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The Fortunate Ones
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
28 posts | 23 read | 34 to read
The Fortunate Ones feels like a fresh and remarkably sure-footed take on The Great Gatsby, examining the complex costs of attempting to transcend or exchange your given class for a more gilded one. Tarkingtons understanding of the human heart and mind is deep, wise, and uncommonly empathetic. As a novelist, he is the real deal. I cant wait to see this story reach a wide audience, and to see what he does next. Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife When Charlie Boykin was young, he thought his life with his single mother on the working-class side of Nashville was perfectly fine. But when his mother arranges for him to be admitted as a scholarship student to an elite private school, he is suddenly introduced to what the world can feel like to someone cushioned by money. That world, he discovers, is an almost irresistible place where one can bendand breakrules and still end up untarnished. As he gets drawn into a friendship with a charismatic upperclassman, Archer Creigh, and an affluent family that treats him like an adopted son, Charlie quickly adapts to life in the upper echelons of Nashville society. Under their charming and alcohol-soaked spell, how can he not relax and enjoy it allthe lack of anxiety over money, the easy summers spent poolside at perfectly appointed mansions, the lavish parties, the freedom to make mistakes knowing that everything can be glossed over or fixed? But over time, Charlie is increasingly pulled into covering for Archers constant deceits and his casual bigotry. At what point will the attraction of wealth and prestige wear off enough for Charlie to take a standand will he? The Fortunate Ones is an immersive, elegantly written story that conveys both the seductiveness of this world and the corruption of the people who see their ascent to the top as their birthright.
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BarbaraBB
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Pickpick

Charlie gets the chance to grow up among Tennessee‘s upperclass. Suddenly there are choices and possibilities everywhere. His new lifestyle is far from my reality, yet these wealthy Republican characters felt so real to me. Their struggles felt true, their lies and truths, their sorrow. I really loved spending time with them, as unlikable as they often were.

Caroline2 Oh sounds good (and different!) stacked! 👍 12mo
BarbaraBB @Caroline2 It has some very good reviews here on Litsy! 12mo
See All 9 Comments
TheLudicReader I read his book Only Love Can Break Your Heart which I enjoyed so… 12mo
Suet624 For some reason I already have this stacked but your review would have done it. 12mo
BarbaraBB @TheLudicReader I‘ll check that one out! 12mo
BarbaraBB @Suet624 @squirrelbrain I think you both will like it! 12mo
Megabooks I found a lot of familiarity with this one. Glad you enjoyed it, too! 12mo
BarbaraBB @Megabooks I was thinking of you course, with its setting in and around Nashville! Received you email, thank you sooo much!!🩷 12mo
73 likes3 stack adds9 comments
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LeslieO
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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I have mixed feelings about this one. The rich man poor man theme was a bit cliched. The main character was a bit of a wimp. But I was interested in the story and whipped through it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️s

Cathythoughts I thought it was an engaging story 👍 3y
50 likes1 stack add1 comment
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LeslieO
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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I‘m off to a slow start this month. Working on my #bookspin. Good so far. #BookSpin #DoubleSpin

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Bookish_AF
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Pickpick

#NewYearWhoDis

When the Goodreads summary said “for fans of Succession and the White Lotus”…yup, sign me up! This is a coming of age story of a character with humble beginnings finding himself in a world of extreme wealth and privilege. It displays the contrast between his old life and his new one in a way that is very apparent (and at times uncomfortable) to the reader but to which our narrator is largely ignorant of himself. Enjoyed this one!

TheLibrarian Glad you enjoyed it!! 3y
29 likes1 comment
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TheLibrarian
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Pickpick

There is just something about how Ed Tarkington writes that I love. His earlier book I also enjoyed.

Charlie Boykin comes from a poor, single parent family. He ends getting a scholarship into an elite private school. A bit of a coming of age story but also a story about wealth, class, friendships, loyalties, and family. At times this book made me frustrated with some of the characters but in a good way because that‘s how life works.

