I definitely laughed aloud at some parts. Suffering from a socially stigmatized disease, the children at the Golden Age are cut off from their family and friends. 6.0 stars. Too bad the author couldn't extend his seeming empathy with children to his own child later in life. However, Susan’s strained behavior may be the result of her desire to please her parents, frivolous social climbers who are obviously embarrassed by their daughter’s disease. As he tries to discover the truth, he begins to learn that all is not perfect in paradise. Won't be looking up part 2 of the trilogy. Wright creates a truly unique society and fashions it in such fascinating detail that you feel yourself thinking, "SF until now has, I'm really impressed with this post-Singularity novel (and the follow-ups). This is one of those books that, for the first 60 pages, is impenetrable to the point of sheer frustration. When reality is only perceived through multiple layers of filters, what is truth? Anyway, I still prefer "The wind in the willows," and since I gave that book 4 stars, I must give this one 3. The protagonist of this novel is Phaethon of Radamanthus House on an Earth many millenia in the future where humanity is immortal and the people of society come in a range of material and mental forms. Despite trusted sources calling this book “one of the smartest sci-fi books”, I think it is nearly pointless in all respects. As Vidal did in the earlier books, the author sticks pretty rigorously to the facts. Still my favorite science fiction novel of the last few years. 872 Follow. The historical novel is once again in vogue, and Gore Vidal stands as its undisputed American master. "Albert Sutton"....."the missing was worse than being sick" pg.171. John C. Wright (John Charles Justin Wright, born 1961) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy novels. A Nebula award finalist (for the fantasy novel Orphans of Chaos), he was called "this fledgling century's most important new SF talent" by Publishers Weekly (after publication of his debut novel, The Golden Age). The solar system is a utopian society teeming with a vast assortment of human, artificial intelligence, nearly immortal tech-assisted post-humans, and many entities in between, including mass minds and AI collectives. 10. I understood and somewhat like the story, but man, what a chore to read all this - so wordy; my biggest complaint with newer works. I picked this up cheap at some point because I read. Start by marking “The Golden Age” as Want to Read: Error rating book. A dense and well-written collection of stories about growing up in the English countryside with two brothers and two sisters. Not quite short stories, not quite a novel, this highly episodic collection evokes the pleasures of chuildhood with wit and nostalgia--and with pictures by Ernest H. Shepherd, to boot. Beautiful. There are regular The Golden Age is a fantastical travelogue in which a modern-day Gulliver writes a book about a civilization he once encountered on a tiny island in the Atlantic. Light It’s 1953 in Perth, Australia and thirteen-year-old Frank Gold is awake during nap time at the Golden Age, a children’s polio hospital. Grahame calls adults "Olympians," as in remote and pretty useless, compared to the present, pointed, world of childhood. Delightful illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard throughout. Trying to escape the Golden Age. It is a consciously Golden Age novel written by a writer who, at the start of the book, cites the influence of Christie and other European Golden Age authors. Such a mix of beautiful, baroque language and high tech on a breath-taking scale is really rare. The novel ess… The Golden Age is a separate world just for the children. I realise only now after rereading several times, why others I recommended the book to faltered. A classic Edwardian evocation of the separate world of childhood that seems to have vanished today with helicopter parents and the Internet. Does a great job of remembering what it feels like to be a kid, in a grown-up world. Was this really the same author of The Wind in the Willows? "The Golden Cage is a fast-paced psychological thriller about betrayal, sex, money, and a scorned wife’s revenge à la Gone Girl." The Golden Age is 10,000 years in the future in our solar system, an interplanetary utopian society filled with immortal humans. I love Kenneth Graham; the Wind in the Willows is my all-time favorite book, and this one is right up there as well. And throughout all the sequence of suggestion, up above the little white men leap and peep, and strive against the imprisoning wires; and all the big rosewood box hums as it were full of hiving bees.”, AOM - The Libraries of Famous Men: Theodore Roosevelt - Part 1, Petra-X is getting covered in Soufriere ash, Jenny Slate Gets a Little Weird in New Book. (The Golden Age Convalescent Home for Polio Children which operated in Leederville from 1949 to 1959, really existed. Wonderful. This is one of the smartest books I've ever read. Choose the part of The Golden Age which you want to read from the table of contents to get started. John C. Wright's _The Golden Age_ is a worthy read. The ones I liked best were "The finding of the princess," "The Argonauts," and "A falling out," but they are all quite nice. As he tries to discover the truth, he begins to learn that all is not perfect in paradise. These stories are shorter than those in the second part. "We got the call" We’d love your help. April 14th 2003 ‍ Even though this hasn’t been one of the more popular choices on the VCE text list, Joan London’s The Golden Ageis a personal favourite of mine for a number of reasons. How do characters from The Golden Age learn, grow and mature as the novel takes its course? As such, it offers some worthwhile pleasures and insights, at least into how adults imagine children imagine adulthood. Phaethon, of Radamanthus House, is attending a glorious party at his family mansion celebrating the thousand-year anniversary of the High Transcendence. Rolling through the halls in his wheelchair, he checks on his friend Elsa, but does not see her, then goes outside with a cigarette purloined from his mother. Yikes. The flights of fantasy are indulgent, if extraordinary, but I found myself glossing over theses opulent passages, because the story itself is a rare phenomenon, offering richly compelling reading. The very first page hooked me, and I couldn't put it down afterward. One of the patients at the Golden Age. Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Joan London's The Golden Age. In the kingdom of Lantrevers, suffering is a way of life—unless you’re a member of the ruling class. It is often pointed out that the Golden Age of the mystery novel was preceded by a golden age of the mystery short story, which began with Arthur … 11. Nick Storming (Author) 4.1 out of 5 stars 12 ratings. I cannot praise this book high enough. In the first pages I was overwhelmed with all the new concepts and notions but the author frames our hero in a context that makes life easier for us, but not less exciting. But that's not all. Absolutely mind-blowing science fiction debut novel. This first book of a trilogy focusses on Phaethon's attempts to rediscover the memories he has lost while avoiding exile from the society that sustains him all while learning what kind of man he had been before and how that compares to the man he is now. This is a book packed with 4-star ideas, let down by a 3-star plot and 1-star author opinions. The Golden Age is her third novel.‟ (Biographical details, The Golden Age). Civilisation has become stagnant and focussed on the safety of now, rather than the possibilities of th future. Be the first to ask a question about The Golden Age. I can say honestly that is among the best books I have ever read. Even if its free in the library, your time is worth more than this book will deliver. A classic Edwardian evocation of the separate world of childhood that seems to have vanished today with helicopter parents and the Internet. The Wind in the Willows is also informed by these sad (so, so sad) facts: particularly the scene with Pan. "), Ratty ("There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats,"), Mole and Badger – most of us have come across Kenneth Grahame's 1908 children's classic. It was written for the rest of us who have forgotten what it was like to be a child. Refresh and try again. "The Golden Age" is narrated by an unnamed boy, possibly meant to be the author himself, as he goes through the "golden years" of his childhood. In the Spring of 1990, a friend at college and I read aloud these stories, and those from this book's sequel, "It was incessant matter for amazement how these Olympians would talk over our heads—during meals, for instance — of this or the other social or political inanity, under the delusion that these pale phantasms of reality were among the importances of life. Original storyline, kaleidoscopic images, and super high-tech. I’m loath to bump this up to five until I give it at least a second reading, but my gut instinct is that it would not only survive one but a second read through benefiting from hindsight would be enriching. Have we also become Olympians? Magical. The concept is great and the story made me feel so nostalgic. The Golden Age 6 HISTORICAL CONTEXT The dual nature of The Golden Age presents two very different settings and relevant historical contexts. Great book, a tad pretentious even for a Victorian children's book, with all the Latin phrases. Where have we gone so horribly wrong that we can't let children be children any more? A good book 4 ppl of al ages abt kids n der mindset. Which does he want to be? By the 1950s The Novel had become a nationwide tournament. murder mystery with people using surrogate bodies to live but is not "Surrogates" [s], 33 Sweeping Multigenerational Family Dramas. I adore it when an author hints at feelings and thoughts, without expressly spelling it out. Read The Golden Age , free online version of the book by Kenneth Grahame, on ReadCentral.com. Wow. My only disappointment is the incomplete ending; I wish I had been warned I would need to commit to the sequel as well. Phateon, in the Silver-Gray Manorial house. I was reading it thinking, this guy is an ok writer but this whole "murky mysterious" thing is making me mental. There was a magical assumption that the end of World War II in 1945 was the dawn of a new golden age of the American Novel, like the Hemingway-Dos