C (novel)
.jpg) First edition (UK) | |
| Author | Tom McCarthy |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape (UK) Knopf (US) |
Publication date | 2010 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| Pages | 400 |
C is a 2010 novel written by Tom McCarthy. C is McCarthy's third novel and sixth book. The novel was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.[1] Critics were polarized by the work.[1]
Plot
[edit]The novel revolves around Serge Carrefax, born in the late 19th century in England. The plot follows his life before and after World War I.
Themes
[edit]A major theme in the novel is communication, and the way technology influences the way individuals and societies communicate.[2][3]
Reception
[edit]Upon release, C was generally well-received. On The Omnivore, in an aggregation of British press reviews, the book received a score of 2.5 out of 5.[4] The book received a 61% from The Lit Review based on 8 critic reviews and the consensus of the reviews being, "The reviews are incredibly mixed for McCarthy’s C; but the Man Booker Selection Committee seems to like it, so it just might be worth the read".[5] Culture Critic gave it an aggregated critic score of 82 percent. [6] According to Book Marks, the book received "positive" reviews based on 20 critic reviews, with 8 being "rave" and 6 being "positive" and 5 being "mixed" and 1 being "pan".[7] On Bookmarks Magazine, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a 
(4.0 out of 5) based on critic reviews with the critical summary saying, "Even with a good deal of mainstream attention for his third novel, C, Tom McCarthy is still something of a fringe writer".[8] Globally, Complete Review saying on the consensus "Find it quite interesting".[9]
Jennifer Egan, writing for the New York Times, referred to the novel as fusing "Pynchonesque revelry in signs and codes with the lush psychedelics of William Burroughs".[10] Leo Robson, in a review for the New Statesman, describes the book as "full of familiar delights and familiar tedium". It continues "After a certain point, most sentences go something like this (not a parody): "Everything seems connected: disparate locations twitch and burst into activity like limbs reacting to impulses sent from elsewhere in the body, booms and jibs obeying levers at the far end of a complex set of ropes and cogs and relays."[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Adams, Stephen (27 July 2010). "Peter Carey could be three-time Booker winner". The Daily Telegraph. London.
- ^ Egan, Jennifer (8 September 2010). "Code World". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ Tayler, Christopher (30 July 2010). "C by Tom McCarthy". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ "C". The Omnivore. Archived from the original on 6 Dec 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ ""C" by Tom McCarthy". The Lit Review. Archived from the original on 7 Sep 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Tom McCarthy - C". Culture Critic. Archived from the original on 19 Aug 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "C". Book Marks. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "C By Tom McCarthy". Bookmarks Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 Sep 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "C". Complete Review. 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
- ^ Egan, Jennifer (8 September 2010). "Code World". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ New Statesman article
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