Fiction

Desperate Characters

Desperate Characters

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  • Create Date：2021-07-02 09:56:04
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Paula Fox
  • ISBN：0393351106
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Summary

Otto and Sophie Bentwood live in a changing neighborhood in Brooklyn。 Their stainless-steel kitchen is newly installed， and their Mercedes is parked curbside。 After Sophie is bitten on the hand while trying to feed a stray， perhaps rabies-infected cat， a series of small and ominous disasters begin to plague the Bentwoods' lives， revealing the fault lines and fractures in a marriage—and a society—wrenching itself apart。


First published in 1970 to wide acclaim， Desperate Characters stands as one of the most dazzling and rigorous examples of the storyteller's craft in postwar American literature — a novel that， according to Irving Howe， ranks with "Billy Budd， The Great Gatsby， Miss Lonelyhearts， and Seize the Day。"

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Reviews

Francesca ，

Fatico a comprendere la passione di Franzen per questo libro。 Troppo esile per me。

Jacqueline ，

I agree with other reviewers that this is the type of novel literary critics and writers love， but since I am neither， I'll profess that I didn't really enjoy reading this slim piece of work。 Like my Goodreads friend Joe mentioned in his review， I think Paula Fox excels moreso at language and ambiance vs the narrative。 I'm not an ~intellectual~ so I don't think I fully appreciated the use of symbolism and other literary devices to evoke the urban dread/existential angst enveloping the main chara I agree with other reviewers that this is the type of novel literary critics and writers love， but since I am neither， I'll profess that I didn't really enjoy reading this slim piece of work。 Like my Goodreads friend Joe mentioned in his review， I think Paula Fox excels moreso at language and ambiance vs the narrative。 I'm not an ~intellectual~ so I don't think I fully appreciated the use of symbolism and other literary devices to evoke the urban dread/existential angst enveloping the main character Sophie and her husband Otto。 I did catch the reference to Thoreau's famous quote about men leading lives of quiet desperation （hey， that's probably why this was named Desperate Characters！）。 I guess I appreciated the writing， but couldn't fully absorb myself into the characters' lives。 。。。more

Jessi ，

Incredibly mundane and highlights the absolute banality of life。 Utterly horrifying。

Sara Reali ，

Inizia con il morso di un gatto per raccontarci com’è la vita in due， senza figli， con i vizi， a New York。 Gran bella scrittura e non si direbbe un romanzo del 1970。

Jillian ，

I feel like I’ve missed something while reading this book。 I don’t understand the praise it’s gotten， even if it was written in the 70’s。 The main character is bitten by a cat and is terrified of finding out if she has rabies or not， so she does everything possible to ignore her circumstances and do nothing about it。 The book is filled with meandering paragraphs of people/interactions that don’t add to the story （like why did the couple need to go to their country home in the Hamptons？ It didn’t I feel like I’ve missed something while reading this book。 I don’t understand the praise it’s gotten， even if it was written in the 70’s。 The main character is bitten by a cat and is terrified of finding out if she has rabies or not， so she does everything possible to ignore her circumstances and do nothing about it。 The book is filled with meandering paragraphs of people/interactions that don’t add to the story （like why did the couple need to go to their country home in the Hamptons？ It didn’t propel the story any further， at all） & neither character is likable， to any degree， but neither are they desperate。 I should have gone with my gut and stopped reading this after the first 2 chapters， but I was convinced it would improve & it didn’t。 If I can sum up this book at all， it’s a story of a bored rich housewife with anxiety problems and her first world problems with her friends and husband。 。。。more

Juan Gallego Benot ，

Cómo es posible que un libro con tantas frases buenas tenga un argumento tan inverosímil y estirado a más no poder y unos personajes taaan aburridos :（

Claudio Gutierrez ，

Llegue al libro porque lei muy buenos comentarios sobre él y la verdad fue un poco decepcionante。 A la historia le falta fuerza， se mantiene vagando en situaciones y recuerdos de los dos personajes principales。

kayla goggin ，

your favorite novel’s favorite novel

Nicky ，

Beautifully written。 Simple sentences that describe a feeling or a person so well。 Sadly， I just couldn’t get into the book and found myself bored at the end。

Santiago ，

No es un mal libro， pero tampoco es bueno。Los personajes son entretenidos， pero también son desesperantes。Está bien escrito， pero no es una maravilla。La trama es interesante， pero a ratos aburre。Empieza bien， pero luego decae y no sabes a dónde va， para luego retomar el ritmo recién en los últimos 2 capítulos。。。。No me gustó mucho， pero tampoco me cargó。。。2，5/5