Passos-Fitzgerald era after World War I. Tom Wolfe He understands the mind of a young boy and knows the importance of cultivating the imagination and the need for freedom for exploration (and inevitably, mischief-making). See search results for this author. While it may be a book about childhood, it's written too much from the perspective of adults smugly remembering the carefree days of childhood to actually be a book for children.The stories of childhood adventures and elaborate imaginings are charming, but there's not a strong narrative to engage the reader's attention from chapter to chapter. Joan London is a superlative writer. Not quite short stories, not quite a novel, this highly episodic collection evokes the pleasures of chuildhood with wit and nostalgia--and with pictures by Ernest H. Shepherd, to boot. I loved this. The book is filled with big ideas, whether it’s the l. The Golden Age by John C. Wright is a fully developed view of an age 10,000 years into the future, named the “Golden Oecumene”. Discuss. The characters are less dimensional; like the author maybe, they seem tired and disillusioned. The Golden Age is nevertheless a book that carries the quiet assurance of a classic, which it will most certainly become. The Golden Age, a historical novel published in 2000 by Gore Vidal, is the seventh and final novel in his Narratives of Empire series. With a sympathetic and warm approach, London tells the tragic yet brave stories of these children, as well as the stories of their parents and carers. Phateon, in the Silver-Gray Manorial house. A Kenneth Graham book you can skip over. (...) Among the many fatuous ideas that possessed the Olympian noddle, this one was pre-eminent; that, being Olympians, they could talk quite freely in our presence on subjects of the closest import to us, so long as names, dates, and other landmarks were ignored. An exhilarating new novel from a global superstar--a sexy, over-the-top psychological thriller that tells the story of the scorned wife of a billionaire and her delicious plot to get her revenge and bring him to his knees. Words that come to mind thinking of Wind in the Willows include charming, beautifully-written, wonderful characterisations, relatable dialogue, a story for all children for all time. Words that come to mind thinking of Wind in the Willows include charming, beautifully-written, wonderful characterisations, relatable dialogue, a story for all children for all time. We had just left it outside, and were all on fire to get back to it. ), but when I read this book in 2003, I found it the most inventive thing I'd read since LAST AND FIRST MEN. Fantastic. The Golden Age is the concluding volume in Gore Vidal's celebrated and bestselling Narratives of Empire series-a unique pageant of the national experience from the United States' entry into World War Two to the end of the Korean War. Grahame's reminiscences of childhood are framed in term of the Ancient Greek pantheon of gods. I'll pass on reading anything by this homophobe. by Tor Books. Shows that with some families, the Golden Age cannot provide the love given by their parents and family. Much sadder than Wind in the Willows, especially considering what we know of the sadness of Grahame's own childhood and personal life: a lonely childhood w/o any real parental figures, he never matured emotionally and was desperately lonely and lost his whole life; his own son killed himself as a young man by standing in front of a train. It’s a book about children but I do not think it was written for children. For some notes have all the sea in them, and some cathedral bells; others a woodland joyance and a smell of greenery; in some fauns dance to the merry reed, and even the grave centaurs peep out from their caves. This is one of those books that, for the first 60 pages, is impenetrable to the point of sheer frustration. First part of "Dream days." As the story unfolds it's less and less clear which side plays which role and how our hero can overcome the obstacles. 'The Golden Age is 10,000 years in the future in our solar system, an interplanetary utopian society filled with immortal humans. I thought we were in a era of short attention span... 2-3 minutes and we switch. So it was like that for the first bunch of teh book, and Tim kept reading it on the sly and overtook me, and then he wouldn't put it down until it w. Dude. The Golden Age was published in 1895 and is a novel that is divided up into short stories. Thoughts of Zelazney's "Lord of Light", but this was not sixties new wave, it was, rather, the modern sort of scifi I have yet to grok. The Golden Age, her latest novel, is set in Perth during the … Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. When you got the crown, you got the responsibility. The Golden Age represents the seventh and final installment of this national epic, covering the years from 1939 to 1954 (with a valedictory fast-forward, in its final pages, to the end of the millennium). It is really interesting to hear the child’s thoughts about the adults around him and how they interact with the world. We are Manorials, father! I persevered only because I had nothing better to read and because I don't like leaving a book unfinished, but I'm very glad that I