The Candy House: A Novel
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- Create Date：2022-04-01 11:21:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jennifer Egan
- ISBN：179712840X
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Summary
Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by Time， Entertainment Weekly， Vogue， Good Housekeeping， Oprah Daily， Glamour， USA TODAY， Parade， Bustle， San Francisco Chronicle， The Seattle Times， The Boston Globe， Tampa Bay Times， BuzzFeed， Vulture， and many more！
From one of the most celebrated writers of our time， a literary figure with cult status， a “sibling novel” to her Pulitzer Prize- and ？NBCC Award-winning A Visit from the Goon Squad—an electrifying， deeply moving novel about the quest for authenticity and meaning in a world where memories and identities are no longer private。
The Candy House opens with the staggeringly brilliant Bix Bouton， whose company， Mandala， is so successful that he is “one of those tech demi-gods with whom we’re all on a first name basis。” Bix is 40， with four kids， restless， desperate for a new idea， when he stumbles into a conversation group， mostly Columbia professors， one of whom is experimenting with downloading or “externalizing” memory。 It’s 2010。 Within a decade， Bix’s new technology， “Own Your Unconscious”—that allows you access to every memory you’ve ever had， and to share every memory in exchange for access to the memories of others—has seduced multitudes。 But not everyone。
In spellbinding interlocking narratives， Egan spins out the consequences of Own Your Unconscious through the lives of multiple characters whose paths intersect over several decades。 Intellectually dazzling， The Candy House is also extraordinarily moving， a testament to the tenacity and transcendence of human longing for real connection， love， family， privacy and redemption。 In the world of Egan’s spectacular imagination， there are “counters” who track and exploit desires and there are “eluders，” those who understand the price of taking a bite of the Candy House。 Egan introduces these characters in an astonishing array of narrative styles—from omniscient to first person plural to a duet of voices， an epistolary chapter and a chapter of tweets。
If Goon Squad was organized like a concept album， The Candy House incorporates Electronic Dance Music’s more disjunctive approach。 The parts are titled: Build， Break， Drop。 With an emphasis on gaming， portals， and alternate worlds， its structure also suggests the experience of moving among dimensions in a role-playing game。
The Candy House is a bold， brilliant imagining of a world that is moments away。 Egan takes to stunning new heights her “deeply intuitive forays into the darker aspects of our technology-driven， image-saturated culture” （Vogue）。 The Candy House delivers an absolutely extraordinary combination of fierce， exhilarating intelligence and heart。
From one of the most celebrated writers of our time， a literary figure with cult status， a “sibling novel” to her Pulitzer Prize- and ？NBCC Award-winning A Visit from the Goon Squad—an electrifying， deeply moving novel about the quest for authenticity and meaning in a world where memories and identities are no longer private。
The Candy House opens with the staggeringly brilliant Bix Bouton， whose company， Mandala， is so successful that he is “one of those tech demi-gods with whom we’re all on a first name basis。” Bix is 40， with four kids， restless， desperate for a new idea， when he stumbles into a conversation group， mostly Columbia professors， one of whom is experimenting with downloading or “externalizing” memory。 It’s 2010。 Within a decade， Bix’s new technology， “Own Your Unconscious”—that allows you access to every memory you’ve ever had， and to share every memory in exchange for access to the memories of others—has seduced multitudes。 But not everyone。
In spellbinding interlocking narratives， Egan spins out the consequences of Own Your Unconscious through the lives of multiple characters whose paths intersect over several decades。 Intellectually dazzling， The Candy House is also extraordinarily moving， a testament to the tenacity and transcendence of human longing for real connection， love， family， privacy and redemption。 In the world of Egan’s spectacular imagination， there are “counters” who track and exploit desires and there are “eluders，” those who understand the price of taking a bite of the Candy House。 Egan introduces these characters in an astonishing array of narrative styles—from omniscient to first person plural to a duet of voices， an epistolary chapter and a chapter of tweets。
If Goon Squad was organized like a concept album， The Candy House incorporates Electronic Dance Music’s more disjunctive approach。 The parts are titled: Build， Break， Drop。 With an emphasis on gaming， portals， and alternate worlds， its structure also suggests the experience of moving among dimensions in a role-playing game。
The Candy House is a bold， brilliant imagining of a world that is moments away。 Egan takes to stunning new heights her “deeply intuitive forays into the darker aspects of our technology-driven， image-saturated culture” （Vogue）。 The Candy House delivers an absolutely extraordinary combination of fierce， exhilarating intelligence and heart。
Reviews
jocelyn • flooredbybooks
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I might just go ahead and say it’s not you it’s me。 I don’t feel like I was smart enough for this or in the right headspace。 I read goon squad in 2020 and was thrilled when an ARC of the candy house arrived on my doorstep。 Egan can write， but I’m not sure I fully grasped this one。 Thank you Simon and Schuster for the gifted arc
Samantha
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Thank you to the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own。 I really did not enjoy this book at all。 I could not connect with the story or the characters。 I feel like this book is a random collection of short stories that do not actually go anywhere or do anything。 Staying invested became a struggle from very early on in the book。 I really dislike this writing style。 The stories are written in a bunch of Thank you to the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own。 I really did not enjoy this book at all。 I could not connect with the story or the characters。 I feel like this book is a random collection of short stories that do not actually go anywhere or do anything。 Staying invested became a struggle from very early on in the book。 I really dislike this writing style。 The stories are written in a bunch of random styles that do not mesh well together for me。 I love different POVs in a book and I love when those POVs are all completely different and distinguishable but this one just did not do that。 It was just a bunch of stories with a bunch of characters doing a bunch of nothing。 The Candy House is a companion to A Visit From the Goon Squad。 While you do not necessarily have to read that one first I would recommend doing so。 Also， if you did not enjoy A Visit From the Goon Squad I think you will probably not like this one either as they are very similar。 And of course if you did enjoy Goon Squad then you need to pick this one up right away。 。。。more
