May We Be Forgiven - Softcover

A. M. Homes

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1847083226 ISBN 13: 9781847083227

Publisher: Granta, 2012

Synopsis

Harry is a Richard Nixon scholar who leads a quiet, regular life; his brother George is a high-flying TV producer, with a murderous temper. They have been uneasy rivals since childhood. Then one day George's loses control so extravagantly that he precipitates Harry into an entirely new life. In MAY WE BE FORGIVEN, Homes gives us a darkly comic look at 21st century domestic life - at individual lives spiraling out of control, bound together by family and history. The cast of characters experience adultery, accidents, divorce, and death. But it is also a savage and dizzyingly inventive satire on contemporary America, whose dark heart Homes penetrates like no other writer - the strange jargons of its language, its passive aggressive institutions, its inhabitants' desperate craving for intimacy and their pushing it away with litigation, technology, paranoia. At the novel's heart are the spaces in between, where the modern family comes together to re-form itself. MAY WE BE FORGIVEN explores contemporary orphans losing and finding themselves anew; and it speaks above all to the power of personal transformation - simultaneously terrifying and inspiring.

About this title

Product Description:

May We be Forgiven The dark and dazzling new novel from the author of the major bestseller This Book Will Save Your Life Full description

Review:

Praise for "MayWe Be Forgiven"
An entertaining, old-fashioned American story about second chances A.M. Homes is a writer I ll pretty much follow anywhere because she s indeed so smart, it s scary; yet she s not without heart "May We Be Forgiven" [is] deeply imbued with the kind of "It s A Wonderful Life"-type belief in redemption that we Americans will always be suckers for, and rightly so. Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air

Cheever country with a black comedy upgrade Homes crams a tremendous amount of ambition into "May We Be Forgiven," with its dark humor, its careening plot, its sex-strewn suburb and a massive cast of memorable characters...its riskiest content, however, is something different: sentiment. This is a Tin Man story, in which the zoned-out Harry slowly grows a heart. Carolyn Kellogg, "The Los Angeles Times"

Darkly funny the moments shared between this ad hoc family are the novel s most endearing Homes signature trait is a fearless inclination to torment her characters and render their failures, believing that the reader is sophisticated enough and forgiving enough to tag along. Katie Arnold-Ratliff, "Time Magazine"

Homes, whose masterful handling of suburban dystopia merits her own adjective, may have just written her midcareer magnum opus with this portrait of a flawed Nixonian bent on some sort of emotional amnesty. Christopher Bollen, "Interview"

At once tender and uproariously funny one of the strangest, most miraculous journeys in recent fiction, not unlike a man swimming home to his lonely house, one swimming pool at a time: it is an act of desperation turned into one of grace. John Freeman, "The Cleveland Plain Dealer"
A big American story with big American themes, the saga of the triumph of a new kind of self-invented nuclear family over cynicism, apathy, loneliness, greed, and technological tyranny this novel has a strong moral core, neither didactic nor judgmental, that holds out the possibility of redemption through connection. Kate Christensen, "Elle"

Heartfelt, and hilarious Although Homes weaves in piercing satire on subjects like healthcare, education, and the prison system, her tone never veers into the overly arch, mostly thanks to Harold a loveably earnest guy who creates his own kind of oddball, 21st century family. Leigh Newman, "O The Oprah Magazine"

A.M. Homes has long been one of our most important and original writers of fiction. "May We Be Forgiven" is her most ambitious as well as her most accessible novel to date; sex and violence invade the routines of suburban domestic life in a way that reminded me of "The World According to Garp," although in the end it s a thoroughly original work of imagination. Jay McInerney
This novel starts at maximum force -- and then it really gets going. I can't remember when I last read a novel of such narrative intensity; an unflinching account of a catastrophic, violent, black-comic, transformative year in the history of one broken American family. Flat-out amazing. Salman Rushdie

I started this book in the A.M., finished in the P.M., and couldn t sleep all night. Ms. Homes just gets better and better. Gary Shteyngart

What if whoever wrote the story of Job had a sense of humor? Nixon is pondered. One character donates her organs. Another tries to grow a heart. A seductive minefield of a novel from A.M. Homes. John Sayles

I started reading A.M. Homes twenty years ago. Wild and funny, questioning and true, she is a writer to go travelling with on the journey called life. Jeanette Winterson
"
Praise for MayWe Be Forgiven
An entertaining, old-fashioned American story about second chances A.M. Homes is a writer I ll pretty much follow anywhere because she s indeed so smart, it s scary; yet she s not without heart May We Be Forgiven [is] deeply imbued with the kind of It s A Wonderful Life-type belief in redemption that we Americans will always be suckers for, and rightly so. Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air

