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Out of the womb in 1871, Max Tivoli looked to all the world like a tiny 70-year-old man. But inside the aged body was an infant. Victim of a rare disease, Max grows physically younger as his mind matures. In Andrew Sean Greer's finely crafted novel, The Confessions of Max Tivoli, Max narrates his life story from the vantage point of his late fifties, though his body is
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Jan 09, 2018
Jaidee (Away from Goodreads until Feb 2...happy reading)
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
foolish romantics
Recommended to Jaidee (Away from Goodreads until Feb 2...happy reading) by:
a random and welcome choice
Shelves:
three-ana-half-stars-books
3.5 "very enjoyable but short of the bullseye" stars !!
I loves me a good melodrama especially when there is a touch of the fantastical or magical realism.
There was so much to adore about this book. A man ages psychologically and intellectually consecutively but physically ages backwards. In the meantime he loves the same woman three times at different stages of his life while staying true to his best friend and sometimes romantic rival. Throw in late nineteenth century San Francisco, circuses, ...more
I loves me a good melodrama especially when there is a touch of the fantastical or magical realism.
There was so much to adore about this book. A man ages psychologically and intellectually consecutively but physically ages backwards. In the meantime he loves the same woman three times at different stages of his life while staying true to his best friend and sometimes romantic rival. Throw in late nineteenth century San Francisco, circuses, ...more
This was the real Benjamin Button story, in my view. A beautifully crafted account of a baby born old who gets younger as he ages.
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" revamped; reworked in a very satisfying if melancholy way!
This earlier book by Greer--whose "Less" becomes more & more memorable as time passes--likens the aging-in-reverse weeper-of-an-affliction with homosexuality. For there are monstrosities in the human pool--slightly MORE human solely because of their scourge and plight.
The confessionary is self-serving (for good reason!) & an intimate deconstruction of the theme which Oscar Wilde explored at ...more
This earlier book by Greer--whose "Less" becomes more & more memorable as time passes--likens the aging-in-reverse weeper-of-an-affliction with homosexuality. For there are monstrosities in the human pool--slightly MORE human solely because of their scourge and plight.
The confessionary is self-serving (for good reason!) & an intimate deconstruction of the theme which Oscar Wilde explored at ...more
Max Tivoli was born looking like a 70 year old man, with white hair, wrinkled skin and liver spots. Though his mind ages normally, his body grows younger with each passing year.
As I read (or, listened to) this book, I couldn't help but wonder how it compares to F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which is essentially (from what I understand) the same story. I've yet to read Benjamin Button, but I would assume that Andrew Sean Greer borrowed heavily from Fitzgerald, even if ...more
As I read (or, listened to) this book, I couldn't help but wonder how it compares to F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which is essentially (from what I understand) the same story. I've yet to read Benjamin Button, but I would assume that Andrew Sean Greer borrowed heavily from Fitzgerald, even if ...more
I read this book years ago and it has remained one of my favorites. I'm still recommending it to people. Much like One Hundred Years of Solitude, it's a moving, sad, and funny story about love. It's hard to imagine (although impossible) what it would be like to age backwards. The levels and types of love displayed in this book are amazing. You won't be able to put it down.
Recommended to me by a friend, this is a good book - but not one that really suited my mood this week. It's a melancholy musing on the futility of love.
The narrator, Max Tivoli, was born appearing to be a wizened old man of 70 - and for his entire life, ages backwards, gaining perspective and experience as physically, he becomes younger.
At 17 (when he appears to be an elderly gentleman), he meets the love of his life, Alice. However, she falls in love with Max's best friend, the young and ...more
The narrator, Max Tivoli, was born appearing to be a wizened old man of 70 - and for his entire life, ages backwards, gaining perspective and experience as physically, he becomes younger.
