Michael Alber

Well-crafted and Engrossing

Revisado: 04-11-18

If you could sum up Bluff in three words, what would they be?

Tight, Engrossing, Well-crafted

What other book might you compare Bluff to and why?

A Gambler's Anatomy by Jonathan Lethem. Both are tightly written and rich in detail... they also both pull you into a compelling world you may not have known existed.

What about Julia Whelan’s performance did you like?

Perfect reader for a first-person story about a young, washed-up magician.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Sometimes you don't have to play the cards your dealt.

Any additional comments?

I’ve seen a few reviewers write that Michael Kardos’s BLUFF — a book about a sleight-of-hand magician who gets sucked into the world of card sharps — is itself a magic trick. And on one hand, I totally get that: it draws you in with a fun premise, hooks you with sharp writing, then dazzles with surprises and twists and compelling characters. It’s like the best parts of Ocean’s Eleven meets one of those Ricky Jay card-trick videos. But I don’t think it’s magic. I think that, much like the narrator’s impressive skills with a deck of cards, this book is the product of a LOT of work. The characters are all well crafted and their backstories are never obvious or boring; the plot pulls the reader through like the best magician patter you ever heard; and the writing itself is smart without being off-putting.

And sure, I’m a sucker for heist and caper stories, but I LOVED this book. I’m definitely gonna check out the rest of Kardos’s work!

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esto le resultó útil a 36 personas

Wow

Revisado: 12-25-09

Yates was doing suburban malaise decades before people were talking about the latest Mad Men episode (not to bash Mad Men... love that, too). His characters and dialogue are sharp and drip with subtext.
Excellent book and reader.

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Excellent

Revisado: 12-25-09

I don't know what the hell people on this site are looking for in a work of fiction that they're giving this book/reader less than 4-5 stars, but this book is excellent. Perhaps the title encouraged a little misunderstanding into the point of the narrative, but how would a 7-hour diatribe against an airline be at all entertaining? This story is compelling, if a little obvious (the drunken poet recants his misspent talent and youth), but the characters and wit are amazingly detailed and imaginative. The reader was excellent as well.

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Not for everybody, but it's DAMN good

Revisado: 02-26-09

This novel doesn't move quickly. Rather, it luxuriates in the mind of the narrator for long stretches. There is very interesting story material here, but this is more of an intricately designed character sketch than a more traditionally arced novel.
That being said, though, it DESERVED the pulitzer. No question. Roth is a master of rendering psychology on the page.

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