Audiobook11 hours
The Age of Reinvention: A Novel
Written by Karine Tuil
Narrated by George Newbern
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
An international bestseller and finalist for the Prix Goncourt, France’s most prestigious literary award, The Age of Reinvention is a "suspenseful...Gatsby-esque odyssey...laced with provocative observations of prejudice, politics, and sexism" (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
Top Manhattan criminal defense attorney Sam Tahar seems to have it all: fame, fortune, an enviable marriage to a prominent socialite, and two wonderful children. But his success is built on a lie—he isn’t the person he pretends to be.
Growing up a poor Muslim immigrant inside a grimy Paris apartment tower, Samir Tahar seemed destined for a life on the margins—until he decided “he was going to cut through the bars of his social jail cell, even if he had to do it with his teeth.” At law school in Montpelier, France, he became fast friends with Jewish student Samuel Baron. The two were inseparable until the irresistible Nina, torn between the men, ultimately chose Samuel. Samir fled to America, where he assumed Samuel’s identity and background while his former friend remained stuck in a French suburb, a failed, neurotic writer seething at Samir’s overseas triumphs.
Decades later, the three meet again in this dark, powerful story of a deeply tangled love triangle that becomes subsumed by the war on terror. Called “a masterful novel” (Paris Match) and “a work of great magnitude” (Le Figaro), The Age of Reinvention is an intriguing tale about the wonderful possibilities and terrible costs of remaking oneself.
Top Manhattan criminal defense attorney Sam Tahar seems to have it all: fame, fortune, an enviable marriage to a prominent socialite, and two wonderful children. But his success is built on a lie—he isn’t the person he pretends to be.
Growing up a poor Muslim immigrant inside a grimy Paris apartment tower, Samir Tahar seemed destined for a life on the margins—until he decided “he was going to cut through the bars of his social jail cell, even if he had to do it with his teeth.” At law school in Montpelier, France, he became fast friends with Jewish student Samuel Baron. The two were inseparable until the irresistible Nina, torn between the men, ultimately chose Samuel. Samir fled to America, where he assumed Samuel’s identity and background while his former friend remained stuck in a French suburb, a failed, neurotic writer seething at Samir’s overseas triumphs.
Decades later, the three meet again in this dark, powerful story of a deeply tangled love triangle that becomes subsumed by the war on terror. Called “a masterful novel” (Paris Match) and “a work of great magnitude” (Le Figaro), The Age of Reinvention is an intriguing tale about the wonderful possibilities and terrible costs of remaking oneself.
Author
Karine Tuil
Karine Tuil is a playwright and the award-winning author of eight previous novels. She lives in Paris.
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Reviews for The Age of Reinvention
Rating: 3.681818278787879 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
33 ratings6 reviews
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5This is a fine example of a clever idea for a novel that fell foul of a deliberately impenetrable prose style that made it take on the proportions of a painful ordeal rather than a n intriguing challenge (which had been my early assessment). I am not sure whether the relentless opacity of the prose is a consequence of a hesitant translation (the novel was written in French) or inadequacies in the original.The basic premise is certainly alluring enough. Sam Tahar was the son of Tunisian immigrants living in an impoverished suburb of Paris. By dint of hard work, opportunism and the partial theft of a friend’s identity, or at least the crucial elements of his past, has forged a new life for himself as a successful New York lawyer. The friend who had been destined for similar success in still living in Paris, mired in poverty, and more or less living from hand to mouth. Almost predictably their paths are brought back together, with devastating results.As with so many novels these days, this book would have benefited from being at least one hundred pages shorter. The descriptions are effective – the contrast between Sam Tahar’s current life and the trials of his upbringing are deftly managed – but the plot seemed too laboured
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A very interesting novel that incorporates so many themes from today's society - the transient nature of relationships, subtle racism, the desire to racially change oneself. I found this book a little hard to read at times - perhaps due to the translation? - but the last third flew by as the characters experienced dramatic changes. This book is well worth the read, especially because of the social issues it grapples with and the timeliness of the content.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book has so many layers. It was difficult to like some of the characters. Gives the reader lots to think about until the very last page.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5"The Age of Reinvention" is the type of book that once you start reading, it is difficult to put down. The story revolves around two men, one Muslim and one Jewish, and the girl they love - but it isn't a love story. The story is well written and the author keeps it interesting. I would definitely recommend this to others.***I received this though GoodReads Member Giveaway. The opinion is solely my own.***
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Didn't really know much about this book before receiving it. Tuil writes a novel about a person who reinvents his life in order to find success. The has success and then the cards of reinvention all go boom. It is an interesting portrayal of someone who has changed the past, reinvented it in order for him to get the things he wants in lie. Interesting read which I received through the Goodreads Giveaway.J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" "To Whom It May Concern" and "Tell Me About the United Methodist Church"
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I found The Age of Reinvention a great and thought-provoking book. I became completely absorbed in the lives of the characters, and I wish I knew more about what ultimately would happen to them. I was fascinated by the idea of someone reinventing himself in such an extreme way and having to hide significant aspects of his life, especially when he became a high profile person. When his previous life was threatened to be revealed, it was almost like reading a thriller. The author did a great job showing the development of all the major characters. Even minor characters like Samir's mother and brother and some of the lawyers were more interesting than in other books. After investing my time in the book and seeing the arc of the characters' lives, I was unsatisfied by the ending. Everyone had major changes in their lives, but the reader had no idea of what would become of them. Since I would really like to know, I hope the author writes a sequel.I think this book would be a great selection for a book discussion group. I would highly recommend it to all readers.