At 17 (when he appears to be an elderly gentleman), he meets the love of his life, Alice. However, she falls in love with Max's best friend, the young and ...more
An interesting concept -- a man is born old and ages backward -- but in the end, I didn't enjoy the book. I came to really dislike the main character, Max. He has a difficult fate, it's true, but he seemed to me to be so consumed with self-pity that he had a hard time relating to anyone else. And he's so very passive -- uninterested in his job or his world. He even sleeps through the San Francisco earthquake! What's the point of placing your novel during the 1906 earthquake if your protagonist
...more
Jan 14, 2020
Robin Tobin (On the back porch reading)
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction
My thoughts are still out on this one.
Some parts I liked and made me think.
Other parts didn't sit well and made me shake my head wondering "Why?".....
Some parts I liked and made me think.
Other parts didn't sit well and made me shake my head wondering "Why?".....
Andrew Sean Greer's novel took a bit of time to weave its spell for me, but once the spell was cast, I was thoroughly enchanted. Greer conjures up a gorgeous, bustling turn-of-the-20th-century San Francisco, my beloved City, with details so precise and poignant that they will stay with you long after you are done reading. And Max Tivoli, born old and growing ever younger, faces terrible obstacles in love, but then, so do we all. "Be what they think you are," Max Tivoli's parents implore him at
...more
This book has been on my shelf for a long time, but I finally picked it up the other day and flew through it. I thought this was great! I agree with some of the other reviewers in that the main character wasn't completely likable, but I found the story really interesting (and even a little heart-breaking). It takes a little while to build up steam, but it's well worth the effort.
The premise of this book was tantalizing: a man who ages in reverse tries to find and win his one true love time after time. I was hoping it would be akin to The Time Traveler's Wife, whose characters I quickly came to love. The Confessions of Max Tivoli, though, is a completely different beast. For one, I had no idea that it would be narrated in the style of a Victorian novel, complete with frequent exhortations to the "Dear Reader." The prose was lovely, but initially, I found the style a bit
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Apr 15, 2009
Megan
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Megan by:
Claire Whitmore
"We are each the love of someone's life." Greer always has a great opening line. Wonderful, wonderful novel. The idea of aging backwards now makes us think of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", which then makes us think of S. Scott Fitzgerald. But published in 2004, "The Confessions of Max Tivoli" stands completly on its own merit. The whole idea of this book is so imaginative, regardless of where Greer's inspiration came from (a Bob Dylan song actually), he exectuted it beautifully. Greer's
...more
Apr 18, 2014
Kelly
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
romance,
historical,
love,
meh,
want-those-hours-back,
lit,
beach-book,
movie-was-better
I loved the movie Benjamin Button. I loved Brad Pitt playing Benjamin Button. Not even the idea of visualizing Brad Pitt reading me this book while soaking up some sun with a margarita in hand would make this book any better.
I cannot remember the last time I disliked a character so much all I wanted to do was punch his whole face in. Whiny, selfish and immature, Max Tivoli kind of makes me hate Brad Pitt, and all the man did was play the main character in the adaptation of this book.
And while I ...more
I cannot remember the last time I disliked a character so much all I wanted to do was punch his whole face in. Whiny, selfish and immature, Max Tivoli kind of makes me hate Brad Pitt, and all the man did was play the main character in the adaptation of this book.
And while I ...more
This is one of the more finely wrought things I've read in a while. The prose is beautiful (some might say purple, but it really worked for me), the story weird and funny (and sometimes a little creepy) and crushing. I read it quickly but it deserves to be read slowly.
Jun 23, 2007
Sara
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
sophisticated, educated readers who are not too jaded to enjoy a tall tale or a meaningful fantasy
This is one of the better books I've read in quite awhile. Part of this is because I haven't been reading much this year, but also this is a beautifully worded book, a delicious slow read with an imaginative premise and poetry and philosophy on nearly every page. It has, however, two unforgivable flaws.
The most glaring unforgivable flaw is the ending, which is frankly unworthy of the rest of the book, in the words of my true love "a cop-out all around." I won't discuss that here (but might on my ...more
The most glaring unforgivable flaw is the ending, which is frankly unworthy of the rest of the book, in the words of my true love "a cop-out all around." I won't discuss that here (but might on my ...more
It's hard for me to dislike any book that makes me cry several times or, in this case, for the last 50 pages. The middle of this book did drag a little and the writing was, yes, a little purple at times BUT the last 100 pages were a real feat of structure and storytelling and the writing was especially beautiful.
