The Astral Audiobook

" I almost abandoned this book, but the momentum picked up in the second half and I am glad I stuck with it. "

" The Astral is a novel about the intricacy and intensity of human relationships. Very lovingly wrought--though not personally relevant. "

" I haven't liked Kate Christensen's other novels, but I always give her a chance because I loved her Salon article on loser lit so, so much. This one was good and reminded me of Netherland. "

" Read it as soon as it came out. I've read all of Kate Christensen's books and I'm never disappointed. "

" Well written. Boring as hell. "

" Excellent writer and great story about a man finding himself, a bit late in life, after facing a family crisis and re-exploring his beloved neighborhood of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. "

" Fantastic. Using the metaphor of a cult for marriage and so many other insights made by a bard thrown out by his wife,a realistic Brooklyn that is a mighty cool place to live is created. "

" A good read. Nothing spectacular. A fun way to read about Brooklyn but not the most gripping story. "

" Like a lot of the other people, I just didn't find that I cared enough about the main character or his life enough. I couldn't get anywhere near lost in this story. "

" Good story...the ending...ehhh. "

" Not my usual subject matter, the breakup of a marriage and one person's moving on with life, still, well done, with an interesting, if finally unfulfilling, side story about an adult son in a cult. "

" This book was mediocre. It was rather depressing and very frustrating to read. It was interesting in that a woman wrote it but it was told from a man's perspective. It was interesting enough to keep me reading, but overall I was just okay. "

" Beautiful writing with a sad story. I appreciated Harry's point of view but would have liked Luz's point of view. I will read whatever Christensen writes. "

" Christensen's unassuming forthrightness is back, this time a bit more patient and open than in the past. Harry Quirk is almost meditative as he embarks on a new chapter in his life, and as usually the prose is a treat. "

" This book was too slow and boring for me. blah "

" It was a very disturbing book, but I kept reading it to see how it ended. I would say it is a good read because I kept reading the author keeps you in it, but I wouldn't read it again. "

" I only liked this book because I used to live in the neighborhood, Greenpoint, but other than that it was just another book about a not-so-interestingly weird middle aged man. "

" This book really didn't go anywhere. I was disappointed that I never really felt anything for the characters and that all of them, even the protagonist, felt two-dimensional. "

" Underwhelming. Found myself yearning for more scenes with daughter and son, as their storylines were more compelling, realistic, current. "

" Totally dreary. "

" I have read other books by Kate Christensen that I enjoyed much more. For some reason, the characters didn't really draw me in and without that I don't really connect with a work of fiction. "

" Kate Christensen is such a good writer, this is an interesting exploration of middle-aged marriage, love and divorce. Not too many people writing about this. I got a little tired of the character sad and wandering the streets. Still don't understand the son joining a cult. "

" Very slow, with no real plot. Great characters with nothing to do. "

" This is a smooth read about a man going through the complexities of marriage and separation. The setting is feels like home in New York. Christensen delves into the psychology of perception and what it means to look at ourselves and both near and far. The characters are relatable and comforting. "

" Tried but it dropped off dramatically after the first 70 pages and I continued until I just had to stop. "

" I freaking loved this book. This is literary fiction at its finest - almost nothing happens but I didn't care. These characters evoke feelings like family members - you can love them and be so irritated with their choices at the same time. Loved it. "