Joanne Biles
，
Wow。 Just wow。 I can’t begin to structure my review with anything like the genius possessed by Jennifer Egan。 I adored Visit from the Goon Squad， and while this sequel can stand on its own， I had to go back and refresh my memory as characters from that brilliant book popped up。 A treatise on cyber-life， a family saga， a time travel extravaganza…。and so much more。 Many characters and stories to keep track of， but ultimately the various parts come together beautifully。 Egan uses so many forms of s Wow。 Just wow。 I can’t begin to structure my review with anything like the genius possessed by Jennifer Egan。 I adored Visit from the Goon Squad， and while this sequel can stand on its own， I had to go back and refresh my memory as characters from that brilliant book popped up。 A treatise on cyber-life， a family saga， a time travel extravaganza…。and so much more。 Many characters and stories to keep track of， but ultimately the various parts come together beautifully。 Egan uses so many forms of storytelling that it can be dizzying to switch gears， but it’s as thrilling as the best ride in your favorite theme park。 Brava to Ms Egan for once again delivering a masterwork。 Much gratitude to Scribner Publishing for the wonderful opportunity to read an advance copy of The Candy House in exchange for an honest review。 Thanks also to Netgalley！ 。。。more
Stefanie
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The world below him looked minuscule and unimportant; a random splatter of brown and green。 It seemed to mirror his own life and he exhaled a pent up breath。 The heat from the flame giving the balloon life as he traveled further toward the clouds gave him the only semblance of feeling as it warmed his back。 All the memories over the years flooded his vision， those of his own and those of others。 The other memories are what fascinated him， people living important lives… valuable to society。The Ca The world below him looked minuscule and unimportant; a random splatter of brown and green。 It seemed to mirror his own life and he exhaled a pent up breath。 The heat from the flame giving the balloon life as he traveled further toward the clouds gave him the only semblance of feeling as it warmed his back。 All the memories over the years flooded his vision， those of his own and those of others。 The other memories are what fascinated him， people living important lives… valuable to society。The Candy House was a strange one。 Strange in good and bad ways。 While it held my attention and the words kept me engaged， the concept of the story was very odd and a little all over the place。 A man invents a machine you can upload all of your memories to and play them back。 Others can also view your memories and you can view theirs。 It’s a way to keep a part of yourself alive forever。Each section told the story of a different character during a different timeline。 The sections were also written so differently it’s as if multiple authors wrote this book。 Now， all of the characters do tie together， but everything seems to have loose ends。If you’re a sci-fi fan and enjoy books that don’t have neat tidy bows at the end then you’ll probably enjoy the thought-provoker that this book is。TW: Suicide， Drug Use， Overdose， Death of a Loved One， Mental Illness， Violence。*I received a gifted copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review。 。。。more
Emily Reid
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Wow。 What a timely book for our day and age。 As someone who works in tech and data I resonated with this book at an existential level。 The Candy House has me questioning a lot of how I have handled my own profiles online， and how as a society so intertwined with technology， we willingly give up so much more than we realize， just for the next craze。Additionally， I loved the style of this book。 Each character， woven together across time and distance。 Their lives inextricably linked， yet somehow ea Wow。 What a timely book for our day and age。 As someone who works in tech and data I resonated with this book at an existential level。 The Candy House has me questioning a lot of how I have handled my own profiles online， and how as a society so intertwined with technology， we willingly give up so much more than we realize， just for the next craze。Additionally， I loved the style of this book。 Each character， woven together across time and distance。 Their lives inextricably linked， yet somehow each standing out in their own right。 There are some you will love， some you will loathe， but in the end， aren't we all simply humans？I did read this book without reading the Goon Squad， so I seem to have some MORE reading to do because reviews say you will get more out of The Candy House by reading that first。 I still thoroughly enjoyed this novel and how pensive it made me。------------Nothing hit me harder than this quote"。。。Who could resist gaining access to the Collective Consciousness for the small price of making our own anonymously searchable？ We all went for it on our twenty-first birthday， Mandala's age of consent， just as prior tech generations went for music sharing and DNA analysis never fully reckoning， in our excitement over our revelatory new access， with what we surrendered by sharing the entirety of our perceptions to the internet"Many questions to reflect on have surfaced for me:- What am I willing to give up in exchange to participate in society？- What happens if I am not willing？ Am I comfortable being outcast？- What are the moral obligations I believe I should uphold as a tech worker？- When do we go too far？The emotional turmoil in this book highlights our humanness in a way I deeply connected with。 Whether thick ropes of connection， or thin， spidery lines， the web Egan has woven of character connection is truly stunning。**Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC** 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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I tried。 I really tried。 Egan is inventive， to be sure， but this goes every which way。 There's first person narration， second person narration， third person narration， texts， tweets （save us from tweets）， letters， and so on。 There are a lot （too many） characters。 The plot （such as it is） ping pongs around defying you to figure out where it's going。 She's got a lot to say about how tech， especially social media and gaming， have changed our lives， not always for the better。 As much as I wanted to I tried。 I really tried。 Egan is inventive， to be sure， but this goes every which way。 There's first person narration， second person narration， third person narration， texts， tweets （save us from tweets）， letters， and so on。 There are a lot （too many） characters。 The plot （such as it is） ping pongs around defying you to figure out where it's going。 She's got a lot to say about how tech， especially social media and gaming， have changed our lives， not always for the better。 As much as I wanted to like this， I just didn't。 I appreciate that others find Egan brilliant and her writing soaring， but I found myself shaking my head。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC。 Fans of literary fiction know this one will win prizes。 。。。more
