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11th out of 693 books
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848 voters
A Home at the End of the World
From Michael Cunningham, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Hours, comes this widely praised novel of two boyhood friends: Jonathan, lonely, introspective, and unsure of himself; and Bobby, hip, dark, and inarticulate. In New York after college, Bobby moves in with Jonathan and his roommate, Clare, a veteran of the city's erotic wars. Bobby and Clare fall in love, sc
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Paperback, 352 pages
Published
July 1st 2004
by Picador
(first published 1990)
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This book was my introduction to Michael Cunningham, and when I finished it I cried. And then went out and bought everything he'd ever written.
I fell in love with this book. At that time in my life I could relate to its characters and their story in a unique way, but it was also Cunningham's writing: spare, lovely, gorgeously aware of minutiae, devastatingly honest. There is a sadness in his work that fills me with a profound loneliness that I find myself both overwhelmed by and grateful for.
"A...more
I fell in love with this book. At that time in my life I could relate to its characters and their story in a unique way, but it was also Cunningham's writing: spare, lovely, gorgeously aware of minutiae, devastatingly honest. There is a sadness in his work that fills me with a profound loneliness that I find myself both overwhelmed by and grateful for.
"A...more
27 likes · like · see review
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The story of a relationship between two childhood friends and a woman who enters their lives in adulthood, A Home at the End of the World is difficult to summarize because its plot is wide, rambling, and only half the point. Meandering from the childhood deaths that leave Bobby bereft, distant, and desperate for connection, to Jonathan's burgeoning sexuality and his fixation on Bobby, to the entrance of world-weary Clare and the fragile three-way relationship that forms on the basis of the share...more
3 likes · like · see review
Fiction. This is the story of Bobby and Jonathan -- best friends, almost brothers, almost in love -- how they grow up together, how they grow apart, how they meet Clare, and how they all try to make a home together. It sounds cozy -- I love self-made families -- but this is an exceedingly lonely book. No one's able to make any lasting connections and everyone's alone in one way or another. It's sad, but written so well. Cunningham has an easy way with language; his prose is simple and honest, wi...more
This is the "Less than Zero"-like novel of this popular NY writer, and just like Bret Easton Ellis' depiction of the derelict children of sunny Cali in the 80s, Cunningham encapsulates the latter 80s in the East Village (and early 60s, 70s in the stark midwest) with lost souls, unique individuals.
The plot is this: Two guys and a gal play house together because they are (equally?) in love.
Obviously there is more to it as it differs somewhat from the pretty damn good movie with an additional chara...more
The plot is this: Two guys and a gal play house together because they are (equally?) in love.
Obviously there is more to it as it differs somewhat from the pretty damn good movie with an additional chara...more
3 likes · like · see review
I love New York stories, I love the '80s. The plot is captivating, and for someone coming from Eastern Europe, such a story taking place while they grew up, - in a different part of the world, of course - seems pretty unbelievable.
This was much better than I expected, given my loathing of The Hours--kind of like Cunningham's Mysteries of Pittsburgh. It was handy during two nights of bad insomnia and I rather doubt I'll ever read it again. But some evocative descriptions. Particularly, and unexpectedly, of Arizona:
"I'm glad you came home for a little while," my father said. "You're looking a little pale, if you want to know the truth."...more
"Everyone in New York is pale this time of year," I said. "Maybe I'll move to Arizona."
"W
1 like · like · see review
Jun 20, 2007
Taylor
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
the-power-of-love
I only sort of liked this, so I honestly don't have too much to say about it. It wasn't remarkable, but it wasn't awful.
It basically follows a set of three friends - one women, two men - and examines their relationships, both with each other, and with people from the outside world (mothers, fathers, girlfriends, boyfriends).
It reads almost a little blandly. I suppose you could say it's more of a character study and less about the plot. But then I couldn't say that it was very successful, because...more
It basically follows a set of three friends - one women, two men - and examines their relationships, both with each other, and with people from the outside world (mothers, fathers, girlfriends, boyfriends).
