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Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
By Betsy · 11 posts · 28 views
By Betsy · 11 posts · 28 views
last updated Oct 27, 2011 08:06AM
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What book did you just start?
By Stephanie · 3501 posts · 467 views
By Stephanie · 3501 posts · 467 views
last updated Feb 27, 2024 08:11PM
What Members Thought
"Lost in Translation" seems to be an apt phrase to describe this book about an aging British linguistics professor. As the main character faces increasing hearing loss he also faces the humility, tragedy and yes, sometimes comedy that accompanies disability. Initially portrayed as a bit stuffy and pompous, Desmond becomes more human and subsequently more likable as the story progresses and you read his journal entries filled with self-deprecation and poignancy. He is struggling to manage his own
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Deaf Sentence, structured mostly as Desmond Bates
As a fan of this authors previous books this one was a disappointment. While Lodge is a gifted writer his usual humorous style is missing from this book (with the exception of some amusing lines that are more predominant earlier in the book). This book reads as mostly an account of happenings from the authors life that he worked into a fictional character. His description of losing his hearing is likely to be helpful to anyone surrounded by someone in this position but both that and the descript
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Mar 23, 2015
Christine Seifert
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This wasn't my favorite David Lodge book, but fortunately there is no such thing as a bad David Lodge book. This one is hilarious and spot-on about academics, as usual. I also appreciated the nice meditation on what it means for us (and our parents)to grow old and lose physical and mental acuity.
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Interesting story, but suffers a bit because Lodge's narrator is prone to digressions about linguistic minutiae. The mix of first and third person is a bit odd as well.
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Mar 23, 2009
Julie
marked it as to-read
Apr 12, 2009
Vanessa
marked it as to-read
Nov 16, 2009
Belinda Burkhart
marked it as to-read
Dec 08, 2010
Emily
marked it as to-read
Apr 05, 2012
Nancy Motto
marked it as to-read