emily anne gray
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*ARC* release date 4/5/22eagan’s writing style is very unique。 i listened to the first book in this series （a visit from the goon squad） and i think an audio version of these two books does not do her writing justice。 i enjoyed the candy house more than goon squad， maybe because of the media form in which i consumed them， but i also enjoyed the characters more and the discussions regarding technology。 this book felt more cerebral than other fiction books i typically read， and it was a refreshing *ARC* release date 4/5/22eagan’s writing style is very unique。 i listened to the first book in this series （a visit from the goon squad） and i think an audio version of these two books does not do her writing justice。 i enjoyed the candy house more than goon squad， maybe because of the media form in which i consumed them， but i also enjoyed the characters more and the discussions regarding technology。 this book felt more cerebral than other fiction books i typically read， and it was a refreshing change。 lulu was hands down my favorite character and would have loved a book all about her。 。。。more
Courtney
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I did not read A Visit From The Goon Squad and maybe if I had I would have had more context around each character。 However， as it stands I found this book incredibly confusing。 There was never a prominent plot that drove this book， instead the reader is given a million different story lines and characters to suss out。 Overall， not for me but if you are a fan of Black Mirror or trippy technology Sci-Fi this maybe for you。
Jennifer
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The Candy House starts off with Bix a 40 year old incredibly successfull entrepreneur who is desparate for his next big idea。 He stumbles into a conversation with some Columbia professors and from that night spurns his new technology that allows you to access all your memories and share them with others。From there the book spins each chapter into a different character told in a multitude of narratives。 At first I wasn't sure if this book was for me but after a few chapters you get into the flow The Candy House starts off with Bix a 40 year old incredibly successfull entrepreneur who is desparate for his next big idea。 He stumbles into a conversation with some Columbia professors and from that night spurns his new technology that allows you to access all your memories and share them with others。From there the book spins each chapter into a different character told in a multitude of narratives。 At first I wasn't sure if this book was for me but after a few chapters you get into the flow of the random interconnectiveness。 It was about half way through where I finally had my ah ha moment and realized what I think the author was trying to achieve with these different stories。 I do wish I had jotted down the characters from the beginning and the relationships as it was a bit confusing to follow and trying to remember how people were connected as the book also jumps around time periods。This one is a hard one to descripe part sci-fi， part contempory fiction， part technology it was a wonderful mash up。 I really need to move up the Goon Squad on my tbr list。 ***Thank you Netgalley and Scribner for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*** 。。。more
Megan
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A series of interconnected stories revolving around a tech company that develops a collective conscious。
Tony S
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I must admit I did not finish this book。 I am sure some will find it enjoyable。 For me it had no purpose or aim but seemed to just wander with stories of different people。 I found it annoying as you started to get into a characters story that it then switched to a different character。 The premise sounded really great and just the sort of book I normally love but this was slow cumbersome and not very well executed。
Mandy Hazen
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Interesting but not really my cup of tea。 Well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story。 Which was so disappointing because everyone was talking about how this was the must read book of the year。 I honestly couldn’t follow the story lines and wasn’t really sure what was going on most of the time。 I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。
KateT16
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I wish I would have realized that The Candy House is a sequel of sorts to Jennifer Egan's previous book， A Visit From the Goon Squad， as I hadn't read that book previously， and I believe it would have helped deepen my understanding of the characters and storylines that populate both books。 However， even though I didn't read the previous book， this book is enjoyable as a stand alone。 The novel explores the enticing future possibility of externalizing your memories--who would you want to share the I wish I would have realized that The Candy House is a sequel of sorts to Jennifer Egan's previous book， A Visit From the Goon Squad， as I hadn't read that book previously， and I believe it would have helped deepen my understanding of the characters and storylines that populate both books。 However， even though I didn't read the previous book， this book is enjoyable as a stand alone。 The novel explores the enticing future possibility of externalizing your memories--who would you want to share them with？ the public in exchange for seeing others memories？ or would you try to block any of your existence from this shared memory collective？ The complex storyline covers the threads that wove into the creation of this futuristic company and follows the consequences for those who use it and avoid it thereafter， weaving the stories of individuals and how they are all connected to the whole picture， much like all of our personal， social and internet connections today。 The book changes perspectives amongst characters， friends， and family members， so the story is often looked at different lenses and angles with a variety of narrative techniques （email， spy hand book， childhood memories）。 As enjoyable as these characters were， I wish that some of them would have been more in-depth （Bix Bouton--what changed his mind at the end of his life？ Why exactly did Chris run Mondrian？ What happened to Alfred or Lincoln？）。 The ending， I believe should have ended with Eureka Gold chapter， switching sections with Middle Son。 That would have wrapped things up a bit more completely I think， especially if it included some of hints of endings for the other characters。 A very complex， enjoyable， interesting read！ It is a story that provokes us to think about our lives， connections with others and what legacy we want to leave behind。 。。。more
Andrea
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I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Billed as Goon Squad #2 and featuring some of the characters [Bennie Salazar and Sasha] from her Pulitzer Prize-winning A Visit From the Goon Squad--which I didn't love--I much preferred Look At Me]， I was still eager to read this book。 It took me a while to get into the rhythm of the book。 And when I did， it never lasted for long because it would switch off。 I found it quite disjointed。The book starts with Bix Bouton and his s I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Billed as Goon Squad #2 and featuring some of the characters [Bennie Salazar and Sasha] from her Pulitzer Prize-winning A Visit From the Goon Squad--which I didn't love--I much preferred Look At Me]， I was still eager to read this book。 It took me a while to get into the rhythm of the book。 And when I did， it never lasted for long because it would switch off。 I found it quite disjointed。The book starts with Bix Bouton and his son Gregory; and ends with same。 In fact， there are several instances where the book circles and closes a loop。Bix is a tech entrepreneur whose "Own Your Unconscious" helps users access their memories and exchange/share others。 This is a thread throughout。The book features both sections with short telegraphic sentences and others with looong run-on sentences。 Voices: first， second， and third person。 Emails。 So， an abundance of riches？ Or not。Least favorite parts: Lulu the spy 2032 [I tend not to like futuristic novels， so。。。] and See Below。But some of the language is beautiful。 A few descriptions that I loved:"razor of cold in the breeze""。。。occasional word he did utter had the cleaving finality of an ax splitting a log。""Jack's face underwent an evolution of expression。。。""。。。fragile embrace mentholated by the cigarettes she still smoked。。。"There is the music industry， tech/digital age。 And math and science。 And anthropology。 Again， a mish mash。Too many characters and shifts; people pop up all over [to wit， Miranda Kline--who I found interesting， but。。。] No connection with any of the characters。3。5 but can't round up because sadly didn't feel the love。 。。。more
Md Monirul
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I highly appreciated reading this。
Chris Gager
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We're reading "Goon Squad" this month in our local book group。 Someone mentioned that this was due out soon。 Seems that I have read some of this somewhere 。。。 somehow 。。。 probably in the New Yorker。 NOW I remember。 It was in a recent short story there。 Likely that story is a part of this book 。。。 maybe？ We're reading "Goon Squad" this month in our local book group。 Someone mentioned that this was due out soon。 Seems that I have read some of this somewhere 。。。 somehow 。。。 probably in the New Yorker。 NOW I remember。 It was in a recent short story there。 Likely that story is a part of this book 。。。 maybe？ 。。。more
Ron Charles
，
Even in an era of boundless hype， Jennifer Egan’s “The Candy House” has a legitimate claim on the title of Most Anticipated Book of the Year。This is， after all， a sequel to “A Visit From the Goon Squad，” Egan’s astonishing demonstration of literary bravado that swung through 2010， grabbing a Pulitzer Prize， a Los Angeles Times Book Prize and a National Book Critics Circle Award。 The Washington Post named “Goon Squad” one of the best books of 2010， and， later， other publications called it one of Even in an era of boundless hype， Jennifer Egan’s “The Candy House” has a legitimate claim on the title of Most Anticipated Book of the Year。This is， after all， a sequel to “A Visit From the Goon Squad，” Egan’s astonishing demonstration of literary bravado that swung through 2010， grabbing a Pulitzer Prize， a Los Angeles Times Book Prize and a National Book Critics Circle Award。 The Washington Post named “Goon Squad” one of the best books of 2010， and， later， other publications called it one of the greatest novels of the decade。Egan’s creativity was so magnificent that commentators focused not on the storyline of “Goon Squad” but its multifarious forms， her confident array of perspectives — first， second and third — ranging through time and around the world， crescendoing with a 70-page PowerPoint presentation！ It was a novel of such peacocking swagger that only its knockout triumph saved it from looking obnoxious。Well， here we are more than a decade later， and even if you were a fan — as I was — the intervening years have likely beaten those characters from your memory。 As someone in that earlier novel observed， “Time’s a goon，” and unfortunately， Egan is in no mood to help out， which means you’ll likely be as baffled as dazzled by “The Candy House。”The music that ran through “Goon Squad” and gave the novel its melody is far harder to hear in these new chapters。 Also， 12 years later， readers are less likely to be awed by literary experimentation。 A chapter of tweets earns no ♥ now。 A second-person narrator？ You shouldn’t have。But if “The Candy House” is。 。 。 。 To read the rest of this review， go to The Washington Post:https://www。washingtonpost。com/books/。。。 。。。more
Katherine
