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The Emperor's Children | 
 enlarge | Author: Claire Messud
Publisher: Macmillan Publishers Ltd
Category: Book
Buy Used: $6.22
Used (7) from $6.22
Avg. Customer Rating:  242 reviews
Format: Import
Media: Paperback
Edition: New Ed
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 4.9 x 1.6
ISBN: 0330444484
EAN: 9780330444484
ASIN: 0330444484
Publication Date: April 30, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 237 more reviews...
 The Vanities Before the Bonfire November 9, 2008
The novel captures with perfect pitch the shallowness of American culture in the last blissful days before September 11. It's strength rests on terrifically drawn characters, flushed out in so many subtle and nuanced ways. I think Bootie may be my new hero. The irony is that he far more integrity and principles than his uncle, though because he's young and naive he hasn't yet learned to channel his energies in an appropriate way.
Marina typifies everything that is self-serving and sheltered about her generation, and Danielle struck me as the most likable character.
A word about the prose. The first chapter had a few stylistic elements that struck me as bit purple, but the writing smooths out thereafter.
Intelligent and sophisticated September 30, 2008
I really can't understand the many negative reviews this intelligent and challenging book has received. I have never lived in New York, but I imagine that at least some of the critical opinions might arise from the unease and discomfort caused by Messud's too vivid, warts-and-all portraits of its denizens.
For me, "The Emperor's Children" was one of the best books I read this year. While comparing it to Edith Wharton's fiction might be going too far, it certainly has wonderful character development - it's peopled with many-dimensional, idiosyncratic, complex persons - and the fact that they are often unlikeable makes them even more realistic. We all know people like Murray Thwaite, for example. Even the minor characters, such as David or Randy, are wonderfully drawn and believable.
I would perhaps have enjoyed more insight into Julius, the gay, half-Vietnamese journalist with the complicated love life, who among the main characters receives the least attention. A sinister aura builds slowly but steadily around Ludovic Seeley, portending some evil deed that in the end inexplicably fails to materialize. Also, ***SMALL SPOILER HERE***, I felt that Murray's behavior at Danielle's apartment in the aftermath of 9/11 was insufficiently explained/analyzed, as was the behavior of his (otherwise smart) wife Annabel when he comes back home. But these are all minor flaws. The novel is really enjoyable.
When one compares Messud's elegant, ambitious and psychologically astute novel with efforts by other contemporary novelists I have read recently (such as Ayelet Waldman or Binnie Kirshenbaum, for example), Messud's writing seems much more serious, mature and confident - the work of a fine novelist at the height of her creative powers. I haven't read her other books, but something tells me I'll be buying them soon!
 Bad! September 26, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was ready to love this book and was soon disappointed. It was so slow and so boring at times. I was just waiting for something to happen (which finally does but just at the very end of the book). It took me a while to finish it too because I would fall asleep after reading just 2 pages. It is one of those books where you just don't care about the characters. I did not care too much for the style of writing and the one paragraph sentences that I found hard to follow at times. I am sooo glad I finally finished it. Don't waist your time reading this book when there a so many good ones out there!
Thank goodness the beach was nice, because the book was miserable! September 10, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I took this book with me to the beach. I'd never have finished it except for the fact that I had little else to read and it rained for two days. I agree that this book is overwritten drivel. There's really no point to it. Everyone's at the same place in their lives at the end as at the beginning. The characters are all extremely shallow. For all the wordiness they're not very well developed. Surprisingly bad considering the glowing reviews and blurbs inside the jacket. I threw this book in the trash can after reading so as to not inflict it on anyone else or take up room in my luggage.
disappointed August 26, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book was very disappointing for an award winning book. It may have been presented as a comedy of manners but this tale lacks even that. When I read a book I am spending time with the characters in the novel. I felt I wasted my time with the characters, they were immoral and clueless. It was not funny and the ending left you with a very void feeling. There may have been a few witty phrases in the early chapters, but I would not recommend this book to anyone, I rarely say this about a book. Even my younger acquaintances residing in New York City had similar opinions.
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