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Cargando... Stainer: A novel of the 'Me Decade'.por Iolanthe Woulff
Ninguno Actualmente no hay Conversaciones sobre este libro.   ) kerryp | Nov 30, 2017 |  Steiner feels real. He agonizes over breaking the Sabbath—can he really not light a woman’s cigarette—then he slips and falls inexorably, though always escaping disaster. Rather like a romance novel written from a man’s point of view, the story throws obstacles in the way of a failing love that must surely have been true, and leaves the reader wanting to beg the protagonist, no don’t do it! Rather like a romance novel too, the characters and plot offer a sense of hope, even as they flail, with genuine humor and honest trials keeping the story fast-moving and intriguing to read. Surely this tale will turn out alright, one way or another, but you’ll have to read it to find out. I loved the humanity of characters good and bad, the immediacy of their now-distant world, the relevance of their trials, and the promise of their hope. Stainer rises above its material and reads like a classic tale of temptation, decline and fall, with true love in the wings. I really enjoyed it. Disclosure: I was given an ecopy as a gift and I offer my honest review. (  ) SheilaDeeth | Oct 19, 2017 | Benjamin Steiner, spoiled Columbia undergraduate, devout Orthodox Jew and virgin meets two women who will change his life forever. P.T. Deighland, snarky Princeton undergraduate, drug dealer, player and Benjamin’s means of rebellion. Rebecca Glaser, new N.Y.U. transfer to Columbia, intelligent, Jewish, and is leaving for Israel for a month to Benjamin’s surprise and frustration. Anthea Montague, Ford model, Southern, beautiful and Benjamin’s yaitzer ha’ra (Hebrew for ‘evil inclination’). See my complete review at The Eclectic Review ( ) theeclecticreview | Jul 23, 2017 | Review by Chris Phillips How many friends can a freshly 21-year old Jewish man make in a few days or at least in a few months? Benjamin Steiner is just such a person. He has just turned twenty-one, and he is a junior at Columbia. He lives in a Jewish hostel-type building with several others. The building, Rabbi Yitzhak Teller Memorial Residence Hall, is a converted abandoned building that houses Jewish scholars from Columbia. It is known as Beit Yitzhak or “B.” This is the focal point for much of the action here, but don’t believe for a minute that young Ben, embarking on his 21st birthday celebration, is going to be hampered by old traditions. Tonight is the time to get experience that has been denied him so far in life. The story begins as Ben journeys to the “B” for the party that comes at the end of finals week. It is the highlight of the “B’s” season and one where Ben hopes to at least meet an attractive girl before the end of this birthday evening. In a strangely prescient encounter, Ben meets a street evangelist with a sign, “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap, Galatians 6:7.” This night is going to be one of Ben’s most memorable. So comes the party. Ben is an active participant and anxious to see what new people might show up. This fateful night, Ben meets two very particular people. Rebecca Glaser is the girl of his dreams that comes to the party and eventually moves into the “B.” P.T. Deighland is the friend of a younger brother of a resident at the “B.” This explains the major thrust of the story. The tale starts slowly but actually builds through the slowness into an in-depth analysis of a young man messing up his life in celebrating his 21st birthday. Things keep getting worse and worse. There are times when Ben looks like he is destined to become another statistic but always a redeeming factor brings him back. The next few months become a dichotomy, with Ben hiding the other side of his life from those Jewish friends that are residents and friends of his from before the fateful party. There is a climactic, desperate and final crash that shakes Ben to his roots and makes him realize that sometimes friends are not friends, but users and abusers. The story is one of loss and redemption with a properly ironic twist and ending. This reviewer would recommend this book for any interested in coming of age books, in Manhattan college life and just life in general. It would be of particular interest to those who have read Iolanthe Woulff’s previous book, She’s My Dad. 5 Stars. ( ) ChrisPhillips | Jul 2, 2017 | I was thoroughly impressed by some of the more explicit episodes, which can be challenging for some writers to convey without waxing gratuitous. I felt like a voyeuristic fly on the wall and was at once embarrassed and compelled to watch as Woulff locked me in the room to witness Ben’s sexual awakening/demolition. Brilliant, brilliant stuff. As a modern “out of practice” Jew, I could relate to Ben’s conflict with the tenets and practices of his faith in a modern world that packages religious conviction like gourmet food—the more exotic and flavorful it is, the more followers will buy in. But some are happy to grab a Big Mac and be on their way. Initially I found it easy to compare Ben Steiner’s evolution in this coming-of-age tome to that of Holden Caulfield or, at times, Portnoy. But the further I read, the more obvious it was that STAINER stands alone in a unique, gritty, absorbing, hilarious and fresh class of its own. Yeah. STAINER. It will leave a permanent impression on me. ( ) eallen99 | Jun 5, 2017 |
 "A wonderfully nuanced and compelling read, STAINER proves a genuine gem of a novel, with Woulff effortlessly capturing the highs and lows of growing up in the nineteen seventies. Eminently readable and consistently entertaining... what makes Woulff's book so special and authentic is its sense of realism and her ability to deal with the complex issues of identity, belonging and connection without resorting to time worn tropes." "Woulff does a fantastic job of describing life in the 70's as a young adult trying to come to terms with following cultural expectations of the Jewish community, wanting to be popular, the loss of virginity, and testing the laws of freedom.... I highly recommend STAINER by Iolanthe Woulff. An emotional, insightful read, I loved Woulff's passion, the changes one makes to find "themselves," and the belief that "the grass is greener on the other side." "...Woulff is an incisive observer of the outsider status of American Jews, and holds nothing back about emerging sexuality in the vein of Roth’s Zuckerman. A worthy project for Woulff to have revisited, STAINER is an entertaining and keenly-observed