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<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Saturday, February, 19,
3:00pm Main (book swap starts at 2:30)<br>
<br>
Andrew Sean Greer reads from novel, <u>The Confessions of Max
Tivoli</u>. <br><br>
from The Barnes & Noble Review from
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/bookstore/index2_cds2.asp?PID=1376&userid=zZ7KF5v9tR">Discover
Great New Writers</a><br>
When Max Tivoli is born in 1871, his parents are shocked to find that his
body is that of an elderly man. Such is the beginning of Max's life in
reverse: As he grows older, his body grows younger. At the end of his
life, he finds himself in the body of an 11-year-old boy, writing his
memoirs from the safety of a playground sandbox. <br><br>
Framing his second novel with this unusual device, Andrew Sean Greer has
penned a love story: the story of Max's love for one woman, Alice, and
the chances he has to act on that love. When they first meet, Alice is
the girl next door, but 17-year-old Max is already trapped in the body of
a 55-year-old man, an unacceptable suitor for a young girl. Alice ages
normally while Max grows younger until a chance meeting in their mid-30s
paves the way for a potentially happy future. But Max cannot halt the
backward progression of his body any more than Alice can prevent the
decline of her own, and Max is left heartbroken and alone. Greer's wildly
inventive premise may strike readers as similar to The Time Traveler's
Wife, but his artful narration, and the unsparing honesty of his uniquely
resourceful and sympathetic protagonist, carry this novel beyond a simple
comparison.<br><br>
“Old-fashioned narrative fun in a literary hall of mirrors.”<br>
Kirkus Reviews<br>
<br>
“Heartrending…beautifully written …this is a rich and mesmerizing fable.
Time will not reverse its impact.” <br>
People (4-star critic’s choice)<br>
<br>
“This year’s break-out novel.” <br>
Entertainment Weekly<br><br>
"Enchanting." -John Updike.<br><br>
“Devastating, heartbreaking … an astonishment.” Esquire<br>
<br>
<br>
“Andrew Sean Greer is one of the most talented writers around, feeling
and funny, with a genuinely fine prose style and a sensibility to match.”
<br>
Michael Chabon<br><br>
<br>
New Haven Free Public Library<br>
133 Elm Street<br>
Program Room, lower level<br><br>
for more info contact: john.jessen@nhfpl.org 946-7001</blockquote>
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