The Candy House: A Novel* Named a Top Ten Best Book of 2022 by The New York Times Book Review, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Slate * Named a Best Book of 2022 by The New Yorker, NPR, Oprah Daily, Time, Harper's Bazaar, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Vogue, and many more! * “A compelling read that showcases Egan’s masterful storytelling.” —Time “Dazzling.” —Vogue “Radiant, exhilarating.” —Slate “Mesmerizing…A thought-provoking examination of how and why we change.” —People From one of the most celebrated writers of our time comes an “inventive, effervescent” (Oprah Daily) novel about the memory and quest for authenticity and human connection. The Candy House opens with the staggeringly brilliant Bix Bouton, whose company, Mandala, is so successful that he is “one of those tech demi-gods with whom we’re all on a first name basis.” Bix is forty, with four kids, restless, and desperate for a new idea, when he stumbles into a conversation group, mostly Columbia professors, one of whom is experimenting with downloading or “externalizing” memory. Within a decade, Bix’s new technology, “Own Your Unconscious”—which allows you access to every memory you’ve ever had, and to share your memories in exchange for access to the memories of others—has seduced multitudes. In the world of Egan’s spectacular imagination, there are “counters” who track and exploit desires and there are “eluders,” those who understand the price of taking a bite of the Candy House. Egan introduces these characters in an astonishing array of narrative styles—from omniscient to first person plural to a duet of voices, an epistolary chapter, and a chapter of tweets. Intellectually dazzling, The Candy House is also a moving testament to the tenacity and transcendence of human longing for connection, family, privacy, and love. “A beautiful exploration of loss, memory, and history” (San Francisco Chronicle), “this is minimalist maximalism. It’s as if Egan compressed a big 19th-century novel onto a flash drive” (The New York Times). |
What people are saying - Write a review
User ratings
| 5 stars |
| ||
| 4 stars |
| ||
| 3 stars |
| ||
| 2 stars |
| ||
| 1 star |
|
Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified
LibraryThing Review
User Review - elkiedee - LibraryThingThe Candy House is a sort of sequel to A Visit From the Goon Squad, but it is not really essential to have read the earlier novel first. In fact, I only realised this in the middle of reading and I ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - Castlelass - LibraryThing“Knowing everything is too much like knowing nothing; without a story, it’s all just information.” Series of interconnected short stories, set in the present and near future, about the impact of ... Read full review
Contents
Section 1 | 3 |
Section 2 | 25 |
Section 3 | 49 |
Section 4 | 73 |
Section 5 | 101 |
Section 6 | 129 |
Section 7 | 143 |
Section 8 | 159 |
Section 10 | 181 |
Section 11 | 197 |
Section 12 | 231 |
Section 13 | 251 |
Section 14 | 305 |
Section 15 | 325 |
Section 16 | 335 |
Section 17 | 337 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Alfred already Ames apartment Ashleigh asked beauty become Bennie beside Bosco called Chris close Colin collective dark Dear Designated Dolly don’t door eyes face fact father feel felt followed four girl give Gregory hair hand happen hard he’d head hear hold inside it’s Jack Jazz Attenborough Jules kids kind Kisarian Kitty knew later laugh leave light live look Lulu mean memories Miles mind Molly months mother moved never night once parents person play question remember Roxy Salazar Sasha says screaming seemed seen shared side sister sound Stephanie stop sure talk tell thing thought told took trying turned waiting walk watched weeks window wish wonder
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Candy House: A Novel Volume 2 of Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan Volume 2 of Visit from the Goon Squad |
| Author | Jennifer Egan |
| Publisher | Simon and Schuster, 2022 |
| ISBN | 1476716765, 9781476716763 |
| Length | 352 pages |
| Subjects | › Fiction / General Fiction / Literary Fiction / Psychological |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |