Foreign Bodies Audiobook

" The one thing this book did for me was make me want to read Henry James' The Ambassadors. Otherwise I found it kind of tedious. The main character keeps making these absurd decisions that deeply affect the people around her. The people around her have interesting moments but I couldn't find them very sympathetic. "

" This book had a familiar ring to it when I began reading it... but I soon found out that is was a variation of Henry James "The Ambassadors" "

" Beautifully written book, like poetry. What a writer! "

" Every single character is extremely annoying. "

" Engrossing and powerful book. Read it in 3 days because I could not put it down for long. I found all of the characters moving, slightly painful and very real. Loved it all! "

" Eccentric, insightful, beautifully written, angry, or filled with angry characters, and oddly the angriest characters were those who enjoyed the most "success" in mid-twentieth century America. The most sympathetic characters had the least control over their destiny. And, of course, there's a teacher in the story, and teaching is portrayed as a dead-end activity, one that doesn't fulfill any of the potential of a human being for art or spirit or connection. "

" Read a favorable review of the book, had never read Ozick, and was NOT impressed. I completed it as I kept thinking I must have been missing something that was going to turn it around. I found the book to be wholly unsatisfactory and am puzzled by all the three, four and five star reviews here. I didn't find any of the characters to be believable or fleshed out enough to relate to. Disappointing indeed on a long weekend I could have been reading other things I had standing by. "

" It was beautifully written and captures the sorrows of Europe after WWII. However, I think I missed a whole couple of layers of meaning because I had never read Henry James' The Ambassadors. Oops. "

" Not as good as The Ambassadors, but interesing. "

" I think one would really have to like The Ambassadors to like this one. Had some high points but a lot of the writing was cluttered and exhausting. "

" This was tough going, but worth it. Extremely well-written. "

" I don't get it... "

" I liked that most of the characters infuriated me; this usually means that I am involved in the story. Moody and well-written. I never read James's The Ambassadors so I could not compare. "

" It's 1952 in NYC, Paris and LA. Estranged, middle-aged siblings reconnect as brother entreats sister to help abort the wanderings of his rebelling children. A fascinating deconstruction of love's many overtures. "

" I only read about 50 pages...didn't really like it. Perhaps because written in an old fashioned way. "

" Very trite and uninteresting. Dull and overused plot and characters forced me to put it down. "

" Such exquisite sentences, such energy, such a sly and subtle sense of humor! "

" I always felt a distance from the ensemble cast in this novel, perhaps because of the period, more likely because of their demeanours. And yet, at times, I identified closely too, to these selfish beings. I can't say more than that without spoiling it. Great book. "

" Wonderful writing: dense, image-rich and detailed prose. A really big story for only 255 pages. "

" A book from our time retelling a tale from another time. "

" This is an intriguing and almost mystical story, of a middle aged woman suspended in her past who is changed by the demands of an annoying brother. "

" A little hard to connect with the characters given the florid language and the emotional reticence of everyone. But still powerful somehow. "

" Enjoyed it. Very well written. But an unsatisfying ending. Not the first author with that kind of problem. Now to find Henry Jame's "The Ambassadors" on which this book is based. "

" Cynthia Ozick can make you feel the most transient, complex feeling with just a few words. I can't honestly say I understood the whole novel, but I feel like that's because I just haven't lived long enough yet. I also enjoyed the phantom 1950's that appeared here and there. "

" Wonderful...update on Henry James' The Ambassadors "

" Hmmm. What to say here? The writing is beautiful, the character development is interesting. Not sure why I didn't love it more...timing, maybe? "

" This book had a familiar ring to it when I began reading it... but I soon found out that is was a variation of Henry James "The Ambassadors" "

" I've never read Ozick. Lordy. What a literary talent! The story was interesting but the characters were either mean or ineffective. I wanted to root for Bea, but I didn't understand why she did the things she did or her reactions to other characters. I will read more of Ozick. "