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225th out of 275 books
—
274 voters
The Ambidextrist
by
Peter Rock (Goodreads Author)
Set along Philadelphias Schuylkill River, The Ambidextrist crafts a detailed portrayal of the transient and disenfranchised in America. The novel follows Scott, a lonely drifter who supports himself as a medical test subject as he seeks affection, respect, and love from the inhabitants of this desolate place. Full of false confidence, he struggles to control his interactio...more
Hardcover, 224 pages
Published
January 9th 2002
by Context Books
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The book had the same "feel" as My Abandonment and The Bewildered and seemed to deal with some of the same subjects. Having spent time in Philly along the Schuylkill it felt very familiar, old, creepy, oppressive in a sense. There was a lot of hopelessness but also glimmers of human kindness in the face of poverty, violence, and pain.
This was charcter driven, the story took a long time to build and then ended quickly. I am not a huge fan of Rock, but I do keep reading his stuff. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. This is about several living on the fringe of society and how they come together.
Oct 02, 2011
Lorrie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Patsy and Judy
Shelves:
fiction,
peter-rock
Rock's 2nd best book. This book gets under your skin and stays with you even after you lay it down. The cover even gets you thinking. Scott, the trying to please, smiling, medical testing, homeless man; Ray, the bike riding, beauty seeking, homeless pedophile; Terrell, the parentless, approval seeking teen; and, Ruth, Terrell's big sister who was raising Terrell all had a lot in common. All sought the closeness of another human being, the comfort of wordless quiet, and love. Somehow Rock winds a...more
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Rock seems to be a talented writer, but this story just didnt go anywhere. I had no concern for any of the characters.
I wasn't sure about this book to begin with, but I was quickly won over.
a story about a homeless dude who shows up in philadelphia to try and change his life. he meets various people but never seems to fit in or make any real connections. made me think about how many people are lonely and listless.
Apr 28, 2013
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A Utah-native, Peter Rock attended Deep Springs College in California's High Desert. He earned his BA in English from Yale University and held a Wallace Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University.He has taught fiction at the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, Deep Springs College, and in the MFA program at San Francisco State University. His stories and freelance writing have both appeared widely. H...more
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