Taft by Ann Patchett - Fable | Stories for everyone

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Publisher Description

A New York Times Notable Book

“As resonant as a blues song. . . . Expect miracles when you read Ann Patchett’s fiction.”—New York Times Book Review

An ex-jazz drummer wants nothing more than to be a good father in this moving family novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Dutch House.

When John Nickel's lover takes away his son, Nickel is left only with his Beale Street bar in Memphis. He hires a young waitress named Fay Taft, who brings with her a desperate, dangerous brother, Carl, and the possibility of new intimacy. Nickel finds himself consumed with Fay and Carl's dead father—Taft—obsessing over and reconstructing the life of a man he never met.

A stunning artistic achievement, Taft confirms Ann Patchett's standing as one of the most gifted writers of her generation and reminds us of our deepest instincts to protect the people we love.

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47 Reviews

3.0

Paddington

Created about 1 month ago

“I hated to give this three stars. It really deserves 3 1/2. The writing deserves five stars, as anything by Ann Patchett does. in fairness, it was one of her earliest books, and the writing is as beautiful as you would expect, but it’s more character – driven than plot driven. She is so incredibly gifted and diverse in her writing, it always feels impossible to me that she is the same author who wrote this book, Bel Canto and State Of Wonder and The Magician’s Assistant. as I said before, there is nothing similar between any of her books. She is just freaking gifted. Of all her books I just found thisone to be the least interesting Much of it deals with the imagination of the narrator, who is this incredibly likable, beautiful soul, a wonderful father, a lovely person. Upon meeting two young siblings, who have just lost their father, he imagines what their life with their father was like. Half the book is about that recreation. Not my favourite style of book. As always, the writing is sublime. It wasn’t my kind of book. Again, it was one of AP’s early books, and I don’t know if that even matters because her specialty is diversity. This one feels like it might’ve been a bit of an experiment on her part. Not a fair thing for me to say – – I won’t deign to presume what this writing goddess has intended— but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Nevertheless, about 3/4 of the way through, I suddenly found it couldn’t put it down. Figure that out.”

Pg

Created about 1 month ago

“I hated to give this three stars. It really deserves 3 1/2. The writing deserves five stars, as anything by Ann Patchett does. in fairness, it was one of her earliest books, and the writing is as beautiful as you would expect, but it’s more character – driven than plot driven. She is so incredibly gifted and diverse in her writing, it always feels impossible to me that she is the same author who wrote this book, Bel Canto and State Of Wonder and The Magician’s Assistant. as I said before, there is nothing similar between any of her books. She is just freaking gifted. Of all her books I just found thisone to be the least interesting Much of it deals with the imagination of the narrator, who is this incredibly likable, beautiful soul, a wonderful father, a lovely person. Upon meeting two young siblings, who have just lost their father, he imagines what their life with their father was like. Half the book is about that recreation. Not my favourite style of book. As always, the writing is sublime. It wasn’t my kind of book. Again, it was one of AP’s early books, and I don’t know if that even matters because her specialty is diversity. This one feels like it might’ve been a bit of an experiment on her part. Not a fair thing for me to say – – I won’t deign to presume what this writing goddess has intended— but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Nevertheless, about 3/4 of the way through, I suddenly found it couldn’t put it down. Figure that out.”

Erby3219

Created 4 months ago

klrk

Created 12 months ago

Cheryl

Created 12 months ago

About Ann Patchett

ANN PATCHETT is the author of eight novels: The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician’s Assistant, Bel Canto, Run, State of Wonder, Commonwealth, and The Dutch House as well as three books of nonfiction: Truth & Beauty, about her friendship with the writer Lucy Grealy, What Now? an expansion of her graduation address at Sarah Lawrence College, and This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, a collection of essays examining the theme of commitment.