Items related to Genius: A Novel
Praised for his evocation of a rural, upstate New York community in In Pinelight, Thomas Rayfiel continues his exploration of small town life in Genius. Kara Bell, whose IQ is off the charts and whose sexuality is firmly in the closet, has spent her youth plotting escape from Witch's Falls, Arkansas. Relentless determination and sacrifice have led to success in the form of a scholarship at a prestigious philosophy PhD program in Manhattan. But Kara's careful plans are upended by cancer, and suddenly she is home again, where she finds herself subject to her mother's suffocating care, her brother's puzzling love life, the local doctor's meddling, and the strong gravitational pull of her old friend and obsession, Christy Lee. Will Kara find health and sanity? Will she learn what really happened to her father? Can she escape Witch's Falls a second time, or will she succumb to the slow poison of local kindness and Snickers Salad?
Written with the careening effervescence of Barbara Pym on crack, Genius finds both poignancy and dark humor in deathly illness, family secrets, organized religion, parenting, abortion, gossip, senility, and the mysterious essence of life in seemingly "ordinary" America.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author:
Thomas Rayfiel is the author of six previous novels, including In Pinelight ("one of this year's hidden gems" - Bookforum), Time Among the Dead , and The Eve Trilogy (Colony Girl, Eve in the City, and Parallel Play ). He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Review:
Kara embodies the wry yet deeply sweet spirit of Thomas Rayfiel's novel. What's remarkable in "Genius" is Rayfiel's ability to sharply depict and undermine the conventional...to make the normal at once utterly familiar, hilariously weird and heartbreakingly poignant -- like life.
Ellen Akins
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Rayfiel is a shape-shifting writer.After the beautiful and mysterious monologue of In Pinelight (2013), hislast novel, this new work presents what amounts to a morbidly funnyconversation. A humorous novel about very unfunny things.
Kirkus Reviews
"Old-fashioned intricacies and surprises of plot are high on the list of this novel's pleasures." —Valerie Sayers, author of Brain Fever and Who Do You Love
Both deeply affecting and rat-a-tat sharp, this new work from Rayfiel will entertain all readers. --Library Journal
Ellen Akins
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Rayfiel is a shape-shifting writer.After the beautiful and mysterious monologue of In Pinelight (2013), hislast novel, this new work presents what amounts to a morbidly funnyconversation. A humorous novel about very unfunny things.
Kirkus Reviews
"Old-fashioned intricacies and surprises of plot are high on the list of this novel's pleasures." —Valerie Sayers, author of Brain Fever and Who Do You Love
Both deeply affecting and rat-a-tat sharp, this new work from Rayfiel will entertain all readers. --Library Journal
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherTriQuarterly
- Publication date2016
- ISBN 10 081013246X
- ISBN 13 9780810132467
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages240
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Genius (Paperback)
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Kara Bell spent her youth plotting escape from Witchs Falls, Arkansas. Relentless focus and the spurning of all emotional attachment led to the doctoral program in philosophy at Columbia University. But Karas careful plans are upended by cancer, and suddenly she is home again, where she finds herself subject to her mothers suffocating care, her brothers puzzling love life, the local doctors meddling, and the strong gravitational pull of her old friend and obsession, Christy Lee. Will Kara find health and sanity? Will she learn what really happened to her father? Can she escape Witchs Falls a second time, or will she succumb to the slow poison of local kindness and Snickers Salad?In Genius, Thomas Rayfiel finds both poignancy and dark humor in deathly illness, family secrets, organized religion, parenting, abortion, gossip, senility, and the mysterious rhythms of small-town life. Kara Bell spent her youth plotting escape from Witchs Falls, Arkansas. Relentless focus and the spurning of all emotional attachment led to the doctoral programme in philosophy at Columbia University. But Karas careful plans are upended by cancer, and suddenly she is home again. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780810132467
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