A big, brilliant, profoundly
observed novel about the mysteries of modern life by National Book Award
Finalist Joshua Ferris, one of the most exciting voices of his
generation
Paul O'Rourke is a man made of contradictions: he loves the world, but doesn't know how to live in it. He's a Luddite addicted to his iPhone, a dentist with a nicotine habit, a rabid Red Sox fan devastated by their victories, and an atheist not quite willing to let go of God.
Then someone begins to impersonate Paul online, and he watches in horror as a website, a Facebook page, and a Twitter account are created in his name. What begins as an outrageous violation of his privacy soon becomes something more soul-frightening: the possibility that the online "Paul" might be a better version of the real thing. As Paul's quest to learn why his identity has been stolen deepens, he is forced to confront his troubled past and his uncertain future in a life disturbingly split between the real and the virtual.
At once laugh-out-loud funny about the absurdities of the modern world, and indelibly profound about the eternal questions of the meaning of life, love and truth, To Rise Again at a Decent Hour is a deeply moving and constantly surprising tour de force.
Jackie says:
"Joshua Ferris puts a LOT of threads in his stories. For this one, it is, primarily, a questioning of technology, social media and religion using a great deal of humor (often rather black) and channels it all through a rather neurotic, self-centered dentist. There is a mystery involved in the book as well, seemingly dealing with a lost tribe of some sort that the dentist may or may not be a long lost member of. This is not anything close to a linear storyline, but there are so many real spots of keen observation that the pages just keep turning. I guess what I want to say is that Ferris is a genius of chaotic brilliance."
Paul O'Rourke is a man made of contradictions: he loves the world, but doesn't know how to live in it. He's a Luddite addicted to his iPhone, a dentist with a nicotine habit, a rabid Red Sox fan devastated by their victories, and an atheist not quite willing to let go of God.
Then someone begins to impersonate Paul online, and he watches in horror as a website, a Facebook page, and a Twitter account are created in his name. What begins as an outrageous violation of his privacy soon becomes something more soul-frightening: the possibility that the online "Paul" might be a better version of the real thing. As Paul's quest to learn why his identity has been stolen deepens, he is forced to confront his troubled past and his uncertain future in a life disturbingly split between the real and the virtual.
At once laugh-out-loud funny about the absurdities of the modern world, and indelibly profound about the eternal questions of the meaning of life, love and truth, To Rise Again at a Decent Hour is a deeply moving and constantly surprising tour de force.
Jackie says:
"Joshua Ferris puts a LOT of threads in his stories. For this one, it is, primarily, a questioning of technology, social media and religion using a great deal of humor (often rather black) and channels it all through a rather neurotic, self-centered dentist. There is a mystery involved in the book as well, seemingly dealing with a lost tribe of some sort that the dentist may or may not be a long lost member of. This is not anything close to a linear storyline, but there are so many real spots of keen observation that the pages just keep turning. I guess what I want to say is that Ferris is a genius of chaotic brilliance."
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