Want Not
March 17, 2019 12:43 PM - by Jonathan Miles - Subscribe
A compulsively readable, deeply human novel that examines our most basic and unquenchable emotion: want. With his critically acclaimed first novel, Jonathan Miles was widely praised as a comic genius “after something bigger” (David Ulin, Los Angeles Times) whose fiction was “not just philosophically but emotionally rewarding” (Richard Russo, New York Times Book Review, front cover).
“I loved this book…the work of a fluid, confident, and profoundly talented writer…it’s a joyous book, a very funny book, and an unpredictable book, and that’s because everyone in it is allowed to be fully human.”
— Dave Eggers, the New York Times Book Review
About 2/3 of the way through this book you may start to wonder if the three very distinct characters ever actually connect. Miles' is a terrific writer, able to lead the reader to care deeply about three very disparate characters whose stories are seemingly unconnected, outside of the overarching theme of waste and want that permeates the book.
Stick with it, it's worth it. Miles' develops depth in his characters to a depth rarely seem in mainstream literature today. The joy in reading here is in getting to know these characters. Whether or not the storylines ever connect is sort of beside the point.
“I loved this book…the work of a fluid, confident, and profoundly talented writer…it’s a joyous book, a very funny book, and an unpredictable book, and that’s because everyone in it is allowed to be fully human.”
— Dave Eggers, the New York Times Book Review
About 2/3 of the way through this book you may start to wonder if the three very distinct characters ever actually connect. Miles' is a terrific writer, able to lead the reader to care deeply about three very disparate characters whose stories are seemingly unconnected, outside of the overarching theme of waste and want that permeates the book.
Stick with it, it's worth it. Miles' develops depth in his characters to a depth rarely seem in mainstream literature today. The joy in reading here is in getting to know these characters. Whether or not the storylines ever connect is sort of beside the point.
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