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A slow burning literary fugue with nods to several classic works （Orwell meets Joyce）， a multitude of multi-layered musical references， and characters that resonate throughout in a tangled web of shared experiences。 Egan creates a detailed， world that is cyclic and interconnected。 At times， it reminds of ‘’My Girl’ at others a smattering of James Bond meets ‘Jacob’s Ladder’。 The maddeningly tumultuous storyline feels relatable on some levels and leaves you reeling at others…like you’ve been drop A slow burning literary fugue with nods to several classic works （Orwell meets Joyce）， a multitude of multi-layered musical references， and characters that resonate throughout in a tangled web of shared experiences。 Egan creates a detailed， world that is cyclic and interconnected。 At times， it reminds of ‘’My Girl’ at others a smattering of James Bond meets ‘Jacob’s Ladder’。 The maddeningly tumultuous storyline feels relatable on some levels and leaves you reeling at others…like you’ve been dropped into someone’s life experience and you are experiencing it through their eyes， but are powerless to change anything。 Like a modern-day Ulysses， this title is worth a reread if you want to philosophize on Eagan’s deeper messages。 。。。more
Crystal
，
The Candy House by Jennifer Egan is definitely not a book for everyone。 I really enjoyed the way this was written where we see people's worlds through different consciousnesses and modalities。 We start the book by meeting Bix who created a way to upload and view your own consciousness。 We are then introduced to another number of people who have been associated with Bix in some way。 It's like playing the game "6 degrees" and finding out who is all connected。 My favorite chapter is reading the per The Candy House by Jennifer Egan is definitely not a book for everyone。 I really enjoyed the way this was written where we see people's worlds through different consciousnesses and modalities。 We start the book by meeting Bix who created a way to upload and view your own consciousness。 We are then introduced to another number of people who have been associated with Bix in some way。 It's like playing the game "6 degrees" and finding out who is all connected。 My favorite chapter is reading the perspective of Miranda Kline， who gave Bix the initial idea of making our consciousnesses more tangible。 I probably highlighted more lines in this book than other others。 The definition of a cerebral book。Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this early for an honest review。 。。。more
Terri （BooklyMatters）
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Myths and Fairy Tales。 Consciousness。 Escape。 Redemption。 Pathos。 Eccentricity。 Assimilation。 A wildly beautiful book， this literary masterpiece - reminiscent in spirit and some thematic elements of the also-magnificent Kazuo Ishiguro- is both heartbreakingly tender and intensely thoughtful。While the reader can’t stop thinking about the momentousness of the themes raised， it’s impossible to turn away from emotions soaring or sagging from the weight and wonder of these spellbinding characters， - Myths and Fairy Tales。 Consciousness。 Escape。 Redemption。 Pathos。 Eccentricity。 Assimilation。 A wildly beautiful book， this literary masterpiece - reminiscent in spirit and some thematic elements of the also-magnificent Kazuo Ishiguro- is both heartbreakingly tender and intensely thoughtful。While the reader can’t stop thinking about the momentousness of the themes raised， it’s impossible to turn away from emotions soaring or sagging from the weight and wonder of these spellbinding characters， - their trials， traumas， and peculiarities， captured by the author with seemingly effortless freshness and vivacity。With intricate and incredibly graceful technique， the author recursively layers time and space， in the form of a dense collection of tightly-packed fictional vignettes， - let’s call them narrative bubbles， - each of them imbued with meaning and context， particular and finite， a capsule perfectly capturing non-linear slices of time and space as it concerns one unique characters life; bumping along， touching a myriad of other narrative bubbles; coalescing， dissolving and re-emerging; bursting or binding into larger and more complex compound bubbles， - and so it goes， ad infinitum （easily imagined， boundless to continue， unchecked and multiplying， outside the confines of this narrative）。 Amidst a backdrop of the ominous， spectacular power of technology （perhaps inadvertently unleashed， at an always under-appreciated cost） to homogenize， de-humanize， subjugate - these stories， bursting with extraordinariness， cry out for our attention， our hearts， and the oh so human yearning to connect， transcend and personify lives only briefly held as uniquely ours （or so we imagine） to watch。I adored this book。 Easily one of the slim-set of my now favorite all-time books。 So dense with beauty and bigness it begs to be read again。 Perhaps slower this time， if possible， with even more appreciation for both story， and storyteller， and ideas unleashed; a legacy left to the mind of each and every reader; touched， dazzled and different， simply by its sharing。A great big thank you to NetGalley， the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book。 All thoughts presented are my own。 。。。more
BookBagDC
，
This is a story about memories and connection。 Bix Bouton founded and owns one of the most successful tech companies in the world。 Everyone uses the company's services and knows who Bix is。 Now 40， married， and with four children， Bix is bored with just managing his company's success and is eager for a big new idea。 While searching， Bix comes across a group made up of professors and a few others， one of whom is experimenting with "externalizing" people's memories so they exist outside of a s This is a story about memories and connection。 Bix Bouton founded and owns one of the most successful tech companies in the world。 Everyone uses the company's services and knows who Bix is。 Now 40， married， and with four children， Bix is bored with just managing his company's success and is eager for a big new idea。 While searching， Bix comes across a group made up of professors and a few others， one of whom is experimenting with "externalizing" people's memories so they exist outside of a single person's mind。 Ten years later， Bix's company has turned this research into a spectacularly successful new product known as "Own Your Unconscious，” a product that allows users to access every memory they have ever had， download them， and share them in exchange for access to other people's memories。 Almost everyone is a user of the new service -- but some are skeptical of it and are working to extract themselves and others from these memory webs。 The book moves between multiple interconnected stories over several decades， as we see the ways the lives of those touched by "Own Your Unconscious" -- from Bix， to the academic who developed the intellectual underpinning of the service， to their family members， friends， and colleagues -- intersect in expected and surprising ways。I thought this book was terrific。 