You know it can't end well considering it's a Benjamin Button-like story, but I was still struck by how sad it became and not just for one single reason but so many frustrating ...more
You know it can't end well considering it's a Benjamin Button-like story, but I was still struck by how sad it became and not just for one single reason but so many frustrating ...more
I can't decide if I would have like this more or less if I had not seen "Benjamin Buttons". I am not sure why the movie purports to be based on a short story by Gatsby because this book seems too much like the movie to be coincidence. Regardless, it is more interesting in some ways because the love story is so much more complicated and the setting is San Francisco, rather than the whole world. The psychological aspects of aging backwards are explored in much greater detail through this narrative
...more
It is a delicate task to write a book in which the main character repeatedly ruins the life of and frightens almost to death another major character and to make that protagonist sympathetic. You understand why he does what he does, you see how he fools himself into believing the consequences of his actions will not be bad as they truly unfold to be, and you watch with great empathy for both him and his victim. It is a balancing act to show such obsessive love as Andrew Sean Greer does in The
...more
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This wasn't terrible, but the main character was far too self-centered for my liking. His "confessions" droned on, and revealed a highly unlikeable person. We should be striving for something more in our lives than seeking to arrange the universe as we see fit. Max thought only of himself throughout his life...strange and difficult as it was and managed to use up anyone he got close too. This made the story difficult for me to get through. At best, we can take Max's oft quoted wisdom, "We are
...more
This was a lovely, sad book about a man with Benjamin Button’s aging quandary and elements of Midsummer Night’s Dream everybody-loves-the-wrong-person dilemma. The author does a wonderful job re-creating the aura of the turn of the century and beyond, through which Max uncomfortably makes his way, not really being what he appears to be. His discomfort and pain are well conveyed, as are those of the other important people in his life when we learn their secrets. Charming and heartbreaking-I
...more
Social scientist Margaret Gullette has published a book called "Aged by Culture," which argues that elderly attitudes prescribe the course of physical decline more than our chromosomes do (reviewed Jan. 13). I was particularly interested because my graduating class is gearing up for a landmark college reunion amid the usual mutterings about who looks great and who is "showing a lot of courage." My own anxieties in that department weren't quelled when my daughter reassured me that I'm not old,
...more
Max is a creep. Of course, he's a creep. How could you not be a creep when you're a 17-year-old inside a 60-year-old man's body? Or vice versa. But, it's hard to sympathize with a creep.
Ultimately, it's a tragic story. Well written, but I didn't like any of the characters, so it fell a little flat for me.
Ultimately, it's a tragic story. Well written, but I didn't like any of the characters, so it fell a little flat for me.
A original concept with technically difficult and sophisticated story structure, but I liked his novel Less much better. I felt that the narrator was incredibly selfish, which hurt at times, but I needed to find out what happened at the end.
Jun 18, 2018
Molli B.
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-before-goodreads
I read this way back when it was new, and I barely remember anything other than that I really enjoyed it. If I ever unearth my copy, I'll reread it.
May 19, 2008
Claire
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people who like romances
Shelves:
wee-bit-overrated,
romance
It's now been twenty-one hours since I finished this book, and my afterthoughts have definitely fluctuated since then. However, I think three stars is still a reasonable rating for Max Tivoli. As a solid character alone, though, that rating would be too generous.
I think I've come to my own conclusion that I'm much harsher on romance stories than any other genre of books. Rarely have I come upon one that has knocked me off my feet (The English Patient in particular), but I can't imagine that ...more
I think I've come to my own conclusion that I'm much harsher on romance stories than any other genre of books. Rarely have I come upon one that has knocked me off my feet (The English Patient in particular), but I can't imagine that ...more
Nov 08, 2011
Ryan
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fic-literary,
fic-speculative
***1/2
You might be surprised that this book preceded the move "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", which was made after I read it (in 2008), and that the two works are unconnected. Except, of course, for the central plot idea, which Greer might have also borrowed from F. Scott Fitzgerald: a child is born in an old man's body and from there ages backwards.
