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Open City (2011)

by Teju Cole(Favorite Author)

3.52 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1400068096 (ISBN13: 9781400068098)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Random House

review 1: Julius the narrator is not a likeable character, and I think that's what makes this book boring most of the time. But I also think this was Cole's intention- to create a character who is just kindof aloof and banal, observing and examining the world around him but afraid to examine his own mind/history.I liked the part when Julius is standing on a fire escape in the rain, thinking about how if he fell, he would most certainly die instantly. The thought is comforting to him. He is about to go back inside, but then looks up at the stars (stars in NYC so you know this is a work of fiction) and considers how he is seeing all this pretty light, the source of which is already extinct :( but also he knows somewhere out there, light from living stars is on it's way towards earth :... more) he feels he is looking into the future.On the other hand, when he is confronted with his own shameful past ("plot twist"), the reader is left guessing how Julius copes/reflects. Naturally the reader is curious to know how Julius will react, but Cole does not indulge us. When Julius forgets his Debit card PIN number, he is deeply shaken, and is surprised at how shaken he is, by the forgetfulness, which he blames on encroaching senility, but which is actually an indication of how little he understands his own mind. Julius is a psychiatrist. It's a solid 3. I think I caught Cole's meanings/intentions, so in that way the book succeeds but having more accessible characters would have made this a much more enjoyable read.
review 2: I have to admit infinite satisfaction at having finally finished this book that seemed endless. In his pilgrimages between New York and Brussels, the author almost killed me. Every time I kept opening the book with the best of intentions and then I closed it after reading, I thought, a lot of pages and instead were only 10. I do not know if it was my fault or it was just the lack of plot and the longings of the hero who prevented me from reading as usual.Ich muss unendliche Genugtuung um dieses Buch zu enden, das endlos schien beendet zugeben. In seiner Pilgerfahrten zwischen New York und Brüssel, der Autor mich fast umgebracht. Jedes Mal, wenn ich immer mit den besten Absichten öffnen das Buch und dann schloss ich es nach dem Lesen, dachte ich, eine Menge Seiten und stattdessen waren nur 10. Ich weiß nicht, ob es meine Schuld war oder es war einfach der Mangel an Handlung und die Sehnsucht des Helden, der mich vom Lesen wie gewohnt verhindert.Devo ammettere finalmente infinita soddisfazione per aver concluso questo libro che mi sembrava infinito. Nelle sue pellegrinazioni tra New York e Bruxelles l'autore mi ha quasi ucciso. Ogni volta che riaprivo il libro con le migliori intenzioni lo chiudevo dopo aver letto, secondo me, tantissimo e invece erano solo 10 pagine. Non capisco se sia stata colpa mia oppure era proprio l'assenza di trama e i vagheggiamenti del protagonista che mi hanno impedito una lettura scorrevole. less

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