I really enjoyed the author's previous works — including A Visit from the Goon Squad which is described as a "sibling novel" to this book— so I was eager to read the author's latest， and it was a great read。 Like A Visit from the Goon Squad， this book uses stories told from different characters' perspectives and different times to create a rich narrative。 Often， the fate of a character that was central to a previous chapter is revealed in passing in a chapter told from another's perspective — enhancing the real-life feel of the stories。 Through this approach， the book explores several interesting issues， including the nature of memory， the impact of technology on personal relationships and society， privacy， and the many dimensions of connection， whether with a family member， romantic partner， friend， or someone with a more passing relationship。 I kept thinking about this book days after reading it， especially about what my reaction would be if the memory technology at the heart of the book was really available。Highly recommended！ 。。。more
Mark Myers
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This book is a velvet string binding friends and family into generations of stories。 While the narrative might seem scattered to some， I wholeheartedly loved it。 One of my favorite thinks about fiction is good character development and this book has it in spades！My favorite characters - Miles - he had it all， threw it all away， but is on a journey if self-discovery。 “I invite you to recall the narrative power of redemption stories。 America loves a sinner， lucky for me。”Lincoln - mathematical gen This book is a velvet string binding friends and family into generations of stories。 While the narrative might seem scattered to some， I wholeheartedly loved it。 One of my favorite thinks about fiction is good character development and this book has it in spades！My favorite characters - Miles - he had it all， threw it all away， but is on a journey if self-discovery。 “I invite you to recall the narrative power of redemption stories。 America loves a sinner， lucky for me。”Lincoln - mathematical genius somewhere on the spectrum looking to navigate his way in a world of “typicals” that he doesn’t always understand… and find love。 Molly - her middle school Stella drama cracked me up （since I have gone through middle school with 4 daughters。）I was tracking well with this book and enjoying it immensely until the Lulu the Spy and See Below chapters。 I absolutely hated the format of those chapters and they completely took me out of the story。 This was a 5-star book until that point。 That said， it was overall a great read。 I enjoyed visiting with all of the characters and delving into their pasts and futures。 （Tip - Google a character map of Welcome to the Goon Squad。 It will really help you keep track of things。）Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Courtney Judy
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I wanted to say I liked this， but I didn't。 At the end I was skimming at best and it felt like I missed something big。 It was really a like/dislike roller coaster -- gave it a shot tho。 I wanted to say I liked this， but I didn't。 At the end I was skimming at best and it felt like I missed something big。 It was really a like/dislike roller coaster -- gave it a shot tho。 。。。more
Devin Mainville
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The Candy House is the sequel to Jennifer Egan’s Pulitzer Prize winning A Visit From the Goon Squad， and like that novel， Candy House is a non-linear， POV hopping roller coaster of poignant moments and thought-provoking vignettes。 While Goon Squad focused on how life is filtered through time， Candy House is much more interested in memories and the things we are willing to sacrifice for technology that feeds our own self-obsessions。 This theme is borne out through new technology that allows peopl The Candy House is the sequel to Jennifer Egan’s Pulitzer Prize winning A Visit From the Goon Squad， and like that novel， Candy House is a non-linear， POV hopping roller coaster of poignant moments and thought-provoking vignettes。 While Goon Squad focused on how life is filtered through time， Candy House is much more interested in memories and the things we are willing to sacrifice for technology that feeds our own self-obsessions。 This theme is borne out through new technology that allows people to externalize their memories to be watched - by themselves and others - like a movie。 It's a very Black Mirror premise （literally） made even more interesting by Egan’s uncanny ability to write in multiple voices in a cohesive yet singular way。 I didn’t love Candy House as much as Goon Squad， thought that might be because I read them too close together。 Had it been a few years since I had heard from these characters， it might have been enough to make this a full five-star read。 As it is， I found the overlapping of characters a little too heavy-handed in parts and was confused more than once about who was who and how they were related to everyone else。 I know that’s not really what the story is about - but it's just how my mind works。 。。。more
Stephanie
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Before picking up The Candy House， I reread A Visit From the Goon Squad and I am so glad I did。 While not a requirement for being able to understand The Candy House， it absolutely made the stories and significantly added to my enjoyment of the novel。The novel follows many different vaguely interconnected characters， many of whom we were introduced to in Goon Squad， through pivotal moments in their lives。 The stories take place at many different points in time and in many locations。 It's not the Before picking up The Candy House， I reread A Visit From the Goon Squad and I am so glad I did。 While not a requirement for being able to understand The Candy House， it absolutely made the stories and significantly added to my enjoyment of the novel。The novel follows many different vaguely interconnected characters， many of whom we were introduced to in Goon Squad， through pivotal moments in their lives。 The stories take place at many different points in time and in many locations。 It's not the easiest thread to follow， but I can say that I would always feel a hit of serotonin whenever it was revealed who a personal was and how they fit in with other characters。 Oh， that's HER daughter！ Oh yeah， that guy's brother！ Etc。In addition to being character driven， the novel also explores themes such as authenticity， collectivity， memory， and the future of technology。 It explores interesting ideas which I am eager to discuss with others who have read this book。Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 The book is a triumph， I am so pleased to have gotten to read it。 。。。more
