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Netherland: A Novel

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Manufacturer: Pantheon

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In a New York City made phantasmagorical by the events of 9/11, Hans--a banker originally from the Netherlands--finds himself marooned among the strange occupants of the Chelsea Hotel after his English wife and son return to London. Alone and untethered, feeling lost in the country he had come to regard as home, Hans stumbles upon the vibrant New York subculture of cricket, where he revisits his lost childhood and, thanks to a friendship with a charismatic and charming Trinidadian named Chuck Ramkissoon, begins to reconnect with his life and his adopted country. Ramkissoon, a Gatsby-like figure who is part idealist and part operator, introduces Hans to an “other” New York populated by immigrants and strivers of every race and nationality. Hans is alternately seduced and instructed by Chuck’s particular brand of naivete and chutzpah--by his ability to a hold fast to a sense of American and human possibility in which Hans has come to lose faith.

Netherland gives us both a flawlessly drawn picture of a little-known New York and a story of much larger, and brilliantly achieved ambition: the grand strangeness and fading promise of 21st century America from an outsider’s vantage point, and the complicated relationship between the American dream and the particular dreamers. Most immediately, though, it is the story of one man--of a marriage foundering and recuperating in its mystery and ordinariness, of the shallows and depths of male friendship, of mourning and memory. Joseph O’Neill’s prose, in its conscientiousness and beauty, involves us utterly in the struggle for meaning that governs any single life.


PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS:

Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780307377043
ISBN: 0307377040
Label: Pantheon
Manufacturer: Pantheon
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 272
Publication Date: 2008-05-20
Publisher: Pantheon
Release Date: 2008-05-20
Studio: Pantheon


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CUSTOMER REVIEWS:

Extremely disappointing -
The only reason I finished this excruciatingly boring book is because I had to read it for book club -- hours of my life I will never get back.

it's not JUST cricket -
Netherland by Joseph O'Neil

I confess I read this book because I heard Obama was reading it. Little did I know I would be fascinated by this beautifully written novel about life, love, and, of all things...the game of cricket. O'Neil's brilliance is in his exquisite description of love and relationships. Using a game of cricket he describes what it is to truly "see" into the truth of a situation. He does this with a delicacy and intimacy that is tender and inspiring.

I am also inspired by Ariel and Shya Kanes brilliant works:Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment, How to Create a Magical Relationship: The 3 Simple Ideas that Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life and Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life. The Kane's are masters of seeing and sharing truth. For an enlightening read, O'Neill and the Kane's books are filled with radiance.

The invincible city of the dreams -
Joseph O'Neill's "Netherland" opens quoting Whitman, a verse in which the poet dreams of a city invincible to attacks of the rest of the Earth, and it was `the new City of Friend'. Throughout the novel, these lines are, of course, related to the New York city and its life in the post-9/11.

On the surface this, strange as it may sound, a novel about cricket - but on another level this is a deep search for identity in the middle of the chaos, emotional and otherwise of one character, namely Hans van den Broek. The game is his refuge he finds back in his childhood. But, as the world, the sport is not as gentle and sweet as it used to be. Nowadays it is tougher and rougher, something virtually secret played by strange people.

As the narrative advances, O'Neill seems to interconnect both the game and Van den Broek's life in troubled times. But as the writer once told in an interview what is vital for him is the voice - more than a plot or anything. In this sense, "Netherland" is a novel of strong voice with distinct moments and tones.

As it has already largely been said, "Netherland" has a strong dialogue with F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby". Here there is a sort of farewell to that world portrayed in that Jazz Age novel. In O'Neill's book, the idea of nation - or better, of being an American - is in question. These are other times, times of Globalization, when one does not need to live in the United States to feel the `American Experience', or something like it.

In his life, the protagonist of this novel will experiment New York city in different levels, with different responses. Sometimes, Whitman's the city of friends, other times, the city of the lost souls, and on others, the city of fear or joy. Either way, this is a place where the eyes of the world never quit looking, admiring.

It takes a dutchman -
I ordered this book based on the knowledge that President Obama was reading it. As I read it I could see why he was drawn to it. The book moves flawlessly through many cultures, recognizing the similarities and how our cultural assumptions are tested regularly. The game of cricket presents an excellent metaphor for how we can transcend our cultural bias by agreeing on a common set of rules and courtesies which allow us to experience each other.
This book is entertaining while giving us much to consider.

BUMMER -
Much too complicated to enjoy. I don't understand why this book received such high praise! What could have been said in a few simple words, is strung out with nothing added to the statement. My advice is, don't waste your time.

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