The Flamethrowers
A Novel
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3.8 • 212 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
* Selected as ONE of the BEST BOOKS of the 21st CENTURY by The New York Times * NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST * New York magazine’s #1 Book of the Year * Best Book of the Year by: The Wall Street Journal; Vogue; O, The Oprah Magazine; Los Angeles Times; The San Francisco Chronicle; The New Yorker; Time; Flavorwire; Salon; Slate; The Daily Beast
“Superb…Scintillatingly alive…A pure explosion of now.”—The New Yorker
Reno, so-called because of the place of her birth, comes to New York intent on turning her fascination with motorcycles and speed into art. Her arrival coincides with an explosion of activity—artists colonize a deserted and industrial SoHo, stage actions in the East Village, blur the line between life and art. Reno is submitted to a sentimental education of sorts—by dreamers, poseurs, and raconteurs in New York and by radicals in Italy, where she goes with her lover to meet his estranged and formidable family. Ardent, vulnerable, and bold, Reno is a fiercely memorable observer, superbly realized by Rachel Kushner.
Customer Reviews
Flamethrowers
Interesting book, but for me difficult and scattered. Parts extremely well written. Others very difficult to follow. I have very mixed feelings about this book.
Stunning
Beautifully written, funny, challenging, a reminder of what art can do, what the novel can do. A novel of ideas and characters, loaded with compulsive talkers, not plot-driven or even necessarily a page-turner; but for people who treasure the play of ideas, sharp characterization, and quotable sentences, this is as dense and satisfying as cheesecake. Loved loved loved this book.