The Candy House The Candy House

The Candy House

A Novel

    • 3.9 • 523 Ratings
    • $13.99

Publisher Description

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

ONE of the TOP 10 BOOKS OF THE YEAR by THE NEW YORK TIMES * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY * SLATE* THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER *

Also named one of the BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by Vanity Fair, Time, NPR, The Guardian, Oprah Daily, Self, Vogue, The New Yorker, BBC, Vulture, and many more!

OLIVIA WILDE to direct A24's TV adaptation of THE CANDY HOUSE and A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD!

From one of the most celebrated writers of our time comes an “inventive, effervescent” (Oprah Daily) novel about the memory and quest for authenticity and human connection.

The Candy House opens with the staggeringly brilliant Bix Bouton, whose company, Mandala, is so successful that he is “one of those tech demi-gods with whom we’re all on a first name basis.” Bix is forty, with four kids, restless, and desperate for a new idea, when he stumbles into a conversation group, mostly Columbia professors, one of whom is experimenting with downloading or “externalizing” memory. Within a decade, Bix’s new technology, “Own Your Unconscious”—which allows you access to every memory you’ve ever had, and to share your memories in exchange for access to the memories of others—has seduced multitudes.

In the world of Egan’s spectacular imagination, there are “counters” who track and exploit desires and there are “eluders,” those who understand the price of taking a bite of the Candy House. Egan introduces these characters in an astonishing array of narrative styles—from omniscient to first person plural to a duet of voices, an epistolary chapter, and a chapter of tweets. Intellectually dazzling, The Candy House is also a moving testament to the tenacity and transcendence of human longing for connection, family, privacy, and love.

“A beautiful exploration of loss, memory, and history” (San Francisco Chronicle), “this is minimalist maximalism. It’s as if Egan compressed a big 19th-century novel onto a flash drive” (The New York Times).

GENRE
Fiction & Literature
RELEASED
2022
April 5
LANGUAGE
EN
English
LENGTH
352
Pages
PUBLISHER
Scribner
SELLER
Simon & Schuster Digital Sales LLC
SIZE
7.1
MB

Customer Reviews

njmobile ,

Hard to follow

There’s a great idea here, but I had a hard time keeping up with all the characters

Hoffylou ,

Enjoy the Ride

To be fair, I'm a fan of Jennifer Egan's writing. That said, The Candy House may confuse many because there are many characters. Each chapter is a short story with alternating timelines and overlapping characters. Touted as a follow up to Welcome to the Goon Squad, you don't necessarily have to read that book to appreciate this one. What was so striking to me -beyond the commentary of social media and allowing technology to invade our thoughts - was Egan's ability to write about everyday people and the absurd, frightening future she envisions. A work of genius that will not be for everyone. Strap yourself in. Enjoy the ride.

Lea5323 ,

Incredible

If you loved Goon Squad you will not be disappointed. This book consumed me for a week. I wanted to do nothing else. I need to go back and read both books in order now. I’m blown away.

Grand Union Grand Union
2019
The Soul Thief The Soul Thief
2008
The Best American Short Stories 2022 The Best American Short Stories 2022
2022
Shadow Show Shadow Show
2012
And the Dark Sacred Night And the Dark Sacred Night
2014
The Best Australian Stories 2014 The Best Australian Stories 2014
2014
A Visit from the Goon Squad A Visit from the Goon Squad
2010
Manhattan Beach Manhattan Beach
2017
Look at Me Look at Me
2001
The Keep The Keep
2006
The Invisible Circus The Invisible Circus
1994
Emerald City Emerald City
2007
Crossroads Crossroads
2021
Sea of Tranquility Sea of Tranquility
2022
The Bee Sting The Bee Sting
2023
Trust (Pulitzer Prize Winner) Trust (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
2022
Matrix Matrix
2021
Trust Exercise Trust Exercise
2019