Turn of the Century

Kurt Andersen's got one heck of an imagination. Some of the scenarios he comes up with for the not-so-distant future are just downright neat!I also enjoyed the almost soap-operatic feel of watching George and Lizzie's day to day lives progress, both at the office and in their home. It was interesting to watch how different they were to each other in the world of business and the world of matrimony/family. (Brings to mind the saying, "One never really knows anyone.")I've heard that perhaps the book doesn't appeal to people who live too far outside large urban centers, but I can't see why that would be true. Most of us are attached to the Internet these days, most love "modern conveniences," and most would like to have more money than we do. Seems like that would be enough to make this a book that could appeal to anyone, despite geography. I mean, yes, it might appeal to New Yorkers MORE, but that's because we're reading about our hometown here. I also love Motherless Brooklyn (which takes place in the neighborhood where I grew up), but just because I can recognize what deli Letham's talking about doesn't mean it isn't worthy of its National Book Critic's Circle Award, ya know?In summary, I loved the book. I also loved the end, which a lot of people seem to think was a disappointment. The book might run on a bit long, but for me it was an extremely satisfying read, and one that I've personally recommended -- especially to people who DO like books based in New York.

When this book first came out in 1999, I thought about reading it, but was too daunted. When it came out in paperback, I bought it and decided to give it a try. I literally could not put it down. The 659 pages was almost too short. I could have read about George and Lizzie and LuLu and Sir (max) and Ben and Featherstone for another 1000. These characters, while satirical are magical. To inhabit their world is a gift. Andersen just "gets" it, his book is filled with media-saavy references (some will argue too many). The more you know about the media, the more you will love it. From Barbie World to MBC to The Casino Royale in NYC to 100 hilarious TV shows, it never ends. It is interesting to see that some of the predictions he made have actually come true. Many of Andersen's ideas aren't that crazy.George is a terrific leading man. Lizzie is a fascinating woman. You learn to love them and their family. Their friends, including Cubby, Featherstone, and Ben are my among my favorites, are spectular. At it's core, this is a love story. The story of George and Lizzie and all their luck and loss. It is engrossing.The last quarter of the book is all over the map, but it fits. It is fun, surprising and even a bit moving. This is our time, our places, our new century. Entertainment Weekly was right in it's review, Andersen is the 1st great writer of the 3rd Millenium. This book takes it place among my very favorite works. I can't wait to see what is next. I raise my glass to Featherstone.

Brilliant. Simply brilliant. I can't think of any other writer who could have pulled this off. It's the best reading I've had in the past year or so.

This is one of those books that buzzes in your head for weeks after you've read it. "Turn of the Century" is loaded with dazzling riffs and observations about contemporary life, of course, but the people in it are equally memorable and sharply drawn. You really start to see folks you know in light of characters from Andersen's novel. ("Oh, he's a sort of Timothy Featherstone type," I found myself saying of an acquaintance.) The satire -- of the worlds of media and entertainment -- is unsparing, and yet the book has surprising warmth. Andersen has pulled off something remarkable here: a 21st-century version of Trollope's "The Way We Live Now." It's really true: the novel is stippled with present-day counterparts of Augustus Melmotte, Sir Felix Carbury, and the rest of Trollope's immortal cast. As with Trollope, Andersen's essential humanity infuses the book with a sense of worldly compassion. (Tom Wolfe seems tinny and shrill by comparison.) "Turn of the Century" is a novel that will make you laugh out loud, without feeling bad about it later. I can't remember when I've had a better time with a novel, or learned so much along the way.

For my money neither the book nor its main characters are shallow in the least. I don't think I've read a book this funny with this much depth in years. These are excruciatingly real-seeming folks in a book that captures the flux of this crazed moment pitch-perfectly. Maybe some people just can't bear to read about financially successful people who aren't monsters. (And to the unfortunate person below who stopped reading at page 500--you deprived yourself of the novel's 150 pages of absolute page-turning fun, as well as an exquisite conclusion.)