It reads almost a little blandly. I suppose you could say it's more of a character study and less about the plot. But then I couldn't say that it was very successful, because...more
4 likes · like · see review
This book was very personal for me. Not in terms of the characters so much, but more in terms of what was going on in my life and where I was with myself. I can close my eyes and feel how vulnerable and hurt I was at that time. I think that's why this book touched such a unique and special spot in my heart. I will never forget reading it and sharing my thoughts on it with someone very special to me. I have moved so far from where I was at that time, but I will never forget this book and how it m...more
Written as viewpoints rotate chapter by chapter with each of four major characters, this is a novel about relationships. It focusses on how they form, how we define family, sexuality and roles within them and it results in the decisions we make for ourselves as a result of them. That’s pretty much what I took from the book.
I found it intriguing to see the experimental family that forms as a result of each of the three main characters pursuing a quest for liberation within relationships. This end...more
I found it intriguing to see the experimental family that forms as a result of each of the three main characters pursuing a quest for liberation within relationships. This end...more
Upon sitting down to write this review, I recalled my difficulty in keeping the characters straight when I reached the half-way point of the book. To be fair, I had that difficulty because there was a two-month interlude between when I started and when I resumed the book. Well, that says a mountain right there; obviously not a "could not put it down" sort of book and that the two male protagonists were interchangeable enough that I forgot which was which... enough said.
My main difficulty with th...more
My main difficulty with th...more
A Home at the End of the World is a nostalgic piece about friendship and the different forms that love can take. While some might find it a bit dull at times, I think that this is a clever technique of Cunnigham's to make his novel more personal and intimate.
I couldn't let go of this book even when I was away from it. It spoke to me on many levels.
I rooted for the characters, they were real to me and empathizing with them came naturally. Also, Cunningham masterfully changes settings from Clevel...more
I couldn't let go of this book even when I was away from it. It spoke to me on many levels.
I rooted for the characters, they were real to me and empathizing with them came naturally. Also, Cunningham masterfully changes settings from Clevel...more
1 like · like · see review
This is the second Michael Cunningham book I've experienced. The first was By Nightfall. I enjoyed this one even better. Cunningham does such a good job with character development and emotions. It's not a story of high action but a story that describes the complicated relationships between three main characters, one lover and several family members. Through Jonathon, Bobby and Claire's narration, the author tells a tale of their life, love, sexuality and friendship. It is like looking through ea...more
I am such a fan of Michael Cunningham's (The Hours, Specimen Days) that I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. He is a very good writer, and he fleshes out characters well. The main characters in this one are "two boyhood friends: Jonathan, lonely, introspective, and unsure of himself; and Bobby, hip dark, and inarticulate." We follow Bobby and Jonathan through their awkward adolescence and as they make their way into manhood, grappling with the complicated relationships with their...more
Se dovessi definire questo romanzo con una sola parola, userei inevitabilmente il termine "strano".
Strani sono i personaggi, tanto per cominciare: due gay poco convinti ed una donna divorziata che accetta un manage a trois con loro. Strana è la vicenda, strani sono i ragionamenti dei personaggi, con il loro contraddirsi continuamente, partire, fuggire, tornare, fuggire di nuovo. E strana è la via che scelgono, tutti e tre, per il loro futuro. Strani sono agli occhi della gente "normale", perché...more
Strani sono i personaggi, tanto per cominciare: due gay poco convinti ed una donna divorziata che accetta un manage a trois con loro. Strana è la vicenda, strani sono i ragionamenti dei personaggi, con il loro contraddirsi continuamente, partire, fuggire, tornare, fuggire di nuovo. E strana è la via che scelgono, tutti e tre, per il loro futuro. Strani sono agli occhi della gente "normale", perché...more
"You don't necessarily meet a lot of people in this world."
This is the first of Michael Cunningham's books I've read, but I will be reading all of them. He just flat gets it. By the time I was halfway through, I more or less disliked two of the three main characters, but I wasn't tired of reading about them. I wanted to figure them out. I wanted to like them and if I didn't, I wanted to understand why.
This is one of those books that you read a sentence or a paragraph or a scene and it hits you...more
This is the first of Michael Cunningham's books I've read, but I will be reading all of them. He just flat gets it. By the time I was halfway through, I more or less disliked two of the three main characters, but I wasn't tired of reading about them. I wanted to figure them out. I wanted to like them and if I didn't, I wanted to understand why.
