Name: The Autograph Man
ISBN: 9780375703874

Zadie Smith

Autograph trader Alex-Li Tandem embarks on an odyssey that takes him from London to New York in pursuit of the only autograph that has ever really mattered to him, dealing with con men and fellow collectors who would hinder his quest.

A Novel

The Autograph Man

Sarah Sammis

The book has it's faults but over all I liked it. It remeinded me a bit of Manchild if the characters had been recast as younger and Jewish. They are just as shallow and obsessed as their older goyish counterparts. The writing style reminds me of Fitzgerald's The Beautiful and the Damned in how it flits between prose and play with the occasional diagram thrown in. The book though is awkward in its presentation and experimentation and could use some editing -- a fifty page prologue is too long. While the author probably loved the backstory she had created for Alex-Li Tandem, knowing how his father died is not neccessary to appreciate the story. It would have been better to introduce the details throughout the story rather than up front.

As Hathya appears to be too busy for BookCrossing right now and Kernow8 has decided to turn this ring into a ray, I've offered this book up to someone who has it on her wishlist. I'm just waiting for an address before releasing it.

Alex-Li Tandem sells autographs. He hunts for names on paper in a huge network of desire, collecting them, selling them and occasionally faking them; offering people a little piece of fame. To him, enlightenment is some part of himself that cannot be signed, celebrated or sold.

Lila R E

An intriguing novel by Zadie Smith which for me ultimately didn’t reach its full potential. She is funny and nuanced as ever but the plot felt confused and I wanted more emotional catharsis. Despite this I have to applaud Smith’s ability to write characters that are never wholly likeable, yet we somehow remain attached to them. Also this leaves me with one book to go and I will have read all of her novels!!

Ditipriya Acharya

Martha F.

haifa

Ioana Kardos

Meryn Kae Addison

Noha Abdelaziz

Autograph trader Alex-Li Tandem embarks on a picaresque odyssey that takes him from London to New York in pursuit of the only autograph that has ever really mattered to him, dealing with mystical lore, con men, interfering rabbis, fellow collectors, and bonsai dealers that would hinder his quest.

Neta Steingart

Jenna Hainke

Rebecca Bream

Gabrielle Griffiths

Selin Özdemir

Jennifer A.

Fernando Andrade

Melody Izard

Maria

Following one Alex-Li Tandem - a twenty-something, Chinese-Jewish autograph dealer turned on by sex, drugs and organised religion. Exposing our misconceptions about our idols - about ourselves, this title delivers a tale about who we are and what we really want to be.

The Autograph Man A Novel

Reviews

Highlights