Cathythoughts Nice review 👍🏻 I really enjoyed this book 3y
TheLibrarian @Cathythoughts Thank you and glad you enjoyed it too! 3y
58 likes2 comments
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MicheleinPhilly
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Pickpick

I am officially an Ed Tarkington fan as he is 2 for 2 with me. I wish he had fleshed the back half out just a bit more but this is a great meditation on class, facades, and belonging. 4 ⭐️

squirrelbrain Sounds great and I haven‘t read anything by this author - stacked. 3y
TrishB Have this stacked already! But really expensive at the mo here. 3y
Megabooks Agree!! 3y
Cathythoughts I really enjoyed this one 👍🏻❤️ 3y
55 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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abookishbutterfly
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Mehso-so

I liked The Fortunate Ones, but it wasn‘t as powerful or unique as I had hoped. It is, however, beautifully written and the author completely humanizes his characters, never making them wholly good or bad. While I never found myself disengaged from the narrative, I did seem to enjoy the first half more than the second half.

My full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3685583851

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Kristin_Reads
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Pickpick

3.5⭐️ || I enjoyed this one... I was drawn in from the very beginning. This is my #DoubleSpin for May!

Cathythoughts I really enjoyed this too 👍🏻 4y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
51 likes2 comments
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Megabooks
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Definitely recommend this book, and it‘s a great price in the US today! (I read the audiobook, which was excellent.) #kindledeals

MicheleinPhilly JINX! You owe me a Coke! 4y
Megabooks @MicheleinPhilly lol! I haven‘t looked back at people‘s posts yet today! And here it is...😉🥤 4y
Cathythoughts This was a great read 👍🏻💕 4y
Megabooks @Cathythoughts yes it was! 💜👍🏻 4y
72 likes1 stack add4 comments
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MicheleinPhilly
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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SUPER SALE ALERT! I‘ve seen great reviews for this from several trusted littens.

Megabooks Great minds! 4y
TheLibrarian It‘s really good!! 4y
Kalalalatja It is so good! 4y
42 likes3 comments
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Thousand-Lives
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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A good book and sunshine! ☀️ Doesn‘t get much better than that!

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plemmdog
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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This is one of those books I can‘t be objective about. The school it‘s loosely based on, sits at the end of my street. There were so many characters based on real-life Tennesseans, it frequently distracted me (not always in a bad way) from the fictional narrative. Has this ever influenced your read of a local author? Curious if anyone outside Nashville has read this one, and what they thought.

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Cinfhen
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Pickpick

I love a good ole #SouthernSaga and this one did not disappoint.
This was my second book by Ed Tarkington and it was just as memorable. The author clearly knows his setting, people and community. He writes from both the male & female viewpoint with authenticity and believability. Loved the narration 🎧

Megabooks So glad you enjoyed it!! Macleod Andrews is probably my favorite Southern narrator. He does such a great job. 4y
Cathythoughts Oh good !! Such an enjoyable read 4y
Kalalalatja Yay! And the audio was great 🙌 so glad you enjoyed it! 4y
Cinfhen My only quibble @Kalalalatja @Megabooks @Cathythoughts the author reveled TOO MUCH in the first few pages 4y
85 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Cinfhen
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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#AudioBaking Book is 🙌🏻 @Cathythoughts @Kalalalatja @Megabooks and you‘re so right, Meg ... narration is wonderful 🎧♥️ “The truth is hidden, but nothing is more beautiful than the truth.”

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Cinfhen
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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High expectations @Megabooks @Kalalalatja @Cathythoughts 💗💗💗🎧

Megabooks Enjoy!! You‘re running through the books today!! 4y
Cathythoughts I really enjoyed this 4y
Cathythoughts I hope you do too 👍🏻❤️ 4y
Cinfhen I‘m only a little bit in but already I‘m liking it @Megabooks @Cathythoughts 🥰 4y
Kalalalatja 🤞🤞 hope we haven‘t hyped it too much! 4y
84 likes5 comments
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janeycanuck
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Pickpick

Excellent first half with that Gatsby-esque feeling I was expecting, complicated by the emotions of a kid coming of age as a complete outsider after being dropped into a private school. The second half felt somewhat rushed with a rather abrupt ending that didn't tie into the opening of the book. I didn't quite make all the connections I think I was supposed to make, which took away from things.

