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3rd out of 154 books
—
28 voters
The Mayor's Tongue
A stunningly original novel of literary obsession and imagination that is sure to be one of the most highly anticipated debuts of the year.
From a precociously talented young writer already widely admired in the literary world, The Mayor�s Tongue is a bold, vertiginous debut novel that unfolds in two complementary narratives, one following a young man and the other an old...more
From a precociously talented young writer already widely admired in the literary world, The Mayor�s Tongue is a bold, vertiginous debut novel that unfolds in two complementary narratives, one following a young man and the other an old...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
April 17th 2008
by Riverhead Hardcover
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This novel is so elegantly written, the tale unfolds in alternating chapters, each progressing two separate story lines that slowly unfurl an enchanting world hidden just bellow the monotony of daily life.
The novel is slightly lopsided, the narrative seemed to favor the young man on the precipice of love. I was surprisingly not distracted by this disharmony because I found the alternate tale, lifelong friends now in their old age, was balanced significantly by deeper emotional resonance.
The tw...more
The novel is slightly lopsided, the narrative seemed to favor the young man on the precipice of love. I was surprisingly not distracted by this disharmony because I found the alternate tale, lifelong friends now in their old age, was balanced significantly by deeper emotional resonance.
The tw...more
Like Tom Robbins without the humorous sarcasm. Inkheart-like characters but ones that tease with possibility and dissapoint rather than fascinate. The predictive fatalism and tortured relationships of The Shadow of the Wind without the dramatic tension. Overall, read any of these other three if you are tempted by The Mayor's Tongue unless you want to read the excellent dialogue that anchors the bellcurves of the story. Perhaps this forte is where the author's talent really should be concentrated...more
The book revolves around the stories of two separate protagonists leading them both to the same mystical Italian mountainside. Solid for much of the book, it seems to lose focus towards the end. One of the stories was stronger than the other, leading to a lop-sided feel. The 'alternating chapters between stories' style sometimes lead to alot of re-reading to recalibrate how each storyline last ended.
"Stunningly original?" Hardly. This book was more like 'sentimental magical realism by the numbers.' Additionally the broad theme of the different ways in which people can communicate is a well-worn one and Rich beats the reader over the head with it. If I could tell Mr. Rich one thing it would be that this isn't a thesis paper...the reader isn't a moron and we catch your drift...not every singe interaction in the novel has to work toward your thesis.
On a positive note the writing itself is an...more
On a positive note the writing itself is an...more
A unique novel for me. Story inside another story. Full of imaginations, I can say. But it didn't quite impressed me. I guess I liked Mr.Schmitz and Rutherford's friendship story more than that of Eugene searching for Eakins and/or Sonia. At first, Eugene's story excites me, but when Alison/Sonia/Alicia/Alice/Agatha went to Italy, and Eugene went over, it starts to confused me. It kinda baffled me a bit about the whole Eakins thing. I don't clearly understand its what, who, why, how....I also di...more
Nathaniel Rich's fascinating debut makes me really anxious to see what he comes up with next. I picked this up for just 3 bucks at my local bookstore because I thought the cover looked cool, and I am really glad I did - the two winding narratives are both remarkably interesting and as the book goes along, I found myself more and more invested in the stories and their ultimate resolutions. If there's a problem with the book, it's that it takes a while to get into - though Rich's plot is unfathoma...more
Aug 26, 2012
Belinda Nicoll
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who like oddball characters
I truly enjoyed this fast-paced yet dream-like novel about exotic characters and tangled relationships. The Washington Times describes it as "part fable, part magical realism, with a touch of the grotesque." I'd like to offer a review of a different kind since I have the pleasure of knowing the author. In the second semester of my MFA in Creative Fiction program, Nathaniel Rich was my mentor.
Nathaniel studied at Yale University, worked on the editorial staff of The New York Review of Books and a...more
Nathaniel studied at Yale University, worked on the editorial staff of The New York Review of Books and a...more
I bought this novel impulsively on sale and had few expectations. It is a fairly whimsical fantastical book with a few interwoven stories about men seeking meaning, love, and friendship. Of course, because these characters are men, they make mistakes of foolishness, arrogance, and ignorance that lead to moments of humor and sadness. One story follows a young man who follows a young woman to an Italian alpine land of make-believe. A second story follows a different man who follows a friend to the...more
This book opens up with a great deal of promise. We are quickly introduced to two stories. In one, we meet Eugene (probably the protagonist, though I'll explain in a minute why that may be a misnomer) and his friend Alvaro, a man from a region of the Dominican Republic who speaks only a dialect unknown to anyone else and no English. Alvaro and Eugene somehow communicate despite the fact that neither can understand a word the other says--though as the reader sees in translation, they're not alway...more
I'm giving this one 5 stars. It's really beautifully written and I was able to fall into Rich's imagination. It kind of reminded me of that movie Big Fish....where it's kind of absurd and crazy...but that's kind of what books should be all about right? Falling away into the pages.
The story centers around two story lines, one about a young boy who is chasing after a girl he loves and then an old man trying to deal with a friend who left as well as his wife passing away.
So..yeah...kinda strange,...more
The story centers around two story lines, one about a young boy who is chasing after a girl he loves and then an old man trying to deal with a friend who left as well as his wife passing away.
