Oh, Tom Perrotta, it’s like someone sent you a map of all my literary hot buttons and wrote you a guide for exactly how to push them and in what order, and I’m all “seven, seven, SEVEN” like Monica in that episode of Friends where, oh come on, you know the one.So, The Leftovers. It’s like the Left Behind books if they were smart and funny and not about religion but the human condition in general and well-written and did I mention smart? Which is to say, they’re not at all like the Left Behind books, despite the (surely intentional) similarity of their titles.On October 14th, millions of people all over the world just up and disappear. Poof! It’s like the Rapture, but there’s no explanation, no unifying principle (those who disappear are not all Christians, etc.), nothing left behind but the departeds’ scared, confused, lonely friends and loved ones. The events of 10/14, known as the Sudden Departure, hurl individuals headlong into spiritual questioning and existential angst and the kind of uncertainty about the future that only a collective tragedy can bring about. Some people turn to religion for answers, as old cults lose traction and new ones spring up. Others seek community, reaching out to their neighbors in ways they never considered before. Some retreat into depression and a solitary existence; others re-forge old bonds and form new friendships and relationships. Perrotta examines the aftermath of the Sudden Departure through the lens of one family that, though left intact after the disappearances, makes every effort to fall apart. And that’s where the trademark Perrotta take on modern malaise kicks in.These are people we know or, hell, we might BE these people. Their fear is our fear. Their floundering for something to believe in in the face of the inexplicable rings true, and their need to create something meaningful out of an experience that defies comprehension is all too familiar. Astutely observed and artfully told, The Leftovers brings Perrotta’s incisive voice to an exploration of humanity, community, grief, and loss that asks the kind of questions that make readers uncomfortable in very important ways and represents post-9/11 fiction the way it should be done.Related posts:
Audiobook Giveaway: THE LEFTOVERS by Tom PerrottaBook Review: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret AtwoodBook Review & Giveaway: Callisto by Torsten KrolBook Review & Giveaway: Captain Freedom by G. Xavier Robillard Filed Under Book Reviews5 Comments -->Comments5 Responses to “”
Diane@BibliophileBytheSea onOctober 5th, 2011 6:31 am i generally enjoy this author a lot, so I am anxious to experience this one. Loved what you had to say about it.
Diane@BibliophileBytheSea´s last blog ..Waiting on Wednesday – Treasure Island!!! ~ Sara Levine
Jac @ For Love and books onOctober 5th, 2011 9:36 am I haven’t read anything by Tom Perrotta, but this sounds like a really good book.
I love the idea of the rapture with no explanation. I think I’ll have to put this one on my wishlist.
Jac @ For Love and books´s last blog ..WWW / Waiting on Wednesday
kelly simmons onOctober 5th, 2011 1:07 pm Great post — and I loved your tweet about it!
Joshua Squires onOctober 5th, 2011 1:11 pm This sounds very interesting. It’s time I got into something different. I also love speculative fiction, philosophy, and books that examine the principles by which we live. This will be in my mailbox shortly.
Thanks again for the excellent review, too.
Joshua Squires´s last blog ..Don’t Overlook The Importance of Klout
Books are my Boyfriends onOctober 9th, 2011 8:43 pm LUH-HUVED!
Books are my Boyfriends´s last blog ..Yeah, You Better Riot
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