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Triburbia Audiobook
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(3.00) - 677 listener ratings
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A group of fathers meets each morning at a local Tribeca coffee shop after walking their children to school. The sound engineer looks uncomfortably like the guy on the sex offender posters around the neighborhood; the memoirist is on the verge of being outed for fabricating his experiences; and the chef puts his quest for the perfect quail-egg frittata before his children's well-being. Over the course of a single school year, we are privy to their secrets, passions, and hopes, and learn of their dreams deferred as they confront harsh realities about ambition, wealth, and sex. And we meet their wives and children, who together with these men are discovering the hard truths and welcome surprises that accompany family, marriage, and real estate at midlife.
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"Was familiar with Greenfeld's journalism and found "Triburbia" similarly effective. The author delves deep into his characters with minimal filler, assuming numerous voices and narrative techniques and managing to develop their rapidly-morphing setting in the process. Although some characters are far more compelling than others and some plotlines are left undeveloped (I wanted at least another chapter narrated by the photographer), each is quite memorable. Although a light read for the most part, Greenfeld manages to inject some heavy analysis of his character's intertwined relationships and contrasting profiles of parenthood. While it's true that he does paint most of them in a negative, if not despicable, light, it is their conceptions of each other that make for the most lasting characterization. A quick read that manages to impress as both distinctive and substantial."
— Pete (4 out of 5 stars)
Triburbia Listener Reviews
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" I had a lot of fun reading this book, mostly because it reminded me of people I used to know. Filled with characters who came up in the entertainment, publishing and art worlds in the 90s, they are all suffering from middle aged ennui and a nostalgia for their carefree, glamorous lives. Unfortunately after meeting about ten of them, you really stop caring and just want them to get on with it. Greenfield is wonderfully playful though, and like someone you chatted up at a boozy party, the book will flash in your memory from time to time long after you've read it. "
— Angela, 2/20/2014 -
" Pretty good book. I liked the variety of stories and characters; my only problem was that I couldn't keep everyone straight so I'm sure I lost something in the story-telling. Even so, the stories were pretty interesting. "
— Tamlyn, 2/14/2014 -
" This book consists of interlocked stories about some pretty loathsome moms and dads living in Tribeca: it was a good, fast read. I seem to be attracted to books about awful, privileged people in areas that used to be normal and that are now fancy. I think it's because I grew up in a normal little town that is now fancy and overrun with awful, privileged people. I especially like it when bad things happen to them! Hurray for schadenfreude! Next up: "Motherland" by Amy Sohn, which seems to be about loathsome hipster moms and dads living in Brooklyn. Can't wait. "
— Nette, 2/9/2014 -
" Is Karl Taro Greenfield's Triburbia a perfect Instagram of American life? His style captivates, his characters are complex. His plots are tight, wry, heart wrenching. I say "plots" because the novel is written as a series of interlocking short stories which build a vivid picture of a particular culture in a very particular place. It felt real to me, but what do I know? I found myself wanting to hear what someone from Tribeca in the '90s(?) thought of the stories. But of course I wasn't in Austen's England of the late 1800s either, yet her time specific mores and characters resonate strongly. Perhaps I liked Triburbia so much because it is an Austenian comedy of manners with a wry perspective on people who couldn't possibly be ourselves, but are alarmingly like our relatives, neighbors, and friends. "
— Audrey, 1/28/2014 -
" ehh....not really my cup of tea. I am not one to care much about the family dynamic in the Upper East Side. "
— Ashton, 1/20/2014 -
" I wrote a review but it didn't save. I don't feel like rewriting it. Bottom line, I would not recommend this book to anyone other than an artist living in Manhattan, but I don't regret reading it. "
— Daniel, 1/17/2014 -
" Had seen the reviews for this book and was excited when my book club picked this for its October meeting. V disappointed in how it turned out. All I could think was, if this is what the author thinks of people in TriBeCa, why in the world does he live there? "
— Joanna, 1/17/2014 -
" The mostly wealthy behaving mostly predictably. And what's up with that language? He writes "almost a half dozen" when he means "five." "
— Aharon, 1/8/2014 -
" Quality writing and well-crafted characters, but this is still missing something...reader empathy? Not bad, but not exactly remarkable. "
— Jason, 1/3/2014 -
" I wanted to like this much more than I did. It is worth noting that the author does know his way around a sentence. I think I simply can't read any more wealthy multi-character New York dysfunction fiction. Maybe ever. My low rating might not be the author's fault, as it was enjoyable in many ways. "
— Lisa, 12/21/2013 -
" this felt like a collection of short stories. and you know what? i liked it a lot. each story revolved around one character in a group of tribeca families, and each story was good. "
— Tami, 10/23/2013 -
" I love characters and this book has many unique ones described in depth who get into some interesting situations. Family, human nature and things we can all identify with show up in this novel. I really liked it. His writing reminds me of Michael Chabon. "
— Christine, 9/30/2013 -
" Interwoven narratives from an eclectic group of adults all living in Tribeca, NY. A study in class, in professions, in financial lifestyles, in family and friendships all influenced by co-inhabitation of one neighborhood. "
— Ryan, 9/13/2013 -
" There is little to like or enjoy about these characters. Greenfeld's writing is quite good in some of the stories, and a bit monotonous in others. "
— Pattytravs, 4/25/2013 -
" I enjoyed the heck out of this book until about the last 80 pages. It becomes pedantic, and I realized with certainly that I wasn't going to be satisfied that I got enough of the story for all these characters that I had really come to enjoy. "
— Christie, 12/24/2012 -
" I challenge anyone to try to put this down once they pick it up. "
— Anna, 8/26/2012
About Karl Taro Greenfeld
Karl Taro Greenfeld is the author of several previous books, including the novel Triburbia and the acclaimed memoir Boy Alone. His award-winning writing has appeared in Harper’s, Atlantic, Paris Review, among others. Born in Kobe, Japan, he has lived in Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, and currently lives in Pacific Palisades, California, with his wife, Silka, and their daughters, Esmee and Lola.
About Full Cast
Bishop T. D. Jakes is one of the world’s most widely recognized pastors and a New York Times bestselling author of over thirty books. Named by Time magazine as “America’s Best Preacher,” his message of healing and restoration is unparalleled, transcending cultural and denominational barriers. Jakes is the founder and senior pastor of The Potter’s House, which has a congregation of over thirty thousand. His weekly television outreach, The Potter’s House, and his daily television program, The Potter’s Touch, have become favorites throughout America, Africa, Australia, Europe, and the Caribbean. Jakes lives in Dallas with his wife, Serita.