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The Double Bind (Vintage Contemporaries)
by Chris Bohjalian
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Edition: Paperback
Publication Date: February 12, 2008
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 1400031664
Amazon.com Sales Rank: 2177
Average Customer Rating: 
List price: $14.95
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Showing page 1 of 20
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Reviews
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 Double Bind, November 16, 2008
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I was very satisfied with the condition of the book and the promptness in which it was received. I would definitely use this company again. Last time I gave them a very good review, but inadvertantly chose the wrong star. I hope this does not count against them because it was an excellent experience. Thanks MR
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 Such potential, but ultimately a rip-off, November 15, 2008
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BEWARE OF "SPOILER" ... BUT THEN AGAIN, IT MAY SAVE YOU TIME. The 3 stars are for wrapping the actual photos of "Soupy" Campbell into the story. They're for the intriguing link with The Great Gatsby. They're for a compelling story with multiple layers of meaning. This could have been a great book earning 5 stars. Instead, however, it turns out that the author was dishonest with his readers. I feel insulted and cheated, robbed of my time and emotional investment in the book. There are literary devices that could have made this work. However, the author took the easy way out. As a result, upon completing the book, and, I would venture, even upon rereading it (although I haven't wasted my time), it is impossible to tell what was "real" and what was imagined by the main character. There are no dividing lines or hints such as narrator point of view or what characters were present in the scenes. The imaginary scenes turn out to have been so pervasive, that we are left without knowing what, if anything, was real. Maybe that's the point, so I give it these generous 3 stars. But I wish the author worked a little harder and demonstrated some integrity. I feel betrayed and robbed.
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Excellent, October 18, 2008
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Read this book, and you may want to read it again. This story flows without a gap. If you skip ahead while you read this book, you will spoil it for yourself. While it is not what I would call a mystery, you will find yourself discovering clues for weeks after finishing the book.
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 Gatsby on the Rocks with a Twist, September 25, 2008
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After 24 years of reading and hundreds of books, I am still a sucker for the plot twist. All is not as it seems in this novel where "The Great Gatsby" treads lightly over that semi-permeable line between fiction and reality. Bohjalian is an incredibly talented writer, one who had me grasping at straws outside the realm of "willing suspension of disbelief," and convincing myself I knew what was true and what was going to happen.
Looking back, I cannot believe I fell for the misdirection, but it makes me want to reread the novel with a new perspective. I gave this reading four stars because for some reason the story did not pull me in until near the end, but a second reading might yield different results. I would recommend this novel, especially for lovers of Gatsby, but see it through to the final page because I assure you it's worth it!
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Whose Reality is Real?, September 22, 2008
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Author Chris Bohjalian subtley draws the reader into the world of the mentally ill in the masterfully crafted The Double Bind. The interweaving of characters, setting, and plot elements from F. Scott Fitzgerald's American classic The Great Gatsby both intrigue the reader and hint at the schizophrenic world which the main character Lauren is creating as she is forced to confront the trauma of a brutal attack in her past. Bohjalian's novel keeps the reader on edge, wondering himself what is real and what is imagined. At the same time Bohjalian's characters are a testament to the human will to survive, both physically and emotionally, in the most difficult of circumstances.
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Reviews
