He has received fellowships from the fulbright, guggenheim, and macarthur foundations, and is the author of two internationally acclaimed novels, leaving the atocha station and 10. Ordinarily, im not a fan of this kind of spinningoneswheelsinthesand. He has been a finalist for the national book award and the northern california book award, a fulbright scholar in spain, and the recipient of a 20102011 howard foundation fellowship. A novel by ben lerner august 23, 2011 6 x 9 186 pages 9781566892742 from a national book award finalist, this hilarious and profound first novel. The first, leaving the atocha station, referred to by critic geoff dyer as a comet from the future, was a savvy and moving assessment of americans abroad and adrift after 911.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading leaving the atocha station. Im reading ben lerner s leaving the atocha station. I admire bens poetry, but i love to death his new book, leaving the atocha station. The narrator, a young manostensibly a poeton fellowship in madrid, is recounting a night spent around a bonfire with his spanish tutor and his tutors friends. Shelf unbound leaving the atocha station is compelling. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Leaving the atocha station audiobook written by ben lerner.
Before it, he published three well received books of smallpress modernist poetry, and probably no one will be surprised to hear that he has. Adam gordon is a brilliant, if highly unreliable, you. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Leaving the atocha station audiobook by ben lerner. Fuelled by strong coffee and selfprescribed tranquillizers, adams r. Adam gordon, the narrator of ben lerners subtle, sinuous, and very funny first novel, leaving the atocha station coffee house. Leaving the atocha station by ben lerner goodreads. Zyzzyva last night i started ben lerner s novel leaving the atocha station. Leaving the atocha station paperback queen anne book. In 2004, library journal named it one of the years twelve best books of poetry. Leaving the atocha station by ben lerner read online on.
Angle of yaw, was a finalist for the 2006 national book award. Ben lerner biography, age, family, wife, net worth, books. Would you be willing to try another one of ben lerner s performances. Leaving the atocha station is remarkable for its ability to be simultaneously warm, ruminative, heartbreaking, and funny.
The three books are leaving the atocha station, this one, and the topeka school. In leaving the atocha station, this anxiety was comically excessive, and lerner s alter ego seemed to stand in a long line of literary schlemiels, the genealogy of philip roth and gary. Leaving the atocha station is a more modest book than, for example, roths operation shylock, but still provides compelling narrative even without a grandiose plot. Leaving the atocha station ebook written by ben lerner. Leaving the atocha station is a bildungsroman and meditation and slacker tale fused by a precise, reflective and darkly comic voice adam gordon, a poet, having bluffed his way into a fellowship in madrid, makes friends, struggles with spanish, smokes hash, wanders around, writes poetry, doubts poetry and has two lowenergy love affairs. Leaving the atocha station by ben lerner is published by granta, 181 pages. Has leaving the atocha station turned you off from other books in this genre. Lerner writes with the neurotic detachment characteristic of many of his contemporaries. Ben lerners remarkable first novel evokes a rich genealogy of alienated heroes, writes geoff dyer. Adam gordon is a brilliant, conflicted american poet on a prestigious fellowship in madrid. Leaving the atocha station by ben lerner, 9781847086914, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. By page three it was clear i was either staying up.
Description of the book leaving the atocha station. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read leaving the atocha station. Leaving the atocha station by ben lerner, paperback. What leaving the atocha station says about america the new. Life without plot in leaving the atocha station book. Having lived in a country where i didnt speak the language fluently, the sections where he struggles with his diverse interpretations of peoples conversations were particularly amusing. Leaving the atocha station is ben lerners first novel.
Adam gordon is a brilliant, if highly unreliable, young american poet on a prestigious fellowship in madrid, struggling to establish his sense of self and his relationship to art. Ben lerner is an american poet, novelist, and critic. The lichtenberg figures, angle of yaw, and mean free path, all from copper canyon press. Leaving the atocha station kindle edition by lerner, ben. Born in topeka, kansas, in 1979, ben lerner is the author of three books of poetry the lichtenberg figures, angle of yaw, and mean free path. Leaving the atocha station by ben lerner audiobooks on.
Buy leaving the atocha station by ben lerner online at alibris. Interview with ben lerner, author of leaving the atocha. One of the best books from indie publishers in 2011. Leaving the atocha station paperback broadway books. The firstperson narrator of the novel, adam gordon, is an american poet in his early 20s participating in a prestigious fellowship in madrid circa.
Leaving the atocha station by lerner, ben and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Very smart about kansas, towngown social dynamics, poetry, psychoanalysis, and more. Ben lerner on his novel leaving the atocha station about a young american poet on a prestigious fellowship in madrid. Which is all to say that this book is suddenly one of my very favorites and i have a serious crush on ben lerner s brain.
Leaving the atocha station 2011 is the debut novel by american poet and critic ben lerner. What leaving the atocha station says about america the. Linguistically, leaving the atocha station is one of the most remarkable books i have read this year. Leaving the atocha station paperback august 23, 2011. Read leaving the atocha station, by ben lerner online on bookmate adam gordon is a brilliant, if highly unreliable, young american poet on a prestigious fellowship in madrid, struggling to establi. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. This is the second of a trilogy by this fortyish author, who turned without exclusion from poetry to fiction in about 2011 and has had plenty of success in both genres. Interview with ben lerner, author of leaving the atocha station 08252011 02. Leaving the atocha station is ben lerner s first novel. Lerner s writing feels like a mix between jonathan franzens and dave eggers, not bad for a debut novel. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Rendering its subject from just about every angle, leaving the atocha station becomes something close to highly selfaware, to something poetic. Ben lerner s debut novel, leaving the atocha station 2011, received. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of leaving the atocha station by ben lerner.
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