A Disorder Peculiar to the Country: A Novel Audiobook (Unabridged)

" I really liked this book at first - the dark comedy mised in with post 9-11. But I didn't think it ended well and just kind of fell apart about halfway through. "

" Who would have thought that a satire about as serious a subject as 9/11 would be possible? But it was, and Ken Kalfus did it masterfully (and, of course, comically). "

" This was an interesting idea, though the overall story was lacking. The novel was the story about a NYC couple going through an ugly divorce. At the beginning, each assumed the other was killed in the 9/11 attackes on the WTC, but the book lost steam as it progressed. "

" The only other fiction about 9/11 that I've read is Jonathan Safran Foer's "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," which is heartbreaking. And yet it is somehow easier to read than Kalfus' sardonic look at 9/11. It is uncomfortable reading an account of 9/11 that isn't meant to make us sad. It is uncomfortable reading about characters who grieve not for what they lost but for what they wish was lost. It is uncomfortable reading about unsympathetic characters when we want to read about heroes. But if you can get past that, Kalfus writes an excellent study of human nature--- especially our ability to make even the grandest tragedy about ourselves. The two main characters, Joyce and Marshall, are a couple going through a hateful divorce which consumes their lives far more than the terrorist attacks. They think about happier times and how they dissolved into such a bitter marriage and wonder: how did we come to this? In fact, every event in the book, every argument, every relationship, every missed warning about the attacks, every mistaken piece of evidence about WMD forces us to ask, how did we come to this? "

" An interesting perspective on 9/11 from the point of view of a couple getting a divorce. A tough topic to read about on both fronts, but worth reading! "

" The book is a fascinating story of the war between two people as a metaphor for the destruction of post-9/11 New York. It's ballsy of Kalfus to compare private and public terrorism, but he pulls it off in a fast and compelling read. "

" A really pointless book that has no depth "

" Yawn. Loved the first chapter, liked where the second went, then.....huh? "

" Brilliant, startling, shocking, hilarious, sobering. This satirical look at a post-9/11 world draws on a number of rich literary traditions as it studies the ludicrous, bitter, and startling collision of our nation's public catastrophes and one couple's private illusions. "

" I tried listening to this. I thought that perhaps the 9/11 tragedy would be in the "background" of the story. It was not. I enjoy dark humor, but there was nothing humorous about the few chapters I made myself listen to. "

" I enjoyed the tie in with 9/11, but not the best story. Many parts left me completely lost and unsure what was going on. Divorce seems awful. "

" A strange saga of a couple going through a hellish divorce with 9/11 playing the backdrop. "

" I thought this book would be a quirky take on post 9-11 new york. it was like a bad, terribly written mid life crisis with surreal scenes where the soon to be divorced dad makes a home-made bomb and straps it to himself. The first 20 or 30 pages were funny -- the rest was craph. "

" I don't know. I just finished reading it and I haven't processed it yet. Any thoughts on the ending? I would love to discuss this with someone. "

" I was prepared to read about 9/11 with this novel, so it didn't bother me. Kalfus's writing and storytelling are extremely effective (mainly at making me never, ever want to get divorced, especially living in NYC), but I found some plot holes. Overall, a good and timely read. "

" Def liked the black comedy of it, wasn't sure about the politics of the author. Worth a read and a discussion, rather than just an exciting read. Easy reading in a good way - ie, not light but not challenging. It was good for traveling. "

" Ugh. This is not a dark comedy, it's just dark. And not exceptionally smart, in my opinion. Just depressing. The 9/11 stuff is gritty and real, but is not the meat of the book. Nothing compare to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which is a brilliant book. "

" Hated every character from start to finish. If that was his objective, he was beyond successful. Had a few moments of insight about 9/11 when it wasn't boring me to tears and making me wish the two main characters had perished in the attacks. "

" I read quite a lot 9/11 novels so far. This one's quite nasty. I'm angry at those characters for being do selfish and not thinking of what they do to their kids. I'm not finished yet. I'm curious how Joyce and Marshall work out their problems. Or better if they do. "

" Penetrating on how the whole country went crazy after 9/11. Dark comedy. "

" It's pretty impressive that someone successfully pulled off writing a comedy about 9/11 without iit being tasteless "

" Good read, but very unsettling at times. Good for reflection, not good if you are looking for a reconciliation tale. "

" Good read. While 9/11 is a central character in this book, this book is also the story of a relationship -- one gone awry. Intriguing read, pretty quick. "

" 9/11 and acrimonious divorce. Which is mostly terrific. I think it's one of those odd ones that could work even better as a movie, though. "

" Quick, easy read. The dark humor gave a different perspective to the events of 09/11. I felt that the text and subjects were a bit too jumbled for my taste, but I assume it was the intention of the author given the subject of the novel. "

" A quick read about the disintegration of a relationship in the wake of 9/11. The pampered, spoiled couple are unappealing, yet you keep reading to see which one is more wretched in the end. Have a sedative on hand for the recoil of contempt. "

" A scathing War of the Roses story set among the backdrop of September 11. Profoundly vicious, yet strangely compassionate. "

" This book just didn't do it for me. Its type of humor... well, I didn't really find anything funny. And I surely didn't care about the two main characters or their kids as they went through their wreck of a divorce. The most interesting thing about it is the title. "

" Darkly funny in spots. I appreciated its dressing down of our tendency to personalize events bigger than us. "

" Strange and sad. An interesting take on post 9/11. "

" It's pretty impressive that someone successfully pulled off writing a comedy about 9/11 without iit being tasteless "