Corey
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When I originally was approved to read this book on NetGalley I discovered it is somewhat related to one of Egan's previous books， A Visit From The Goon Squad。 I made time to read that one first and I'm glad I did because while this book can stand alone， many of the same characters are present and there are references to their past that I only fully understood due to reading the Goon Squad first。So what's it about？ At the center is Bix Bouton， a tech mogul who's technology "Own Your Unconscious" When I originally was approved to read this book on NetGalley I discovered it is somewhat related to one of Egan's previous books， A Visit From The Goon Squad。 I made time to read that one first and I'm glad I did because while this book can stand alone， many of the same characters are present and there are references to their past that I only fully understood due to reading the Goon Squad first。So what's it about？ At the center is Bix Bouton， a tech mogul who's technology "Own Your Unconscious" allows you to access all of your memories and to upload the contents to a sharing platform where you can access other people's memories in turn。 This obviously changes society- for better or worse， who can say？Much like A Visit From The Goon Squad， this is a multiple POV story。 I read a review that stated making a character map would help to understand the relationship of all the characters to one another and I agree （I actually attempted this）。Egan is an excellent writer and the way the characters' stories are expertly connected really showcases this。 One striking thing about this book is that despite having access to someone's entire swath of memories， you realize there are still some things about them not revealed by the memories themselves。 There are still some things you must deduce for yourself。 In the book， one of the characters Alfred makes a hobby of trying to provoke people into authenticity。 He visits an old friend who is obviously BSing and Alfred's girlfriend Kristen asks him why he doesn't confront this friend about it。 Alfred says "why would I do that？ The truth is right there。" And Kristen says "Isn't it always？"For some reason this stuck with me- we can be very preoccupied with authenticity but authenticity is always there as there are always underlying reasons for actions。 Which leads me to think about what the true meaning of authenticity is in the age of social media。 There is too much to unpack about this book in an short post， but I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Lori L （She Treads Softly）
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The Candy House by Jennifer Egan is a very highly recommended imaginative novel of our world， but different。 The story is told through an interlocking narrative structure by multiple and inter-generational characters。 This novel is brilliant！ Remember: Nothing is free！ Only children expect otherwise， even as myths and fairy tales warn us: Rumpelstiltskin， King Midas， Hansel and Gretel。 Never trust a candy house！ It was only a matter of time before someone made them pay for what they thought they The Candy House by Jennifer Egan is a very highly recommended imaginative novel of our world， but different。 The story is told through an interlocking narrative structure by multiple and inter-generational characters。 This novel is brilliant！ Remember: Nothing is free！ Only children expect otherwise， even as myths and fairy tales warn us: Rumpelstiltskin， King Midas， Hansel and Gretel。 Never trust a candy house！ It was only a matter of time before someone made them pay for what they thought they were getting for free。Bix Bouton is a wildly successful tech giant of Mandala。 What he is searching for now is eluding him; he is seeking a new idea or advancement。 When he encounters a conversation group meeting after a talk at Columbia， he joins while disguised and finds the direction his next advancement will take。 "Own Your Unconscious" allows people to download their memories giving them access to every memory they have ever had。 They are stored in a Mandala Cube。 This evolves into the ability to upload your memories to "the Collective Consciousness" which then gives you access to the thoughts and memories of everyone in the world who has also shared with the collective。 Millions are seduced， but not everyone。 There is a problem that emerges about what to do with so much information。 Additionally， not everything or every story needs to be told。 There is a counter group of "eluders" who understand the temptation of the candy house and resist it while "counters" are those who track and exploit the measurable tendencies of people。This is an ingenious， brilliantly written novel， technically accomplished and stylistically masterful。 The three parts of the novel are titled: Build， Break， Drop。 The chapters are all like interconnected short stories that build the narrative and plot through the voices of a variety of characters and narrative styles。 Chapters range from omniscient to first person plural to a duet of voices， an epistolary chapter， an exchange of emails and a chapter of tweets。 Characters from A Visit From the Goon Squad （2010） reappear here， but The Candy House is a stand-alone novel。The characters and their children are all developed as complex individuals as the novel covers a large span of time。 The voices and points-of-view of the characters are all unique。 The advancement of the plot is told through the voices of all these characters in the unique chapters。 It is impressive how the narrative threads in each chapter begin to coalesce to create a complex plot and compelling accomplished novel。 I am in awe。 One of the best books of the year！Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Simon & Schuster via NetGalley。http://www。shetreadssoftly。com/2022/0。。。 。。。more
Natalie