This is one of those books that you read a sentence or a paragraph or a scene and it hits you...more
В книгата повествованието се води от името на Боби и Джонатан, както и на две обвързани с живота им жени - Алис - майката на Джонатан, и Клеър - майка на детето на Боби и жената, в която Джонатан е влюбен. Звучи объркано, но книгата следва своята вътрешна логика. Започва в ранното детство на двете момчета и завършва в момента, в който двамата остават отново сами. Сякаш се е затворил кръг, в който са следвали предначертаната си съдба... Междувременно са търсили любовта, били са самотни, били са щ...more
A Home at the End of the World is Cunningham’s first novel. The characters are an interesting mix of oddballs and misfits who find solace in the eccentric life they build together. The book has a rotating narrative, moving mainly between Bobby, Jonathan and Claire. The two boys meet when they are young and form a friendship that proves pivotal in both of their lives.
Bobby’s world is filled with tragedies and he becomes attached to Jonathan’s family. As adults, the two boys reconnect in New York...more
Bobby’s world is filled with tragedies and he becomes attached to Jonathan’s family. As adults, the two boys reconnect in New York...more
Една жена на 40, която не е съвсем сигурна в собствените си желания, един гей и един мъж без особени амбиции живеят заедно като семейство. Все търсят нещо, все очакват любовта, обичат се един друг, обаче това май не я точно любовта, която искат... Все имат да кажат нещо, но не намират думи.
Недовършени, бедни диалози...
Ох, не бих казала, че не ми хареса, но определено не е по вкуса ми.
Трите звездички са за оригиналната конструкция на романа. И за това, че финалът не е типичен американски хепи ен...more
Недовършени, бедни диалози...
Ох, не бих казала, че не ми хареса, но определено не е по вкуса ми.
Трите звездички са за оригиналната конструкция на романа. И за това, че финалът не е типичен американски хепи ен...more
This is a beautifully written book in which the three main characters are all looking for a place to call home, even as they leave their homes behind them. Some of them are running away from something, while some of them are running toward something.
The story is told from four different viewpoints which alternate throughout much of the book. There is Bobby, lonely and adrift after losing his family bit by bit. He is guilt-ridden and trapped in the past, articulate only within his own mind. He fi...more
The story is told from four different viewpoints which alternate throughout much of the book. There is Bobby, lonely and adrift after losing his family bit by bit. He is guilt-ridden and trapped in the past, articulate only within his own mind. He fi...more
Van de achterflap: Jonathan en Bobby leren elkaar kennen op de middelbare school, worden vrienden en later minnaars. Nadat zijn broer, moeder en vader zijn overleden, trekt Bobby in bij Alice, de moeder van Jonathan die inmiddels naar New York is vertrokken. Als Bobby na enige jaren in New York arriveert, blijkt Jonathan een puur fysieke verhouding te hebben met Erich en samen te wonen met Clare, die een kind van hem wil. Uiteindelijk zal Bobby de biologische vader worden. Aangezien een rustiger...more
I started this book last night. The first thing that caught my attention was a review from the Cleveland Plain Dealer on page one. I thought that was odd (usually it's the Times or another big publication writing reviews). Little did I know this book, which was also a 2004 movie, is set in Cleveland (though by part two it moves to NYC). Michael Cunningham is also the author of The Hours (another movie). I'm only 12 percent done, but so far I'm really enjoying this book. It's told through mutiple...more
This book annoys me. I'm midway through and I'm finding it so annoying that I can't finish it -- but I want to know what happens, and chiefly I want to kvetch about it. So it must be doing something. I'm not a "fan" of Michael Cunningham but did think Specimen Days incredible, if ridiculously bleak. The writing was better. This reads like his first (possibly very juvenile) autobiographical novel that some publisher convinced him to "work on" after he became successful. It didn't work. It's over-...more
For me, this book was a case of what-ifs and wasted potential. I really liked the beginning part about Bobby and Jonathan in their youth. By the time they both moved to New York City, it took a turn for the worse. A lot of that can be contributed to the character of Clare, who was incredibly unlikable - a shallow, cynical, hipster type. Suddenly, after not even appearing until over 100 pages in, she took on a key role in the narrative. The story moved on well enough with her, but I couldn't stop...more
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This book is a sad one. Saying as much, of course, doesn't do the book justice. Yet, as I just finished it, I couldn't help but feel sad myself. It's not necessarily the sense of death that's following the characters around throughout the story that makes it what it is, but even in moments where you think like the characters might be happy despite what is happening, there is an intricate, internal sense of depression. Nevertheless, the book is also beautiful. I liked having several point of view...more
This is one of those books which I wish didn't end. It made me want to know more about the characters as they move on to new chapters of their lives. Each of them had a uniqueness which one can either like or loathe, 'though I think anyone who appreciates and understands the positive things brought by diversity will choose not to judge them and will respect their thoughts and decisions, instead.
The book was written in a way that the reader is able to take a good look at different points of view....more
The book was written in a way that the reader is able to take a good look at different points of view....more
I enjoyed 'A Home at the End of the World' and it was definitely a book for discussion. All of the characters are so different and I enjoyed how each chapter was told from a character’s point of view.
My favourite character was Bobby because he was so unselfish and cared about everyone and was happy with his life because he was where he wanted to be in his life. Jonathan was a well explored character too, he was so lost and I felt for him because he wanted someone to give him all the answers whe...more
My favourite character was Bobby because he was so unselfish and cared about everyone and was happy with his life because he was where he wanted to be in his life. Jonathan was a well explored character too, he was so lost and I felt for him because he wanted someone to give him all the answers whe...more
Good novels often make me feel melancholy. I’m not exactly sure why, but I think it’s because they remind me that life can change quickly and unexpectedly, and that things rarely turn out the way we hope they will. Michael Cunningham’s A Home at the End of the World gave me that same melancholy feeling. So, in other words, it was a good novel.
Since I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction lately, at first I was thrilled by this book, pleased to be meeting new characters and watching them emerge as...more
Since I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction lately, at first I was thrilled by this book, pleased to be meeting new characters and watching them emerge as...more
1 like · like · see review
3.5
This one is a bit hard to review since the plot mostly revolves around three characters who are very difficult to get a firm grasp on. I think Bobby was the most likable of the lot, with his naive puppy-like nature that just made you want to both hug and shake him half the time. Jonathan was the strongest character, with all his intricacies and his struggle over his loves and what his life meant to him, but he could also be incredibly frustrating when he wasn't being amusing. I can't say I li...more
This one is a bit hard to review since the plot mostly revolves around three characters who are very difficult to get a firm grasp on. I think Bobby was the most likable of the lot, with his naive puppy-like nature that just made you want to both hug and shake him half the time. Jonathan was the strongest character, with all his intricacies and his struggle over his loves and what his life meant to him, but he could also be incredibly frustrating when he wasn't being amusing. I can't say I li...more
I think this book is heart-wrenching.
(view spoiler)...more
(view spoiler)...more
This was a wierd book. I was expecting to be blown away and i really just wasn't. Whilst i think that Cunningham has some of the nicest prose, and occasionally the deepest of insight, here i was just a bit bored, and surrounded by characters who i couldn't really relate to, not because they were unrelatable, but because Cunningham seemed so intent on doing something different, for the sake of it.
This is his first novel, and it shows. I could almost see the cogs of his brain working as i read thi...more
This is his first novel, and it shows. I could almost see the cogs of his brain working as i read thi...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Clearwater Public...: February's Topic: Home at the End of the World | 1 | 1 | 19 jan. 11:08 |
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Michael Cunningham is the author of the novels A Home at the End of the World, Flesh and Blood, The Hours (winner of the Pen/Faulkner Award and the Pulitzer Prize), and Specimen Days. His most recent novel is By Nightfall. He lives in New York.
http://us.macmillan.com/autho...more
More about Michael Cunningham...
Michael Cunningham is the author of the novels A Home at the End of the World, Flesh and Blood, The Hours (winner of the Pen/Faulkner Award and the Pulitzer Prize), and Specimen Days. His most recent novel is By Nightfall. He lives in New York.
http://us.macmillan.com/autho...more
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“The secret of flight is this -- you have to do it immediately, before your body realizes it is defying the laws.”
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