did. Thoughts of Zelazney's "Lord of Light", but this was not sixties new wave, it was, rather, the modern sort of scifi I have yet to grok. Chloe is the eldest daughter of the first consul of Phalesia while Dion is the youngest son of King Marcos of Xan This book envisions a pretty interesting universe, although its dialogue is amateurishly written and its pacing is very confusing. This is a novel about the experiences of children recovering from polio inside a convalescent home in Perth. We were supposed to be denied the faculty for putting two and two together; and, like the monkeys, who very sensibly refrain from speech lest they should be set to earn their livings, we were careful to conceal our capabilities for a simple syllogism. Meanwhile, adults such as Meyer and Ida Gold feel bewildered and out of place in the unfamiliar society to which they’ve been forced to immigrate. He truly captures the feel of childhood many of us have forgotten. The historical novel is once again in vogue, and Gore Vidal stands as its undisputed American master. Grahame calls adults "Olympians," as in remote and pretty useless, compared to the present, pointed, world of childhood. Not really a children's book so much as a fanciful reminiscence about childhood for adult readers. This appears to be a first novel, and the copyedit was less-than-impressive (what's up with copyeditors these days? By contrast the words that come to mind on reading the Golden Age are boring, smug, lacks creativity and overwritten . It contains seventeen stories and a prologue based on the author's own childhood. Why not focus on some serious family drama? This was one of those few perfect moments. Welcome back. FNIA The Golden Age ... FNIA The Golden Age V4.1 Version: 4.1.0 about 1 year ago. This was truly one of the weirdest books I've ever read. "The Golden Age is a beautiful love story that insists upon celebrating the transcendent power of poetry and art over the destructive forces of fear, despair and xenophobia.” —The Dallas Morning News "For all its focus on exile and displacement, 'The Golden Age' … ), but when I read this book in 2003, I found it the most inventive thing I'd read since LAST AND FIRST MEN. I do not know how best to describe this. Do you agree? In tone, it reminds me of some of the "golden age" science fiction classics like. We’d love your help. MASSIVE UPDATE!!! Of course, I'm generally one for a novel rather than a novel-length collection of stories, so it may just be my personal preference. The Golden Age is set in a children’s convalescent home for victims of polio – the novel sitting solidly on the foundations of the real place (same name, same function) in 1950s Perth – and tells the story of a twelve year old boy, Frank Gold. The latest trend are these long meandering stretched out novels that do not end. As the book begins, Phaethon discovers that there are large holes in him memory, ranging back through at least the last 250 years. The Golden Age was a fun, nostalgic read about the innocence of childhood and looking at the world from a different mindset. I find his writing style enchanting. Beautiful descriptions of place, time and Australia’s harsh summers. ", So unexpectedly overwhelming that I have no patience, no patience. I was delighted when I found this book as the Wind in the Willows is one of my all-time favourite stories. I'm really impressed with this post-Singularity novel (and the follow-ups). Taking place in the far future, 10,000 years from now, it is a world where the transhuman 'singularity' has occurred long before and the population of the solar system is made up of humans of massive (and varied) intellects and powers as well as the 'sophotechs', huge supercomputers of intellectual capacity to dwarf even their superhuman creators who make sure that the society of humanity does not lack for anything except perhaps risk and adventure, "deeds of renown without peer" as the main character would, Wow. This was a tale about emperors being the prey. Incredible vision of the far future that blends Jack Vance and Vernor Vinge into a classic space opera. Hilarious. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. We illuminati, eating silently, our heads full of plans and conspiracies, could have told them what real life was. The Golden Age forms a somewhat bitter ending to the series and feels more like a very polished draft than a finished Vidal novel. This was truly one of the weirdest books I've ever read. 110 reviews The Golden Age is Vidal's crowning achievement, a vibrant tapestry of American political and cultural life from 1939 to 1954, when the epochal events of World War II and the Cold War transformed America, once and for … It’s somewhat surprising, what with the success and popularity of The Wind in the Willows, that The Golden Age is almost completely forgotten. It was tedious. Of course, I'm generally one for a novel rather than a nove. I did not like The Wind in the Willows much, but this one was an instant favourite. The book is filled with big ideas, whether it’s the layers of alternate reality the beings exist and communicate through, or the complex society and subtle relationships between the various life-forms. 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