Book 2/5 finished for #FabulousFebruary

Andrew65 Doing great 👏👏👏 4y
Kristin_Reads I totally agree with your assessment. The first half drew me in but the second part was disjointed and not as compelling IMO. 4y
32 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Cathythoughts
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Pickpick

Excellent read, from the beginning 👌🏻.. and in the main part of the book I was waiting for answers about our MC .. how his life panned out. Death & grief a theme , and all the life stories of the characters are well developed... compared to a modern Great Gatsby ( need to read Gatsby again) ... beautifully written.
Thankyou @Megabooks @Kalalalatja I‘m grateful for your recommendations ! I really enjoyed this one ❤️

Cathythoughts And I see he has a book about ... Only Love Can Break Your Heart 🎶.. Neil Young sings these true lines ... would anyone recommend this book 4y
Kalalalatja So glad you liked it! And I think @Cinfhen read his other book and liked it 👍 4y
MicheleinPhilly I did and loved it too. 4y
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Cinfhen I loved Only Love!!!! It‘s a great coming of age story and I can‘t wait to get to this audiobook ~ 4y
Megabooks So glad you enjoyed this! And another vote for Only Love! He‘s an excellent author. 4y
BarbaraBB Great review. Had it stacked already because of out fellow Litsy enablers 😉 4y
66 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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MelindaOtt
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this one—a Gatsby-esque story of affluent young men in the late 20th/early 21st century South. Pretty political, if you like that sort of thing.

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Kalalalatja
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Pickpick

Just finished this, and I‘m not sure I can write a better review than @Megabooks so find that. Then find the book. Then read it. Prepare to feel 💔

#Booked2021 - #newin2021
#Pop21 - A book you think your friend would like ( @Cinfhen )

Cinfhen Hahaha 😘I bought it after @Megabooks reviewed it and I LOVED his other book 4y
BarbaraBB I guess that means another two books on my TBR. Thanks Cindy and Katja and @Megabooks of course 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣 (edited) 4y
Cathythoughts I see I already have it stacked 👍🏻❤️ 4y
See All 8 Comments
JennyM Stacking thanks Katja 😘 4y
Kalalalatja @Cinfhen just found the audio for that, too. It is definitely high on my tbr now! @BarbaraBB @Cathythoughts @JennyM hope you‘ll like it, when you get to it 🤞🙌 4y
Megabooks So glad you loved it!! 4y
Cathythoughts I just picked this up on kindle... looking forward to it 4y
janeycanuck This is on deck for me this weekend! I‘ve been putting it off after being really disappointed in Nick but it‘s due next week so time to pick it up! 4y
59 likes3 stack adds8 comments
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ClaireFullerton
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
Pickpick

The Fortunate Ones is a fathoms-deep exploration of love, loyalty, and the ties that bind, written masterfully from all angles. It‘s a laser-sharp look at the underbelly of power and privilege‘s repercussions as told through the power of story.

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EKonrad
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Mehso-so

This plot felt a little tired to me...way too predictable. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #arc

Full review at https://erinkonrad.com/2021/01/09/the-fortunate-ones-book-review/

Megabooks Too bad. I loved it. 4y
EKonrad @Megabooks It‘s so interesting to me when people love the books I didn‘t or vice versa. I guess everyone is different. 😊 4y
Megabooks So true. I‘m glad people get a lot of different takes on books here. 4y
27 likes3 comments
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Megabooks
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Pickpick

I‘m rolling this book over and over in my mind like a worry stone. This is not your typical rags-to-riches story. Charlie is so complicated. He‘s the son of a young single mother and a father who died in Vietnam. When a local businessman pulls Charlie and his mom from a bad neighborhood and enrolls Charlie in an elite private school his life gets financially easier but emotionally more complex. This book is littered with amazing characters ⬇️⬇️

