- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Back Bay Books (April 10 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0316706000
- ISBN-13: 978-0316706001
- Product Dimensions: 14 x 1.9 x 21 cm
- Shipping Weight: 159 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #402,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Exhaustive detailing of early 1970s popular/consumer culture in suburban New England provides the context for this archetypal tale of the American nuclear family in decline. The affluent WASP community of New Canaan, Conn., is home to the Hood and Williams families, neighboring two-parent, two-child households built around increasingly dysfunctional marriages. Benjamin Hood, plagued by a loss of importance at work and a growing drinking problem, pursues an ill-fated affair with Janey Williams; his wife, Elena, feels herself losing what little regard she has left for him. Meanwhile, the adolescent children of both families experiment with sex, alcohol and drugs to find identities and to overcome a ponderous sense of alienation. A neighborhood "key party," at which couples exchange mates by drawing keys out of a bowl, brings the action to a chaotic climax as an apocalyptic winter storm culminates in physical tragedy to match the emotional damage in the small community. Pop-cultural references of the time, from Hush Puppies to the film Billy Jack , pervade the text. Unfortunately, Moody, winner of the Pushcart Press Editors' Book Award for his first novel, Garden State , tends to use these details in a more encyclopedic than evocative manner. His depiction of these families, however, is insightful and convincing, penetrating the thoughts and fears of each individual. And the central tragedy of his tale remains resonant, though his decrying of our cultural wasteland seems a bit stale.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Moody's first novel, Garden State, won the Pushcart Press Editors' Book Award in 1991. Now he takes readers back to a very Updikean version of the 1970s: upper-middle-class discontents expressed through fumbling adventures on the sexual frontier. Benjamin Hood and his wife, Elena, barely communicate, but their neighbors, the Williams, provide diversions for them, both in fantasy and reality. Simultaneously, the couples' children, young adults all, meet and play sexual games of their own. Moody can turn a phrase--"The past was so past it hurt"--and his description of what happens when hungover Benjamin Hood carries Mike Williams home is truly unforgettable. The theme of sexual adventure in the split-level suburbs, however, has lost a bit of its freshness. Moody is a talented writer in search of better material. Marginally recommended. Eloise Kinney
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A TALE OF A DYSTOPIC SUBURBAN AMERICANA,
By NeuroSplicer (Freeside, in geosynchronous orbit) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME) (TOP 10 REVIEWER)
This review is from: The Ice Storm: A Novel (Paperback)
"Be careful what you wish for. You might get it".Wise words that came to acquire a new meaning as the baby-boomers' children were entering the 70's. Bell-bottoms and mutton-chops were the cutting edge of fashion; Nixon's lies (and not his Kissingerian real-politics and crimes against humanity) were what finally cost him his office; polyester was more expensive and desirable than natural fibers; America was fighting another youth-grinding senseless war - and (for the first time) loosing badly. The swinging sixties came and gone and left behind only discontent and drug habits; New Heaven, Connecticut was Suburbia having everything it had wished for; every morning waking to the American Dream - only to find it wanting and hollow. And there was an ice storm brewing in the horizon. Would its whiteness make everything pure again? Would its crystals make things clearer? I picked the book after of greatly enjoying Ang Lee's MASTERPIECE movie. I agree with most other reviewers: the movie was much more tight and effective - and, in the end, a crisper experience. I can understand how RICK MOODY's writing, with its long-winded phrases, rich likenings and not so subtle metaphors, may seem a bit dated to the 1.3sec zapping generation. However, I think that a slow, joyful reading is needed to do justice to this book. RECOMMENDED!
4.0 out of 5 stars
An interesting read,
By "michael_u" (Walnut Creek, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Ice Storm: A Novel (Paperback)
I feel that while it's useful to compare novels to films, it's wrong to just say that one or the other is better. So my review will be simply based on what I thought of the novel. I liked Moody's writing style, especially the straightforward depictions of topics that are often somewhat muted in literature, such as sex and drugs. Though some parts of it seemed slow and artificial, overall it presented an interesting picture of the life of a troubled family in the 70s. I think it provides a good example of a family dealing with a crisis and avoiding breaking apart by keeping closer together. I would recommend the novel to those willing to experience some disturbing and thought-provoking moments.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ice Storm: Amazing and slow,
By jackie c (Moraga, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Ice Storm: A Novel (Paperback)
This is with out a doubt a great novel. Rick Moody perfectly draws the hood family as a typical dysfunctional family in the 70's. Each character is relatable and stands out on their own, yet helps complete the family and story. Considering the time this book was written, it is really is remarkable how honest moody's characters are. The things this family goes through are timeless. If you enjoyed American Beauty, you'll like this book. I personally found some reading to be a little slow. I hear that if you "survived" the 70's this is the book for you. I was born in the 80's. Maybe that explains a little disappointment? Definately a must read.
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