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The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris (view source)
Revision as of 16:55, 11 February 2010
, 16:55, 11 February 2010no edit summary
It's hauntingly sad and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny – occasionally on the same page – often because these are people in a situation not of their own making coping as best they can. They're characters you genuinely care about, not least because they care about each other. What Tim does, what Jane is driven to, does not seem irrational and you realise that there's a very fine dividing line between madness and sanity. Ferris can leave you wondering on which side of the line you stand.
The writing is sharp and elegant with not a word wasted but above all it's a story which pulls you in and will not let you go. I read it in two sittings over the course of twelve hours so desperate was I to know what happened to the family. It's a story that's timeless – anchored in no time and any time – and it will be read for many years to come. We weren't entirely convinced by [[The Then We Came To The End by Joshua Ferris|The Then We Came To The End]] – Ferris' first novel – but ''The Unnamed'' will surely establish him as one of the great American novelists.
I'd like to thank the publisher for sending a copy to The Bookbag.