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As with A Visit from the Goon Squad， I'll be turning this over and over for a while to come。 What a captivating read--thoughtfully constructed， and the characters well-imagined。 Each chapter has a style unique to its focal characters， and a few chapters incorporate more experimental efforts to great effect。 And while the switch between characters， styles， tone， time periods， and perspectives should be disorienting， Egan once again makes it work as a cohesive whole。 Like Goon Squad， The Candy Hou As with A Visit from the Goon Squad， I'll be turning this over and over for a while to come。 What a captivating read--thoughtfully constructed， and the characters well-imagined。 Each chapter has a style unique to its focal characters， and a few chapters incorporate more experimental efforts to great effect。 And while the switch between characters， styles， tone， time periods， and perspectives should be disorienting， Egan once again makes it work as a cohesive whole。 Like Goon Squad， The Candy House comprises a series of interconnected interludes that spans decades--from the 1960s to the 2030s--and characters， many of whom will be familiar to those who read the first book in this series。 And like Goon Squad， this book operates around a theme--in this case， authenticity， privacy， individuality， and community in an digital/technological world--while also looping off and around seemingly insignificant moments。 Be ready， though: what seem like little touches here and there to add depth to the narrative pop up in interesting ways in other sections。 It's an efficient and well-plotted novel。 What makes this book so gorgeous is the way that structures illuminate the theme。 There's a real delight to reading each story， as you see old friends and new acquaintances pop up in unexpected ways。 If you were to map the interactions and relationships of The Candy House on a piece of paper， it would look like a connective web not unlike those you would imagine in the Collective Consciousness--the centralized social space that arises from a memory-extracting technology that one characters develops。。。based on algorithms that another character created。。。which another character sells。。。and which inspires another character to develop an industry to thwart the collective memory sharing。。。Characters discover that unfettered access to information and other people's unfiltered memories often cause as much harm as benefit。 They （re）learn that time is a goon， and that revisiting long-lost moments does not give us the power to change or better understand them。 They recognize that meaning comes not from limitless information but from the narratives that we can ascribe to information--whether in archetypes and recurring tropes， or in the infinite possibilities that fiction creates。 A note on whether or not you need to have read Goon Squad to enjoy this: I did and loved it， but that was over a decade ago。 I didn't reread before jumping into The Candy House and can affirm you'll probably do fine without （re）reading it--but don't be afraid to use the book's Wikipedia page as a quick refresher when you're trying to remember the characters' back-stories。 I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley for an honest review。 。。。more
Tracie Gutknecht
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Contemporary FictionThis is one of those books that needs the right audience or the reader needs to be in a certain mood。 I don't think I was either of those audiences。The story is set in the near future and a new technology has been developed that allows people to upload their consciousness to the web。 So， every memory can be shared by anyone。 It's helpful for people with Alzheimer's or a brain injury or when you want to recall your own events。 You are also able to see those same events viewed Contemporary FictionThis is one of those books that needs the right audience or the reader needs to be in a certain mood。 I don't think I was either of those audiences。The story is set in the near future and a new technology has been developed that allows people to upload their consciousness to the web。 So， every memory can be shared by anyone。 It's helpful for people with Alzheimer's or a brain injury or when you want to recall your own events。 You are also able to see those same events viewed through another's eyes-if they were there at the same time and place。 You can also find people that might be missing or that are trying to elude uploading their memories。The first chapter is told from the developer's POV。 At this point he is so famous that he cannot go anywhere without being recognized。 He is searching for the days like he had in college where discussion of deep topics was meaningful and fired his imagination。 He goes for a walk late at night to his old college neighborhood and finds a flyer for a group that is meeting to talk。 So， he disguises himself and goes。 Here is where we meet several other characters that show up in this novel。 Their discussion ignites his creativity and he gets his next BIG idea。You would think that the story would then progress with Bix （the inventor）， but it doesn't。 We skip around to another person and then another person and then another。 These people are all connected， but the flow between the chapters/people is awkward。I don't mean to be derivative， but this book was weird。I get that uploading your consciousness could conceivably be something that happens in the near future。 I understand that it would make all of us even more connected， but also be alienating。 Just like in Hansel and Gretl， a candy house looks good， but may not be good for you。 So， I guess I wanted a clearer point。 This book is certainly memorable for its uniqueness。Thank you to the publisher and Swampfox Bookstore for my ARC of this novel。 。。。more
Carla
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Don't feel guilty about overindulging in this candy store。 There's no calories in The Candy House， just spectacular writing and a plot that's both fascinating and harrowing。 Jennifer Egan calls The Candy House a "sister" story to her Pulitzer prize winning novel A Visit from the Goon Squad， and it features Bix Bouton， who had a secondary role in "goon squad。" Bix is now 40 and bored with life。 To cope Bix creates technology that allows people to access every memory they've ever had， as well as t Don't feel guilty about overindulging in this candy store。 There's no calories in The Candy House， just spectacular writing and a plot that's both fascinating and harrowing。 Jennifer Egan calls The Candy House a "sister" story to her Pulitzer prize winning novel A Visit from the Goon Squad， and it features Bix Bouton， who had a secondary role in "goon squad。" Bix is now 40 and bored with life。 To cope Bix creates technology that allows people to access every memory they've ever had， as well as the memories of others。 It's a concept that's timely and very thought provoking。 You need patience and persistence to appreciate （forget understanding！） The Candy House as there's a carousel of characters and writing styles。 But you'll be rewarded for persevering， as The Candy House is unparalleled in size， scope， and brilliance。 Jennifer Egan should make room on her shelf for another Pulitzer。 The Candy House deserves that and more。ARC from NetGalleyApril 5， 2022Scribner Press 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Candy House: A Novel
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Candy House: A Novel&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft