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The Emperor's Children
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
The Emperors Children is a richly drawn, brilliantly observed novel of fate and fortuneabout the intersections in the lives of three friends, now on the cusp of their thirties, making their way--and not-- in New York City. In this tour de force, the celebrated author Claire Messud brings to life a city, a generation, and the way we live in this moment. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Claire Messud's The Woman Upstairs.
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Adventures-of-a-French-Reader
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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I just came back home from Goodwill, where I found all these books ;) It's so easy to make me happy: books are all it takes! Have you read any of them?

LoverOfLearning LOVED water for elephants! 4y
16 likes1 comment
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sjruff
Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
Pickpick

Absorbing, lots of interesting characters. Set in New York, describes a famous writer's relationships with family and others.

1 like1 stack add
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EmilieGR
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
Mehso-so

Forgettable

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writerlibrarian
Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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The reviews were glowing. It was NY lit. yeah, took threes tries to finish it and #wontgetfooledagain with this writer.
#marchintothe70s
@Cinfhen @Lizpixie

RJHowe Meet the new book, same as the old book? 🤔 (edited) 5y
Susanita Yeeeeeeeeeaaah! 5y
Cinfhen I read a different book by this author which was pretty good 5y
Cinfhen But your tagged book was painful!!! Hated it!!!! 5y
45 likes4 comments
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funkycole
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
Pickpick

This had been on my TBR list for a long time. I‘m sad I waited so long to read it because I couldn‘t put it down.

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Charleygirl
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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Flew through Messud's 'The Woman Upstairs' and now can't put this one down. Want to finish it tonight!

swishandflick Sounds good! Welcome to Litsy! 🎉 6y
Garyrej Hope you enjoy it here! 6y
Yonischott I had the same experience with the Emperor‘s Children so I guess I have to read the Woman Upstairs 7mo
4 likes3 comments
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bookandcat
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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This this this. This is me. I try to explain to others how my books are a visual diary of my life...what a wonder to see it so eloquently put in this book.

BarbaraBB A visual diary, exactly! 💕 6y
19 likes1 stack add1 comment
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LauraBeth
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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I know there are some who hate this book but I'm on team love. I lent my friend my copy and she never gave it back 😂 so she loved it also. After I read this, I wanted to read everything that Claire Messud had ever written. Also - this was long listed for the Man Booker Prize.

#richgirl #augustgrrrl

MicheleinPhilly I LOVE THIS BOOK! 7y
Cinfhen #TeamBail I couldn't get into it but I did like 7y
QuintusMarcus I loved this too. Sorry to see her new book is not getting great reviews. 7y
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emilyhaldi Oh wow! Finally a good review on this one!! I bought forever ago but haven't picked it up. This gives me hope 🙏🏻 7y
DimeryRene I LOVED THIS BOOK. I've been meaning to re read it. Did you read The Woman Upstairs? 7y
LauraBeth @MicheleinPhilly we're book twins 👯 7y
LauraBeth @Cinfhen this was definitely a polarizing book 😀 7y
LauraBeth @QuintusMarcus I'll still read it! 7y
LauraBeth @emilyhaldi give it a read - curious to know your thoughts 😀 7y
MicheleinPhilly Double trouble. 👊🏼👊🏼 7y
LauraBeth @DimeryRene I think The Woman Upstairs is brilliant! 7y
QuintusMarcus Will be interested to see what you think of her new book. Did you see her profile in the NYT? 7y
126 likes7 stack adds12 comments
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cephareads
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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Lunch break reading

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wallacereads
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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Pickpick

This one sat on my bookshelf forever. I finally got around to reading it. Did the world need another book about overprivileged kids turned underachieving adults from NYC? I would say 'yep'.

cariashley Ooh I loved this one, read it a while ago. 7y
Zelma Ha, that is a genre I seem to love. 7y
23 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Mcoun
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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Pickpick

This book got such poor reviews on Goodreads that I thought it would be awful. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. It's the story of a group of thirtysomething friends living in NYC in 2001. The story begins in the months before 9/11 and ends after 9/11. It's oddly compelling.

CAGirlReading It's one of those books that keeps coming back to you later. I felt about the same as you when I finished this one but I often find myself reflecting back on parts of it🤔 7y
cariashley I looooved this book when I read it, years ago. 7y
68 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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writerlibrarian
Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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Reading this book was painful and boring. So why did I persist and finished it? Because I kept hoping that she would get it right at least once, because she has style in her writing but it's like watching paint dry most of the time. As a reader I can't not live with beautiful prose alone, you have to give me at least a little punch here and there. #marchintoreading #didntlikeitstillfinished #NYCfiction

DivineDiana I read it years ago, but I remember liking it, not loving it. Then again, I do have a love affair with anything NYC related. 😉 7y
writerlibrarian @DivineDiana I adore and seek out NYC lit. It's one of my gotta get it button and it's a big reason I finished Messud even if I had to give it a try 3 times. Love her style found the book boring, so boring. Have you read Samantha Hunt's Telsa novel? It was so so but with brillant parts. 7y
DivineDiana @writerlibrarian No, I haven't. Thank you! Stacking! 7y
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Reviewsbylola I always feel like sometimes you invest so much time in a book that once you get to a certain point, you just have to soldier on because otherwise it's a waste. Totally flawed thinking, I know! 7y
writerlibrarian @Reviewsbylola Totally been there, with this book especially. 👊🏻 7y
Gulfsidemusing Lol! This was one of my favorite reads last year. I know people seem to love it or hate it... 7y
writerlibrarian @Lakesidemusing it's a very divisive book the writing style is, well, really good but I think the pace and storyline makes it a love it hate it novel. People have the same reaction to Barbery's novel in both langages too. 😁 7y
Gulfsidemusing I liked The Elegance of the Hedgehog, too. The audio production was excellent, but I'm not sure I would have appreciated it as much in print. 7y
34 likes3 stack adds8 comments
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SarahSDavis
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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I read this ten years ago in the pre-Goodreads era. Like the main characters, I was young and living in New York City. Now I am older, but closer in age to the protagonists, and writing a novel about a group of friends in their late twenties. Should be interesting to revisit it.

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Gulfsidemusing
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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Pickpick

Opinions vary widely, but I adored this book! Messud's writing is exceptional. Her characters, though not especially likable, are interesting and real. And she positively nails the setting - NYC and especially Watertown, NY. I was reminded of The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, a favorite from a few years ago. The Emperor's Children is a strong contender for my favorite novel this year! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

AvidReader25 I loved The Interestings I might have to check this one out! 7y
Gulfsidemusing @Avidreader25 I think you should! @Sarahsbookshelves might like it, too😃 7y
40 likes8 stack adds3 comments
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Gulfsidemusing
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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Another rainy Saturday morning, but I'm not complaining! ☕️📚🌧

I-read-and-eat Those are the best reading days. 😊🍁 7y
Gulfsidemusing @I-read-and-eat They sure are!😀👍 7y
45 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Gulfsidemusing
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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"The apartment was entirely, was only, for her: a wall of books, both read and unread, all of them dear to her not only in themselves, their tender spines, but in the moments or periods they evoked."
THIS!!❤️

irisonbooks Oh, wow. I really like that. 7y
BethFishReads Love 💕 7y
Gulfsidemusing @irisonbooks @BethFishReads Loving this book so far. Messud can write!! Puzzled by the mixed reviews... 7y
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BethFishReads I trust *your* opinion 😊 @irisonbooks 7y
DivineDiana This quote says it all! 7y
32 likes3 stack adds6 comments
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BillKathyWms
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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Mehso-so

Story follows 3 thirty year old New York college friends before & after 9/11. I found the plot to be a bit weak was disappointed in the lackluster ending.

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BookishClaire
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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Pickpick

The writing was just wonderful. I loved this. Need to talk about the ending with someone though!!

Gulfsidemusing Ack! Just borrowed it from the library, but ebook expired before I read it. Will try again soon. Judging from the first few pages, writing/story are both very good. 8y
jessberk13 I found myself struggling with this when I read it last year. Just wasn't able to connect. 8y
23 likes7 stack adds2 comments
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jessberk13
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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Mehso-so

I found this to be dragging, and when I was finished was left confused as to what the "point" of the whole story was. Meh.

LitHousewife This was one of my least favorite books since I started blogging. I was so bored I was begging 9/11 to just happen already. 8y
jessberk13 @LitHousewife let me tell you, as a New Yorker who lived through it... I was thoroughly unimpressed with the storyline following the attack. I was expecting way more emotion. 8y
kenhahn It was pretty ho hum. Very lacking in emotions. 8y
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LitHousewife @jessica I know! How can you write about that without it moving the reader? I won't pick up any more of her work, no matter how well reviewed it is. I want more than well written but emotionally void prose. 8y
jessberk13 @LitHousewife I'm so glad someone feels the same way! I'm totally turned off from her work now. 8y
shawnmooney Read it years ago when it first came out and had the same reaction. It's actually one of the novels that turned me off of reading modern fiction for many years. 8y
7 likes6 comments
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Abailliekaras
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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Pickpick

"...being in my study is like being inside my brain." Loved being in these characters' brains - flawed but sympathetic. Some funny lines and poignant moments, all believable. A taste of life in NYC circa 2001.

4 likes2 stack adds
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Abailliekaras
The Emperor's Children | Claire Messud
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"he never knew in life whether to be Pierre or Natasha." This book is exactly what I hoped for - immersive story to sweep me away to New York and into the lives of good interesting characters. Also, lots of War & Peace references ... I'll have to read it.

2 likes2 stack adds