was another unexpected surprise. If you read the synopsis, you could think this was going to be a who-dunit or a crime novel - it is not. This book is truly what literary fiction should be. Expertly written and deeply felt. Cohen's placement of words on the page is akin to a master artist's application of paint on a canvas. Oftentimes her turn of phrase would make me stop in my tracks and say "wow". It took me a bit longer to get through this book, but in retrospect this is not a novel
Strangely disappointing. I say "strangely", because it's difficult for Me to pinpoint exactly how, why, and when this became something other than a book I wanted to read..., something other than the book I thought I was reading. The writing started out quite strong, and I believed I was going to really enjoy the writing style. After a few chapters however, I got the distinct feeling that the writing was pretentious. It was unnecessarily wordy. The author seemed to be trying to impress with her
The title of this book is taken from Rousseaus philosophy of education that children should learn by free exploration of the world rather than sitting at desks learning from books. And the main characters, siblings, Ava & Fred experience just such an unconventional childhood as a result of their parents belief in this ideal. It is a beautifully written & thoughtful story told by a grown-up Ava through her own eyes & the experiences of others close to her. Because of their wild &
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