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Machine: A Novel Audiobook
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Publisher Description
A haunting story of guilt and blame in the wake of a drowning, the first novel by the author of Spectacle
Susan Steinberg’s first novel, Machine, is a dazzling and innovative leap forward for a writer whose most recent book, Spectacle, gained her a rapturous following. Machine revolves around a group of teenagers―both locals and wealthy out-of-towners―during a single summer at the shore. Steinberg captures the pressures and demands of this world in a voice that effortlessly slides from collective to singular, as one girl recounts a night on which another girl drowned. Hoping to assuage her guilt and evade a similar fate, she pieces together the details of this tragedy, as well as the breakdown of her own family, and learns that no one, not even she, is blameless.
A daring stylist, Steinberg presents a sharply drawn narrative that ferociously interrogates gender, class, privilege, and the disintegration of identity in the shadow of trauma. Machine is the kind of novel―relentless and bold―that only Susan Steinberg could have written.
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“What makes this tale so thrilling is Steinberg’s artistry with form; she fractures narrative into its fundamental parts. Steinberg writes prose with a poet’s sense of meter and line, and a velocity recalling the novels of Joan Didion. The result is a dizzying work that perfectly evokes the feeling of spinning out of control.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“As propulsive as it is disorienting, subverting expectations at every turn.”
— The Atlantic -
“A glittering, knifelike reflection of despair through the eyes of a young woman, made richer by the fact that it’s told in hindsight.”
— New Yorker -
“Stylish and innovative.”
— Minneapolis Star Tribune -
“Few narrators are as capable as Sophie Amoss at conveying the singular mix of ennui, angst, bravado, and drama that consume teenage girls…Amoss emphasizes the teen’s emotional turmoil…[and] honors author Steinberg’s poetic rhythm…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile -
“The narrative grapples with guilt and blame while eschewing formal conventions.”
— Chicago Tribune -
“Steinberg’s hypnotic first novel capture[s] the teen years with their shifting emotional tides and heightened awareness of class, gender, self and others.”
— BBC Culture -
“Hypnotic…With simple, lyrical language, Steinberg presents a mystery of privilege and youth that deftly captures the unadulterated fear quaking deep behind a teenager’s invincible front.”
— Booklist -
“Steinberg’s observations of the delicate workings of interpersonal relationships are astute…Heartbreaking, eerie, and acutely observant.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
“Otherworldly, and every-other-line sublime…It’s a timely reminder of why our culture remains haunted by dead girls, and of the different ways we find to drown them.”
— Bennett Sims, award-winning author of A Questionable Shape
Awards
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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About Susan Steinberg
Susan Steinberg is the author of Spectacle, Hydroplane, and The End of Free Love. She is the recipient of a United States Artists Fellowship, a National Magazine Award, and a Pushcart Prize. She teaches at the University of San Francisco.
About Sophie Amoss
Sophie Amoss is a voice talent and Earphones Award–winning narrator.