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Ratings
Book
32
Narrator
9
Release Date
April 5, 2022
Duration
11 hours 11 minutes
Summary
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

ONE of the TOP 10 BOOKS OF THE YEAR by THE NEW YORK TIMES * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY * SLATE* THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER *

Also named one of the BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by Vanity Fair, Time, NPR, The Guardian, Oprah Daily, Self, Vogue, The New Yorker, BBC, Vulture, and many more!

OLIVIA WILDE to direct A24's TV adaptation of THE CANDY HOUSE and A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD!

From one of the most celebrated writers of our time comes an “inventive, effervescent” (Oprah Daily) novel about the memory and quest for authenticity and human connection.

The Candy House opens with the staggeringly brilliant Bix Bouton, whose company, Mandala, is so successful that he is “one of those tech demi-gods with whom we’re all on a first name basis.” Bix is forty, with four kids, restless, and desperate for a new idea, when he stumbles into a conversation group, mostly Columbia professors, one of whom is experimenting with downloading or “externalizing” memory. Within a decade, Bix’s new technology, “Own Your Unconscious”—which allows you access to every memory you’ve ever had, and to share your memories in exchange for access to the memories of others—has seduced multitudes.

In the world of Egan’s spectacular imagination, there are “counters” who track and exploit desires and there are “eluders,” those who understand the price of taking a bite of the Candy House. Egan introduces these characters in an astonishing array of narrative styles—from omniscient to first person plural to a duet of voices, an epistolary chapter, and a chapter of tweets. Intellectually dazzling, The Candy House is also a moving testament to the tenacity and transcendence of human longing for connection, family, privacy, and love.

“A beautiful exploration of loss, memory, and history” (San Francisco Chronicle), “this is minimalist maximalism. It’s as if Egan compressed a big 19th-century novel onto a flash drive” (The New York Times).
Reviews
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Kira E.

Thoroughly enjoyed Egan’s thought-provoking ideas. Everything intertwines, but it’s not necessary to focus on the interconnected ness. There are no clues to catch on the way to solving a murder. Instead enjoy the ride of these characters and the world that Egan brings to us. In between the big ideas are other big ideas presented to us in a story form that is engaging and layered.

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Belinda T.

Truly enjoyed this book. The interwoven stories, the styles, the philosophical questions of technology, all make for an enjoyable listen and read.

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Anna S.

Disappointed that the book is so scattered and doesn’t hold together around any idea. Disappointed that all the characters feel the right to be obnoxious, without merely ever questioning or analyzing their own behavior, regretting anything. None of the characters transform or grow, they’re flat. It makes all of them seem like “proxies” or not real, imaginary. They don’t resemble any humane characteristics in that sense, that makes this book a huge failure.

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Emily B.

Boring, no resolution and too many random story lines

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Martha A.

Impossible to follow the stories, characters and family storyline while reading. Took 4 pages of notes to even begin to understand what was going on! Disappointed that story wasn't more about the development, testing and use of owning your consciousness. Uses that were there are somewhat buried under convoluted storylines.

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Lisa H.

I did not like this book. It never really came together. Maybe I disliked the way it bounced around in time and person but I kept listening because I thought it would all make sense at the end. I guess I see where it kinda wrapped up but not a fan of the style or story.

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