Cheever country with a black comedy upgrade Homes crams a tremendous amount of ambition into May We Be Forgiven, with its dark humor, its careening plot, its sex-strewn suburb and a massive cast of memorable characters...its riskiest content, however, is something different: sentiment. This is a Tin Man story, in which the zoned-out Harry slowly grows a heart. Carolyn Kellogg, The Los Angeles Times

Darkly funny the moments shared between this ad hoc family are the novel s most endearing Homes signature trait is a fearless inclination to torment her characters and render their failures, believing that the reader is sophisticated enough and forgiving enough to tag along. Katie Arnold-Ratliff, Time Magazine

Homes, whose masterful handling of suburban dystopia merits her own adjective, may have just written her midcareer magnum opus with this portrait of a flawed Nixonian bent on some sort of emotional amnesty. Christopher Bollen, Interview

At once tender and uproariously funny one of the strangest, most miraculous journeys in recent fiction, not unlike a man swimming home to his lonely house, one swimming pool at a time: it is an act of desperation turned into one of grace. John Freeman, The Cleveland Plain Dealer

A big American story with big American themes, the saga of the triumph of a new kind of self-invented nuclear family over cynicism, apathy, loneliness, greed, and technological tyranny this novel has a strong moral core, neither didactic nor judgmental, that holds out the possibility of redemption through connection. Kate Christensen, Elle

Heartfelt, and hilarious Although Homes weaves in piercing satire on subjects like healthcare, education, and the prison system, her tone never veers into the overly arch, mostly thanks to Harold a loveably earnest guy who creates his own kind of oddball, 21st century family. Leigh Newman, O The Oprah Magazine

A.M. Homes has long been one of our most important and original writers of fiction. May We Be Forgiven is her most ambitious as well as her most accessible novel to date; sex and violence invade the routines of suburban domestic life in a way that reminded me of The World According to Garp, although in the end it s a thoroughly original work of imagination. Jay McInerney

This novel starts at maximum force -- and then it really gets going. I can't remember when I last read a novel of such narrative intensity; an unflinching account of a catastrophic, violent, black-comic, transformative year in the history of one broken American family. Flat-out amazing. Salman Rushdie

I started this book in the A.M., finished in the P.M., and couldn t sleep all night. Ms. Homes just gets better and better. Gary Shteyngart

What if whoever wrote the story of Job had a sense of humor? Nixon is pondered. One character donates her organs. Another tries to grow a heart. A seductive minefield of a novel from A.M. Homes. John Sayles

I started reading A.M. Homes twenty years ago. Wild and funny, questioning and true, she is a writer to go travelling with on the journey called life. Jeanette Winterson

"
Praise for May We Be Forgiven

"An entertaining, old-fashioned American story about second chances...A.M. Homes is a writer I'll pretty much follow anywhere because she's indeed so smart, it's scary; yet she's not without heart...May We Be Forgiven [is] deeply imbued with the kind of It's A Wonderful Life-type belief in redemption that we Americans will always be suckers for, and rightly so." --Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air

"Cheever country with a black comedy upgrade...Homes crams a tremendous amount of ambition into May We Be Forgiven, with its dark humor, its careening plot, its sex-strewn suburb and a massive cast of memorable characters...its riskiest content, however, is something different: sentiment. This is a Tin Man story, in which the zoned-out Harry slowly grows a heart." --Carolyn Kellogg, The Los Angeles Times

"Darkly funny...the moments shared between this ad hoc family are the novel's most endearing...Homes' signature trait is a fearless inclination to torment her characters and render their failures, believing that the reader is sophisticated enough - and forgiving enough - to tag along." --Katie Arnold-Ratliff, Time Magazine

"Homes, whose masterful handling of suburban dystopia merits her own adjective, may have just written her midcareer magnum opus with this portrait of a flawed Nixonian bent on some sort of emotional amnesty." --Christopher Bollen, Interview

"At once tender and uproariously funny...one of the strangest, most miraculous journeys in recent fiction, not unlike a man swimming home to his lonely house, one swimming pool at a time: it is an act of desperation turned into one of grace." --John Freeman, The Cleveland Plain Dealer

"A big American story with big American themes, the saga of the triumph of a new kind of self-invented nuclear family over cynicism, apathy, loneliness, greed, and technological tyranny...this novel has a strong moral core, neither didactic nor judgmental, that holds out the possibility of redemption through connection." -Kate Christensen, Elle

