A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK Once in a great while a writer comes along who can truly capture the drama and passion of the life of a family. David James Duncan, author of the novel The River Why and the collection River Teeth, is just such a writer. And in The Brothers K he tells a story both striking and in its originality and poignant in its universality. This touching, uplifting novel spans … universality.
This touching, uplifting novel spans decades of loyalty, anger, regret, and love in the lives of the Chance family. A father whose dreams of glory on a baseball field are shattered by a mill accident. A mother who clings obsessively to religion as a ward against the darkest hour of her past. Four brothers who come of age during the seismic upheavals of the sixties and who each choose their own way to deal with what the world has become. By turns uproariously funny and deeply moving, and beautifully written throughout, The Brothers K is one of the finest chronicles of our lives in many years.
Praise for The Brothers K
“The pages of The Brothers K sparkle.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Duncan is a wonderfully engaging writer.”—Los Angeles Times
“This ambitious book succeeds on almost every level and every page.”—USA Today
“Duncan’s prose is a blend of lyrical rhapsody, sassy hyperbole and all-American vernacular.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“The Brothers K affords the . . . deep pleasures of novels that exhaustively create, and alter, complex worlds. . . . One always senses an enthusiastic and abundantly talented and versatile writer at work.”—The Washington Post Book World
“Duncan . . . tells the larger story of an entire popular culture struggling to redefine itself—something he does with the comic excitement and depth of feeling one expects from Tom Robbins.”—Chicago Tribune
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This is an incredible, heart-wrenching story, remarkable for its ability to reveal the deep joy present in a family’s lowest moments.
This book is filled with with life.
I could not get into this story and the book was to long. Some parts were enjoyable. The book is about family (brothers and their relationships), a father who’s dreams came true then fell apart, a mother and her religion. To many stories in one book to make it enjoyable.
I adored this book. It isn’t a murder mystery, or psychological thriller…..it’s a novel and one I encourage everyone to read. It’s a simple story with real life situations and told through the five brother’s eyes. I couldn’t put it down. If you’re looking for something with lots of action, this isn’t the book for you. But if you want to …
Probably the worst ebook I have read ( or more exactly tried to read). Although I was bound and determined to finish the massively wordy, exhaustive ongoing family depictions and diatribes on baseball, religion, war….oh never mind, I’m reminding myself of the book. I finally, finally finished it or it finished me.
Enjoyed it tremendously. The characters were well developed,attractive and unique. If you like baseball you’ll really love it, if you don’t, you will be surprised at how much you still will
Although this book came highly reccommended, I couldn’t get into it at all.
I couldn’t stand the characters…any of them. The Chance family seemed to be far superior to everyone else and I was so annoyed I had to stop reading at about page 350.
That’s another thing. It was way too wordy.
The few troubles that the family went through were …
I really wanted to like this book, and I did keep reading and reading. But, for me, a life long book lover, when a book becomes tedious and stays tedious, it’s time to move on. If you love baseball, LOTS OF BASEBALL, you will most likely enjoy this book. I, however, am not a baseball fan in the slightest, and even though the characters were …
Tried a couple times, but just couldn’t get into reading this book, so about half way through I deleted it.
I adored it the first time and many other (7) times I’ve read it. I cannot say enough good things about this family and the culture of its time. Highly recommended.