Megabooks ⬆️⬆️ that made me FEEL. I‘m still near tears thinking about the morally ambiguous choices of all the characters. My only complaint is the abrupt ending, but otherwise and amazing book. 4.5⭐️ @Cinfhen @Thousand-Lives @BarbaraBB #audiobook beautifully narrated by one of my male favs - Macleod Andrews (edited) 4y
Thousand-Lives Thanks for the tag! You sold me with “amazing characters that made me feel.” 4y
Megabooks @Thousand-Lives yes, I‘m still sitting here feeling sad and heartsick and pissed off, but ultimately it‘s because I got really invested in the characters‘ lives. 4y
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Cinfhen Sounds REALLY GOOD! I‘ll probably use one of my Audible credits/ I‘ve been hoarding them for “special” listens 💜Thanks for the tag xxx 4y
AmyG Oooo sounds good. Thanks for the review! (edited) 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen I really think you‘ll like it. He‘s an amazing writer. 4y
Megabooks @AmyG you‘re welcome! I hope you enjoy it! 4y
juliekay How exciting ! Thanks for the tip. I absolutely loved his first book and have been waiting and waiting for another. I didn‘t even know about this til you posted it. Immediate buy for me, just based on his first book. (edited) 4y
TrishB Stacked 👍🏻 as one of those expensive ones at the moment. 4y
Megabooks @juliekay yes! Sometime I randomly google authors that I haven‘t seen books from in awhile, and I just happened to catch this! 4y
Megabooks @TrishB that‘s one of the reasons I went with audio. The hardcover was full price everywhere, but the audiobook pre-order was $11.50 - less than half. Plus Macleod Andrews does a great job with southern accents, and this was no exception. He hit middle Tennessee damn near perfect. 4y
Cathythoughts Sounds good 👍🏻stacking too 4y
Reviewsbylola I enjoyed his last book. Didn‘t realize he had a new one coming out. 4y
Megabooks @Reviewsbylola I definitely recommend this one if you liked his last one. 4y
Reviewsbylola I‘m debating whether I should order this and attend the author zoom our local bookstore is doing on 1/26. 4y
Reviewsbylola Like I don‘t have enough to read already. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I know I stacked this but it was with the intention of reading it way down the road. 4y
Megabooks @Reviewsbylola I‘m not big on author conversations but I loved this book!!! I definitely recommend reading it at some point but I‘m not one to ask about author Q&As. 4y
Reviewsbylola I love author conversations, depending on the author, as long as the moderator is good and I‘m not forced to talk or put on the spot. 4y
104 likes10 stack adds19 comments
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LeslieO
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Got my first #ShelfSubscription yesterday and my second one today! The first was in transit for 5 weeks. Both are books I had on my radar. #Anniepicks #bookshelftville #bookmailisthebestmail

EmilyM I have been so tempted to get this subscription! I match with Annie the best, I think. 4y
LeslieO @EmilyM I thought so too. So far, very good! 4y
37 likes2 comments
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Megabooks
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Picked this new release up on audio today. 🎧😊💖 I LOVED Only Love Can Break Your Heart. I‘ve been alternating it with The Warmth of Other Suns.

BarbaraBB I have Only Love Can Break Your Heart the longest on my Litsy tbr. I couldn‘t remember why I stacked it but I think I now have my answer! 4y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB blame it on Meg!! 😂😂 4y
Cinfhen I loved ONLY LOVE too @BarbaraBB and it‘s a song title if u need a book for that #pop21 prompt 4y
See All 8 Comments
Cinfhen I‘m super excited to hear he has a new book out/ I‘ll be watching for your final thoughts, Meg 💓 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen 👍🏻👍🏻😘 4y
Thousand-Lives I‘m curious about this one. Looking forward to your review. 4y
Megabooks @Thousand-Lives 👍🏻👍🏻 I‘ll try to remember to tag you in my review. 4y
Thousand-Lives @Megabooks Awesome, thank you! 🙂 4y
96 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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Lauren.Archer
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Pickpick

This was a five star read for me. This author writes such a beautiful narrative.

http://obsessedbookaholic.com/2020/12/12/the-fortunate-ones-book-review/

Megabooks I have this coming today on audio. I loved 4y
70 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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ReadingisMyPassion
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Pickpick

I was completely captivated by this book. The prologue grabbed me when Charlie Boykin, an Army soldier, is stunned to learn of the suicide of a prominent Southern senator, a senator he knew well. I immediately wondered what the connection was between the two men.

The superb writing flowed beautifully with no hiccups to disrupt the stream of the story. Tarkington really brought his characters to life.

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Well-ReadNeck
The Fortunate Ones | Ed Tarkington
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Pickpick

Picked this up because I enjoyed the author‘s memoir. This is his debut novel and it‘s awesome. A plot driven story of family and privilege. #ARC #Edelweiss