Despite the sci-fi premise, the story is lyrical and character-focused. Greer, admirably, doesn't give Max any easy outs from his situation ...more
You might be surprised that this book preceded the move "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", which was made after I read it (in 2008), and that the two works are unconnected. Except, of course, for the central plot idea, which Greer might have also borrowed from F. Scott Fitzgerald: a child is born in an old man's body and from there ages backwards.
Despite the sci-fi premise, the story is lyrical and character-focused. Greer, admirably, doesn't give Max any easy outs from his situation ...more
I launched into this book on the basis that I feel like I don’t read enough local authors. I definitely - in my head - support local artists, local authors, local press, etc., but sometimes it hard to put that into practice. So I did, and I was rewarded for my, you know, doing what I should be doing.
I knew the general plot going in, but the details of it still kind of hit you. However, once you get used to the conceit - the story of a man who is living life in reverse, born as an old man and ...more
I knew the general plot going in, but the details of it still kind of hit you. However, once you get used to the conceit - the story of a man who is living life in reverse, born as an old man and ...more
What a fascinating and original book. Set during turn of the century San Francisco, poor Max Tivoli is a boy unlike any other. He is born a tiny, wrinkled old man and ages in reverse. This story follows his life as he tries to adjust to his “condition.” His mother teaches him to live by the golden rule: “Be what they think you are.” However, Max considers himself a monster. In fact, this is a memoir of an extremely sensitive, but sometimes selfish, man who wants nothing but what life has to
...more
I found this book to be completely magical! When "Benjamin Button" came out, I kept thinking that they must have based it on Greer's book, since both involve a man who ages backwards but it seems that there was simultaneous inspiration, since Greer denies having ever read Fitzgerald's story. Such a brilliant idea!
Greer's writing is beautiful: lyrical, poetic and perfect. He does a wonderful job of evoking the missed opportunities of the protagonist: the ironies and tragedy of loving the same ...more
Greer's writing is beautiful: lyrical, poetic and perfect. He does a wonderful job of evoking the missed opportunities of the protagonist: the ironies and tragedy of loving the same ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missing earthquake piece from my memory... | 1 | 3 | Nov 25, 2018 08:25PM | |
| Like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"? | 18 | 506 | Oct 14, 2011 08:06PM |
Readers also enjoyed
Andrew Sean Greer (born 1970) is an American novelist and short story writer.
He is the bestselling author of The Story of a Marriage, which The New York Times has called an “inspired, lyrical novel,” and The Confessions of Max Tivoli, which was named one of the best books of 2004 by the San Francisco Chronicle and received a California Book Award.
The child of two scientists, Greer studied writing ...more
He is the bestselling author of The Story of a Marriage, which The New York Times has called an “inspired, lyrical novel,” and The Confessions of Max Tivoli, which was named one of the best books of 2004 by the San Francisco Chronicle and received a California Book Award.
The child of two scientists, Greer studied writing ...more
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“We are each the love of someone's life.”
—
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“People always say the greatest love story in the world is Romeo and Juliet. I don't know. At fourteen, at seventeen, I remember, it takes over your whole life." Alice was worked up now, her face flushed and alive, her hands cutting through the night-blooming air. "You think about nobody, nothing else, you don't eat or sleep, you just think about this . . . it's overwhelming. I know, I remember. But is it love? Like how you have cheap brandy when you're young and you think it's marvelous, just so elegant, and you don't know, you don't know anything . . . because, you've never tasted anything better. You're fourteen."
It was no time for lying. "I think it's love"
You do?"
I think maybe it's the only true love."
She was about to say something, and stopped herself. I'd surprised her, I suppose. "How sad if you're right," she said, closing her eyes for a moment. "Because we never end up with them. How sad and stupid if that's how it works.”
—
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More quotes…
It was no time for lying. "I think it's love"
You do?"
I think maybe it's the only true love."
She was about to say something, and stopped herself. I'd surprised her, I suppose. "How sad if you're right," she said, closing her eyes for a moment. "Because we never end up with them. How sad and stupid if that's how it works.”