"Heartfelt, and hilarious...Although Homes weaves in piercing satire on subjects like healthcare, education, and the prison system, her tone never veers into the overly arch, mostly thanks to Harold - a loveably earnest guy who creates his own kind of oddball, 21st century family." -Leigh Newman, O The Oprah Magazine

"A.M. Homes has long been one of our most important and original writers of fiction. May We Be Forgiven is her most ambitious as well as her most accessible novel to date; sex and violence invade the routines of suburban domestic life in a way that reminded me of The World According to Garp, although in the end it's a thoroughly original work of imagination." -Jay McInerney

"This novel starts at maximum force -- and then it really gets going. I can't remember when I last read a novel of such narrative intensity; an unflinching account of a catastrophic, violent, black-comic, transformative year in the history of one broken American family. Flat-out amazing." --Salman Rushdie

"I started this book in the A.M., finished in the P.M., and couldn't sleep all night. Ms. Homes just gets better and better." --Gary Shteyngart

"What if whoever wrote the story of Job had a sense of humor? Nixon is pondered. One character donates her organs. Another tries to grow a heart. A seductive minefield of a novel from A.M. Homes." --John Sayles

"I started reading A.M. Homes twenty years ago. Wild and funny, questioning and true, she is a writer to go travelling with on the journey called life." --Jeanette Winterson

"An entertaining, old-fashioned American story about second chances...A.M. Homes is a writer I'll pretty much follow anywhere because she's indeed so smart, it's scary; yet she's not without heart...May We Be Forgiven [is] deeply imbued with the kind of It's A Wonderful Life-type belief in redemption that we Americans will always be suckers for, and rightly so." --Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air

"Cheever country with a black comedy upgrade...Homes crams a tremendous amount of ambition into May We Be Forgiven, with its dark humor, its careening plot, its sex-strewn suburb and a massive cast of memorable characters...its riskiest content, however, is something different: sentiment. This is a Tin Man story, in which the zoned-out Harry slowly grows a heart." --Carolyn Kellogg, The Los Angeles Times

"Darkly funny...the moments shared between this ad hoc family are the novel's most endearing...Homes' signature trait is a fearless inclination to torment her characters and render their failures, believing that the reader is sophisticated enough - and forgiving enough - to tag along." --Katie Arnold-Ratliff, Time Magazine

"Homes, whose masterful handling of suburban dystopia merits her own adjective, may have just written her midcareer magnum opus with this portrait of a flawed Nixonian bent on some sort of emotional amnesty." --Christopher Bollen, Interview

"At once tender and uproariously funny...one of the strangest, most miraculous journeys in recent fiction, not unlike a man swimming home to his lonely house, one swimming pool at a time: it is an act of desperation turned into one of grace." --John Freeman, The Cleveland Plain Dealer

"A big American story with big American themes, the saga of the triumph of a new kind of self-invented nuclear family over cynicism, apathy, loneliness, greed, and technological tyranny...this novel has a strong moral core, neither didactic nor judgmental, that holds out the possibility of redemption through connection." -Kate Christensen, Elle

"Heartfelt, and hilarious...Although Homes weaves in piercing satire on subjects like healthcare, education, and the prison system, her tone never veers into the overly arch, mostly thanks to Harold - a loveably earnest guy who creates his own kind of oddball, 21st century family." -Leigh Newman, O The Oprah Magazine

"A.M. Homes has long been one of our most important and original writers of fiction. May We Be Forgiven is her most ambitious as well as her most accessible novel to date; sex and violence invade the routines of suburban domestic life in a way that reminded me of The World According to Garp, although in the end it's a thoroughly original work of imagination." -Jay McInerney

"This novel starts at maximum force -- and then it really gets going. I can't remember when I last read a novel of such narrative intensity; an unflinching account of a catastrophic, violent, black-comic, transformative year in the history of one broken American family. Flat-out amazing." --Salman Rushdie

"I started this book in the A.M., finished in the P.M., and couldn't sleep all night. Ms. Homes just gets better and better." --Gary Shteyngart

"What if whoever wrote the story of Job had a sense of humor? Nixon is pondered. One character donates her organs. Another tries to grow a heart. A seductive minefield of a novel from A.M. Homes." --John Sayles

"I started reading A.M. Homes twenty years ago. Wild and funny, questioning and true, she is a writer to go travelling with on the journey called life." --Jeanette Winterson

About this edition

• Publisher: Granta
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1847083226
• ISBN 13: 9781847083227
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 480