A Brave Man Seven Storeys Tall: A Novel

I enjoyed this one a lot and think Chancellor may be somebody to watch. Part of my enjoyment is no doubt because I'm a sucker for books about art, and this one ticks that box. I'm also a sucker for absurdity, paradoxes, and at least a fairly accessible veneer of erudition, and the book has those in varying degrees as well.

I think it could be an interesting book to do a proper study of sometime. There are enough recurring notions (paradoxes, the liminal, the monstrous, exploitation, memory and environment, what it means to be political, the role of things like sport and art in culture, and surely others) that there's plenty to latch onto for study. I'd also be curious to better understand the book's structure; it seems like the sort of show more book that might be meticulously structured according to some myth cycle, for example, but that's just a shot in the dark with no basis in actual study of the structure.

Chancellor writes good sentences and weaves scenes together reasonably well. The story stretches credibility in a number of ways, especially in the last quarter or so, but I was willing to look past that given the book's other merits. show less

Such a weird book I'm not sure what to think about it. I liked the father-son story, but many of the plot points struck me as warmed-over John Irving. (Kurt the wheelchair-bound artist, I'm looking at you.) Overwritten in parts, but there were a few scenes I really liked.

Such a weird book I'm not sure what to think about it. I liked the father-son story, but many of the plot points struck me as warmed-over John Irving. (Kurt the wheelchair-bound artist, I'm looking at you.) Overwritten in parts, but there were a few scenes I really liked.

Owen Burr’s hopes of competing in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens are dashed when he is blinded in one eye during his final college water polo match. Before his father Joseph, a well-known classics professor, can help him plot out his next steps, Owen decides to go to Berlin and attempt life as an artist. Soon, he is taken in by an art collective with questionable intentions while his father organizes a speaking tour that will allow him to search for his son

It’s clear from the beginning of A Brave Man Seven Storeys Tall, as the story of Joseph’s heartbreak is woven into the action of Owen’s blinding water polo match, that Chancellor can write. Sadly, the book soon seems to split in two, with half of it favoring a fast talking, show more dialogue-heavy style that feels too stark against the more meditative foundation established in the beginning of the novel. Though the plot Chancellor writes for Owen in Berlin is a fascinating one, the change in voice makes it feel a little like a misplaced short story sandwiched in a much better novel.

Though the two halves come back together toward the end of the book, which is incredibly strong, the middle remains disconnected and uneven. Still, the standout moments of A Brave Man Seven Storeys Tall mark the entrance of a new, creative voice in the world of fiction that will be well worth watching in years to come.

More at rivercityreading.com show less

Crap; beyond a little Socrates and Plato my philosophy knowledge is wanting; and psychiatric schools of thought? Really? Oh wait now we're into the world of modern art; I don't think we're talking Frazetta here. What a pretentious snob! Blah, blah, blah... Shut book. Open book, but wait the story still grabs hold; the writing can soar and then go clunk! Somehow someway it works and ends up being a satisfying read. This is a book that had I seen it in a bookstore and opened to the first page or so, would never have ended up at the checkout counter. The first 20 or so pages can be work...but the story still wins out. It was in my thoughts the entire time I was reading it and I still have it on my mind. Bottom line: If you can get through show more the beginning the remainder of the book can be very rewarding. Just do it. show less

This book had appeared on my radar when the great John Warner wrote about it for the Chicago Tribune in his Biblioracle column but it wasn't until it made the ToB bracket (thanks in no small part to John's advocacy, I'd wager) that I actually picked it up - and it's a testament to how a good book can go unnoticed without a few important activists. For this book is not a groundbreaker, it is not going to change your life - but it is a damn good debut novel; it's like a more serious Where'd You Go, Bernadette, taking that novel's screwball world-travelling tendencies and playing them a little straighter. Chancellor has a lot of thoughts - about art, philosophy, the classics & mythology, international relations, Iceland, probably many show more others - and we need more novelists who've got thoughts and want to share them. Is it a perfect book? No, but how many first novels really are? Did I enjoy it? Yes, I most certainly did.

Full review at RB: http://ragingbiblioholism.com/2015/02/11/a-brave-man-seven-storeys-tall/

PLUS! An interview with the author on So Many Damn Books! Listen on iTunes: itun.es/i6Bn7DX show less

This book was recommended through Strand Tournament of Books reading list 2015 (http://www.themorningnews.org/article/announcing-the-morning-news-2015-tournament-of-books). It had everything I thought I would love in literature: classical Greek references, swimming and water polo (I mean, when is THAT ever a feature in a book!?) and a journey of self-discovery on Odyssean scale. Unfortunately, that was as compelling as this book got. The characters were not fleshed out enough to be invested in, and the naivete seemed like laziness on behalf of the author. I enjoyed Chancellor's delve into the art world underbelly, but in all his writing style is stilted. I look forward to reading more of his work, but would give this one a pass.