The Age of Reinvention: A Novel

Se avessi voluto dare un giudizio solo basandomi sull'empatia che ho provato nei confronti dei personaggi, avrei dovuto usare un numero negativo. Il protagonista è uno smisurato egoista, che usa una presunta discriminazione razziale nei confronti del suo essere nordafricano per mentire a tutti e giocare l'uno contro l'altro a suo esclusivo uso e consumo. Sua moglie è una donna priva di spessore, tenuta in piedi sono dai soldi e dagli stereotipi. Il suo amico di gioventù è un fallito che mostra la vera estensione del suo fallimento proprio nel momento in cui succede nel diventare uno scrittore pubblicato. La donna che i due in qualche modo si scambiano è poco più che una bambola gonfiabile, e non basta il suo timido riappropriarsi show more di se stessa alla fine del romanzo per cambiare il giudizio su di lei. Tutti i personaggi minori recitano un ruolo e sono predestinati a fare la fine che fanno.
Insomma un disastro, non migliorato dal racconto alternato di ciò che succede di qua e di là dall'oceano, dove Samir e il suo alter ego Samuel conducono le loro vite. Confesso di aver usato la modalità di lettura veloce, che di solito non utilizzo per i romanzi, per intere parti del libro, che altrimenti non avrei retto. Ci sono però alcune descrizioni interessanti e ben scritte, soprattutto verso la fine, cosa che alla fine mi ha convinto a dare le due stelline.
Ringrazio Atria Books e Netgalley per avermi fornito una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.

If I wanted to give a judgement about this book just based on the empathy I felt in respect of the characters, I had to use a negative number. The protagonist is an huge selfish, that uses an alleged racial discrimination in respect of his being from North Africa to lie to everyone and play one against the other at his exlusive consumption. His wife is a woman without thickness, hold up out of money and stereotypes. His childhood friend is a failure that shows the true extent of his failure at the very moment that succeds in becoming a published writer. The woman that the two somehow exchange is little more than an inflatable doll, and her shy regain possessionof herself at the end of the novel is not enough to change the judgement on her. All minor characters act out a role and they are predestined to go the way they do.
In short, a disaster, not improved by the alternate narrative of what happens to and fro from the ocean, where Samir and his alter ego Samuel lead their lives. I confess to having used the fast reading mode, which usually do not use for novels, for whole sections of the book, which otherwise which otherwise I wouldn't hold up. However, there are some interesting and well written descriptions, especially towards the end, which eventually convinced me to give the two starlets.
Thank Atria Books and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review. show less

I found The Age of Reinvention a great and thought-provoking book. I became completely absorbed in the lives of the characters, and I wish I knew more about what ultimately would happen to them. I was fascinated by the idea of someone reinventing himself in such an extreme way and having to hide significant aspects of his life, especially when he became a high profile person. When his previous life was threatened to be revealed, it was almost like reading a thriller. The author did a great job showing the development of all the major characters. Even minor characters like Samir's mother and brother and some of the lawyers were more interesting than in other books. After investing my time in the book and seeing the arc of the characters' show more lives, I was unsatisfied by the ending. Everyone had major changes in their lives, but the reader had no idea of what would become of them. Since I would really like to know, I hope the author writes a sequel.

I think this book would be a great selection for a book discussion group. I would highly recommend it to all readers. show less

A very interesting novel that incorporates so many themes from today's society - the transient nature of relationships, subtle racism, the desire to racially change oneself. I found this book a little hard to read at times - perhaps due to the translation? - but the last third flew by as the characters experienced dramatic changes. This book is well worth the read, especially because of the social issues it grapples with and the timeliness of the content.

Samir Tahar, Samuel Baron and Nina (what is her surname?) meet at university in France. All three struggle with their identities and their destinies, and suffer and enjoy dizzying reversals of fortune throughout the novel, built on constructs of the truth (and sometimes downright lies). It is not a book that makes it easy to suspend disbelief - the changes are too vertiginous, the coincidences too implausible, the contrasts too extreme - but it does say interesting things about the immigrant experience in France and the USA; the world of fashion (literary, mostly); security and vulnerability. The prose style is baroque, which I suspect is a deliberate reading of the French original, and can hide what's going on behind a veil of digression.

I would gladly give this book 5 stars. It took some time to wrap my head around it but once I did, my oh my was i blown away!
It may not be to everybody's liking but for me it's one those books that make you pause to reflect on the message behind a particular scene.
I'm not only enjoying this book, I'm also learning from it!
I'm done yet tho, so the final review is still yet to come

"The Age of Reinvention" is the type of book that once you start reading, it is difficult to put down. The story revolves around two men, one Muslim and one Jewish, and the girl they love - but it isn't a love story. The story is well written and the author keeps it interesting. I would definitely recommend this to others.

***I received this though GoodReads Member Giveaway. The opinion is solely my own.***

This book has so many layers. It was difficult to like some of the characters. Gives the reader lots to think about until the very last page.