So..yeah...kinda strange,...more
This is an odd book, and not for everyone. At times, reading it feels like you are on a rollercoaster that has not only jumped the tracks, but gone right off the cliff. Nathanial Rich is son of famed New York Times columnist Frank Rich, so he was weaned in the literary world.
The book is highly flawed, but beautifully written. For adventurous spirits, I’d recommend it.
The book is highly flawed, but beautifully written. For adventurous spirits, I’d recommend it.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The two different stories in this novel -- one of a friendship between two old men, another about a young man whose crush takes him far from home -- are initially great reads. I like the way Rich writes (no flowery language or snide asides here, just straight storytelling) and you wonder how and where these two tales will intertwine. The problem is the conclusion of the book. I won't give anything away, but needless to say after all that buildup the "twist" is a letdown. Rich's ending is both co...more
I am really not sure how much I like this first novel. It was a fantasy (I think) which is a genre I have little patience reading, however the stories were so fascinating that I just kept reading and reading until they came to their conclusion. Rich's love of language is most impressive and his lyrical descriptions were also excellent.
Full disclosure. I am a friend of Nat Rich.
This is a great book. It's two parallel but never joining stories about our need to communicate and the stubborn tendency of language that prevents us from fully doing so. And yet -- magical occurrences and improbable circumstances allow words to possess us as much as we might find it futile to possess them. In both stories there's a beautiful flow to the words -- unpretentious and sincere -- that makes the book a sort of product of its own thought, and...more
This is a great book. It's two parallel but never joining stories about our need to communicate and the stubborn tendency of language that prevents us from fully doing so. And yet -- magical occurrences and improbable circumstances allow words to possess us as much as we might find it futile to possess them. In both stories there's a beautiful flow to the words -- unpretentious and sincere -- that makes the book a sort of product of its own thought, and...more
I loved this book. Offbeat, gutsy and memorable...with a few passages so remarkable that I can't wait to see them filmed. It was one of the best books I read in 2011, and i read it in three sittings. A beautiful piece of work.
Nathaniel Rich aspires to the heights of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, but falls far short. I will admit that I am a sucker for stories that explore the perseverance of human relationships despite (or because of) the barriers one must breach to communicate in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, Rich only highlights his inability to handle this challenge with needlessly confusing plot "twists" and excessively "whimsical" characters. Even the seeming protagonists' (Eugene and Mr. Schmitz) motivations remai...more
Aug 03, 2008
Roxytoddroxytodd
added it
A quick read. I really didn't want to think Rich was a good writer because he's grown up among the literary world. Therefore, everything has been handed to him. He already is editor for the Paris Review. Anyway, so I had my reservations about enjoying this book. But is was, despite what I wanted to believe, a good book. Not a complete book, but a folklorist book, very Salman Rushdie. Actually, I think it's interesting that Rushdie wrote a book this year that also takes place in Italy, sort of. I...more
Nov 09, 2011
Karen Rye
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011,
mr-b-s-reading-year
Got to the end, but was completely unimpressed. Gets two stars because some of the writing is really good. And Rich certainly has an imagination. The rest of it though... Over-worked and over-written for my tastes.
The obsession—magical and grotesque—that the best books generate in the most searching minds fuels both the plot and the style of The Mayor's Tongues. Beginning in Manhattan with the protagonist translating a book into English from a language he doesn't know and taking us into the dark, mythic mountains of Italy's northeastern coast, the novel uses the seductiveness of the printed word as both gateway and guide to high adventure. In a sense, The Mayor's Tongue is a book about books, yet to say t...more
Loved this book. I know it got so-so reviews but I think Rich pulled off a beautiful book. Looking forward to his next novel.
far from perfect and a bit of an annoying and forced ending but very well written and an original vision
Don't quite know how to describe this book...it's certainly different and unique. Didn't really hold my interest though.
Mar 23, 2009
Celeste Ng
added it
Near the beginning of the Mayor’s Tongue, a young man named Eugene reads a novella by his idol, the legendary author Constance Eakins. “[It:] was typical Eakins,” Eugene reflects, “a strange reality that bordered on fantasy, an exotic locale, larger-than-life characters.” He might have been describing The Mayor’s Tongue itself, a book so dizzyingly rich with surprises that no review could—or should—describe them all.
Read the rest of my review at Fiction Writers Review.
Read the rest of my review at Fiction Writers Review.
Twisted characters, stories within stories, the power of speech and more.
almost fantastic, but falls extremely flat at the end. a pity really.
Mar 16, 2012
Frank
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Frank by:
Ms Collins
Shelves:
new-york-authors
Nice stuff; a little magic realism from the shores of the island of Manhattan to the heights above that most Balkan of Italian cities, Trieste.
Nov 13, 2011
Thea
marked it as to-read
Paste mag "shockingly strong debut"
Might have been an okay short story for children.
My review can be seen at http://boundanddeterminedtofindagoodr...
Many Adventures,
Richard
Many Adventures,
Richard
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Nathaniel Rich is an American novelist and essayist. He is the author of two novels, Odds Against Tomorrow (FSG, 2013), and The Mayor's Tongue (Riverhead, 2008), as well as a nonfiction book about film noir, San Francisco Noir (The Little Bookroom, 2005). His criticism and journalism appear regularly in The New York Times Magazine, Harper's, and The New York Review of Books.
More about Nathaniel Rich...
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Dec 04, 2011 09:28pm