novel." Stainer is a poignant read that will move you and shock you all at the same time. It is an engrossing read that enthralled me from beginning to end; everything about this novel was phenomenal but one attribute stood out the most and that was the powerful writing that compels the reader to feel. As well as this the reader comes across well rounded, believable characters and a riveting plot that will leave you breathless for days… trust me, this still shocked me a long time after finishing it and that shows what a terrific writer Iolanthe Woulff is! Already I would implore you lovely readers that you read Stainer but if you need more convincing then please do read the rest of my review! Stainer’s synopsis is hard-hitting as well as magnetic. It took my breath away on more than one occasion thanks to the novels shocking plot and brilliant literature; it definitely is a hard-hitting, poignant read but it is important and it deserves to be read by everybody thanks to the sheer genius between the pages. Never once did I get bored reading this book, it is a diverse read that keeps you motivated to read until the very end and this is thanks to the authors exceptional writing as well as the novels incredible storyline. Stainer follows the protagonist of the novel Ben Steiner in 1975 America. Ben is a Jewish man as well as a Columbia undergraduate student who is trying to ‘fit in’ amongst his peers. Everything seems to be going swimmingly for Ben, after all, he is a good character at heart who has a good moral compass but when he attends a party on his twenty-first birthday, his life will change forever. He meets a man called P.T. Deighland as well as a young woman named Rebecca Glaser; these two people will change his life forever, both for the better and the worse. Deighland is a terrible influence, young men are impressionable, so are women and Ben is not the strongest so he is led astray down a dangerous path. He becomes involved with drugs and alcohol and soon his life is in ruins and this is the premise of this poignant novel. Now that I have discussed the synopsis of Stainer I now want to discuss my general thoughts on the story of Stainer for you lovely readers so that you can decide whether you would like to read the fascinating book or not. I desperately hope that my review is already compelling you to pick up the book and I hope this because I do not want you, readers, to miss out on this brilliant gem of a read! Stainer is a powerful, hard-hitting story, it is the type of novel that will make you feel a bunch of different emotions, it is very moving and because I am a parent it moved me even more. I loved being apart of Ben’s journey but at the same time, it was devastating because every time he made a poor decision my maternal side was screaming to hug and protect him! He may be 21 in this novel but everybody needs a maternal figure now and then and this is how I felt. It was painful at times but moving at other times. The story was incredibly dynamic, unique piece of work that floored me on more than one occasion, the pacing of the story was wonderfully written and plotted so that I did not get bored at any given time. I always measure my likeness of a book on whether I find myself looking at the page number; if I do in fact do this I know that the novel is taking its toll… in other words it is dragging and I want it to end but Stainer was different than this and not like this at all as never once did I find myself referring to the page number and that is a sure sign that Stainer is a compelling piece of work that draws the reader in and captivates them to read it quickly and to reach the end of the book very fast. The author of the novel Iolanthe Woulff is a talented writer who knows how to write an incredibly moving story. I was touched how she took the reader on Ben’s journey of self-discovery, she wonderfully created and executed his character perfectly. She made me deeply invested his story and where he will go. As well as this Woulff managed to paint the perfect picture of 1970’s New York! New York City is a place I love and because I am obsessed with different eras, I adored being transported to this wonderful but crazy city. Woulff’s writing was radiant, her words really did shine off the page and I believe that everybody will love this novel, how can you not? It is wonderful! To summarize my thoughts on the charismatic novel that is Stainer I would say if you are a reader who Is tired of reading the same old books that are lackluster and forgettable then take a chance with Stainer because I promise you now that you will not be disappointed. It is a novel that has everything the reader would want in a read and so much more; it has spine-tingling good content, dynamic, memorable characters, a charismatic author that writes beautifully and wonderfully so and lastly it is an all-around, interesting, memorable read that you will not be disappointed if you choose to read it. My rating for this wonderful book is Five Stars! "Make no mistake. This is no ordinary coming-of-age story about a privileged undergrad unsteadily feeling his way into the eye-opening wonder of first love. It is, rather, the poignant and often raucous recounting of just how Ben traverses an emotional minefield of his own making." Premios
New York City, 1975: Decent-hearted but spoiled Jewish college kid Ben Steiner is naively possessed by an overwhelming desire to be cool. At a springtime party on the night of his twenty-first birthday, he meets two people: Rebecca Glaser, the longed-for sweet girl of his dreams, and P.T. Deighland, a beguilingly knavish wiseacre from Princeton. Seduced by Deighland's cocksure irreverence while simultaneously succumbing to his own temptations, Ben makes a cascading series of unfortunate choices which not only threaten his budding relationship with Rebecca, but expose him to ruin at the hands of a ravishing but ruthless fashion model named Anthea Montague.Against the background of a vanished period in American history, STAINER offers a bittersweet nostalgic trip back to a less complex world, during a time of incautious excesses that, while deceptively fun and carefree, in due course forced many unwary youngsters like Benjamin Steiner to learn some necessary -albeit painful- lessons about growing up. No se han encontrado descripciones de biblioteca. |
Autor de LibraryThingIolanthe Woulff es un Autor de LibraryThing, un autor que tiene listada su biblioteca personal en LibraryThing. Debates activosNingunoCubiertas populares 
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