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There are currently 20 member reviews
for The Nobodies Album
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Cecilia Z. (Montclair, New Jersey)
So Much More Than a Good Mystery
I am a fan of Carolyn Parkhurst and enjoyed her two previous novels, but found The Nobodies Album exceptional. It really shows her growth as a writer. This novel has so many levels. It deals with relationships, especially between a parent and child. It examines how an individual can survive the most profound tragedy. It addresses the art of writing itself, exploring how much of the author's life becomes the narrative as well as questioning whether the narrative can rewrite life. Most of all, it is about forgiveness and redemption. The story within a story is unusual, but works well, especially in light of the theme of rewritten endings. I found this to be a meaningful and memorable book.
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Mary P. (Church Road, VA)
Lovely
I was quite puzzled to receive my ARC of The Nobodies Album, because I had forgotten I asked for one, then I saw "...author of The Dogs of Babel" on the cover and sat down almost immediately to start reading. Carolyn Parkhurst tells the story of an author and mother, an estranged son, tragedy, and reconciliation beautifully, without becoming emotionally overwrought or cliched. I found the device of the "final chapter revisions" to be a little awkward and disruptive at times, but I understand the purpose of it--who among us doesn't occasionally wish we could rewrite certain chapters of our lives? Overall this story flowed easily towards a surprising conclusion and kept me engrossed from beginning to end.
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Deborah C. (Seattle, WA)
A most unusual book!
The book alternates between (1) telling the story of author Octavia Frost and (2) excerpts from her books with alternate endings to those books. I really enjoyed the dual tracks of the story and thought the premise was interesting--what if authors could rewrite the endings to their books?
The main story captured my interest, partly because I kept trying to figure out whether I really liked Octavia. I eventually decided that I did, although she wasn't always the most sympathetic character.
I thought the author did a great job of integrating the two story tracks; throughout the book you learned more about how Octavia's life influenced her books and vice-versa.
This book really gave me a lot to think about, and I think it would be great for book clubs because it raises so many interesting topics of discussion.
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Linda S. (Tucker, GA)
4.5 Stars!!
I really loved The Nobodies Album. A murder mystery provides the plot framework for the novel, but it is the element that tells the story of a dysfunctional family that is most compelling. The author is very adept at the emotions and nuances that resonate in relationships. Indeed, some of the characters’ reactions to a plot twist were so real that you identify with them and thus, think about the book for some time after you’ve read the last page. I also found the technique, seemingly a version of the epistolary novel but using the endings of short stories rather than letters to tell a larger story, that the Parkhurst uses to examine the question of “What-if we could rewrite the past?” to be very effective. A really good read that I definitely recommend to those interested in family/emotional stories.
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Jan M. (Jenks, OK)
Interesting concept but difficult read
Carolyn Parkhurst had a wonderful story to tell, but in my opinion an awkward approach to it's telling. I loved the analogy between life's consequences and book endings, However, the randomly placed variations of other books into the central story about Milo were distracting. I felt she could have fleshed out Milo's life and the loss of her husband and child rather than muddy up the story with other novel endings. That said, she did write a great story that captivated this reader to the end. I found myself hurrying through the alternate endings to get back to Milo's story so I could find out "who done it"!.
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Lori L. (La Porte, IN)
Rewriting our Endings
In her latest novel, Carolyn Parkhurst, author of "The Dogs of Babel" explores the all-too-human wish to go back and re-imagine the endings to our life stories . The narrator, an author, has re-written the final scenes of several of her published works, approaching them from her own different perspective in time. She also seeks to mend her estranged relationship with her son as he faces a major crisis. While the ending of the story ties up the resolution to his crisis in an implausibly tidy manner, the novel's theme of rewriting one's history and thereby one's future will resonate.
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Mary S. (Hilton Head Island, SC)
Compelling Read
Carolyn Parkhurst tries to do what the main character in this novel tries to do -- introduce a new way of composing literature to the world. While at times she succeeds, most of the time her "new endings" interrupt what is a very good story. I found myself wanting to learn more about Milo and Octavia without the constant interruptions of the "new book endings". Nonetheless, it was an entertaining read.
