Netherland Audiobook

" This book had a very slow start for me. I enjoyed the last third. All in all, it never came together for me. This book received rave reviews in literary circles, however, it was not my cup of tea. "

" This is incredible. This book tells me, more than anything, that I am relevant. Best book I read this year. "

" I found it to be somewhat difficult to read and rather confusing. "

" This book is excellent; interesting, thoughtful, reflective, meandering. It's not really that much of a book about cricket, more about using sport or culture as a way of trying to stabilize one's identity, especially when it's so easy to lose one's identity in a shapeless, changing, migratory world. "

" A beautiful Gatsby-esque short novel. Contains some wonderful meditations on the Meaning of America, New York etc... O'Neill captures the poltical and social atmosphere of post 9-11 America in microcosm, without any grand gestures. "

" I'm actually giving a book 5 stars. It's hard for me to say exactly what I loved about this book. And perhaps it's that I'd rather not say. I just want to savor it for myself. I will say that for the first time -- possibly since college -- I wrote in the margins of the book. "

" This book depicts in moving images, details, and relationships, the reality of life in America. It rings beautifully and sadly true. "

" I know at least three people who couldn't get through this book, but I loved it. Weird, rich language. There's something about O'Neill's writing that reverberates with meaning - like the things that you feel are true but have never been able to articulate. "

" This is a knock out book from Joseph O'Neill about a Dutchman playing cricket in New York and so much more than that. Though kind of slow paced its brilliance lies in the beautiful writing and the depth of characters. A knock out book - best new novel I've read for a while "

" A book about a man originally from the Netherlands who finds a sense of community amongst a group of men gathering for weekend cricket games in Staten Island. This takes place in the early 2000s to mix the city's events with personal changes that simultaneously emerge. "

" Very slow and not a lot of beauty. End is okay. Mostly just one great passage about the main character floundering in adulthood, w/o his mother by his side. "

" I admired but didn't warm to this book. "

" I wanted to read this book ever since President Obama told an interviewer that he was reading it. Once more, I gained a new perspective on what it's like to be an immigrant in America, specifically New York City after 9/11. I also learned a lot about the game of cricket. "

" It was weird to read this one abroad- being in England and reading about NYC definitely added to the eerie displacement thing this book has going on. "

" Well written - just not my cup of tea. However, the fact that it as so well written compelled me to finish it. Have to admit I found it boring though. "

" This book is terrible. I kept waiting for something to happen. This is what Obama spent his vacation reading? "

" A very interesting look at the multicultural immigrant population in post 9/11 New York City through the eyes of a Dutch businessman. It was interesting to see their views of and experiences in the "land of plenty". All this and the game of cricket, too! "

" A worthwhile novel about diversity in NYC after 9/11. "

" I wouldn't pick this to read on my own, but as a bookclub selection it widened my range. I skimmed all the cricket yada-yada- Way too much of that. Immigrants, New Yorkers, post 9/11, marriage, and friendships and ambition are the themes. "

" Everyone seems to like this book except me. I found the protagonist to be irritating and the picture of post 9/11 New York to be contrived. I just found it hard to get through and I did not really care much about what happened in the end. "

" A dutch transplant living in American and the affects on his life after 911. "

" This book helped me understand the meaning and passion surrounding cricket, which is such a central part of so many cultures around the world. "

" Ok very well written, very character driven, and about cricket. Save to say it's interesting. I'd recommend it, though also point out it's not necessarily for everyone "

" A book about a man originally from the Netherlands who finds a sense of community amongst a group of men gathering for weekend cricket games in Staten Island. This takes place in the early 2000s to mix the city's events with personal changes that simultaneously emerge. "

" Zadie Smith has the best analysis of this book. I have nothing to add. "

" This is a great novel; its characters are memorable and some of its passages are startlingly well-written. I'll definitely re-read it more than once. "

" Somewhat interesting... a man's point of view of marriage and life (if you boil it down). Although this man was pretty uninspiring. "

" The truth of finding comfort, compassion, and escape in a game, even one as foreign to me as cricket, is an idea to which I relate on a base level. A sympathetic tale of a husband trying to find his way home. "

" I'm torn about this book. It's beautifully written, and the author clearly paints a picture of a certain era in New York. However, I didn't really care that much about the main character, which made it hard to get really into the story. <br/> "

" I thought this book was gorgeous, but slow. The writing was absolutely beautiful in parts, but I had a tough time motivating to finish it. "