Olivia ，

Like the characters in this book， at times while reading this， I was driven to desperation。 Desperate for these two miserable married people to just end it already， and desperate for a tangible plotline。 This is not a book to be read for the action。 It's a slow unravelling of a marriage， with characters that are really unlikeable， Sophie slightly less awful than her husband Otto。 The greatest reward in reading this book is occasionally getting your mind blown with some great insightful prose。 Fr Like the characters in this book， at times while reading this， I was driven to desperation。 Desperate for these two miserable married people to just end it already， and desperate for a tangible plotline。 This is not a book to be read for the action。 It's a slow unravelling of a marriage， with characters that are really unlikeable， Sophie slightly less awful than her husband Otto。 The greatest reward in reading this book is occasionally getting your mind blown with some great insightful prose。 Frankly， that's the only reason it got three stars for me。 It's something I think requires a second reading to catch nuance， and is a book you analyze， and not enjoy， but appreciate。I typically don't think main characters need to be likeable， but in a book where the main focus is character and not plot， I find it difficult to finish and kept thinking "just end it already！"。 I suspect that is intentional。 。。。more

Thought Mantique ，

Creo que lo único que me salvó de esta lectura fue el ritmo y la manera de escribir， con algunas frases preciosas que destacan del resto de un libro que preferiría haberme ahorrado。 Los personajes eran planos， aburridos， sin ningún trasfondo ni apenas nada que los definiera más allá del resto， siendo nada remarcables。 Los diálogos resultan artificiales， a veces saltaban de un tema a otro sin que tuviera el más mínimo sentido。 La trama en sí tampoco es de mucho interés， y no destaca nada ni al pr Creo que lo único que me salvó de esta lectura fue el ritmo y la manera de escribir， con algunas frases preciosas que destacan del resto de un libro que preferiría haberme ahorrado。 Los personajes eran planos， aburridos， sin ningún trasfondo ni apenas nada que los definiera más allá del resto， siendo nada remarcables。 Los diálogos resultan artificiales， a veces saltaban de un tema a otro sin que tuviera el más mínimo sentido。 La trama en sí tampoco es de mucho interés， y no destaca nada ni al principio， ni a la mitad， mucho menos el final。 No sé， me hacía pensar una y otra vez: "Buf。。。 qué cansino todo"， pero por ser cortito decidí acabarlo。 。。。more

Yelena L ，

One of the greatest books I have ever read。 Incredible， relatable & authentic！

Julie ，

From the very first sentence of this novel， you experience movement:Mr。 and Mrs。 Otto Bentwood drew out their chairs simultaneously。Drew out their chairs， pushed them back in， poured the coffee， read the paper， opened the door， shut the door， hit the sidewalk walking， took the subway， got into the car， drove。Otto and Sophie Bentwood seem more like verbs than nouns in this fast-paced novel of a mere 190 pages。 We learn less about them and their marriage through character development or plot than From the very first sentence of this novel， you experience movement:Mr。 and Mrs。 Otto Bentwood drew out their chairs simultaneously。Drew out their chairs， pushed them back in， poured the coffee， read the paper， opened the door， shut the door， hit the sidewalk walking， took the subway， got into the car， drove。Otto and Sophie Bentwood seem more like verbs than nouns in this fast-paced novel of a mere 190 pages。 We learn less about them and their marriage through character development or plot than we do from learning how they move around each other like tokens on a game board when another piece （a cat， a neighbor， a co-worker， a friend） enters the game。This is a short novel with a quick pace， and it reminds me of three other novels: The Great Gatsby， The Sun Also Rises， and The Catcher in the Rye。 Yes， the setting of New York plays a role in three out of four of these novels， but it's more than that。 These are all novels of great movement， where the characters are walking， riding， driving， talking， drinking， walking， riding， driving， talking， drinking， walking， riding， driving， talking， drinking。 。 。 you get the picture。The reason is。 。 。 and it's kind of brilliant， actually。 。 。 these people are nervous， they are anxious， they are pacing。 They are postwar， all of them， and they are experiencing the degradation of the shine and allure of their former lives。Sound familiar？Within all of this buzz and motion， there are languid moments， and they contrast the physical activity beautifully， similar to the light and dark images so famous in Rembrandt's paintings。Where there is movement， there is then silence， and， oh， how crushing the blow， to stop moving and think。 Ticking away inside the carapace of ordinary life and its sketchy agreements was anarchy。 。。。more

Joe Valdez ，

The Year of Women--in which I'm devoting 2021 to reading female authors only--continues with my introduction to the fiction of Paula Fox。 I intersected my reading project with Julie Grippo’s 1970s fiction jag by choosing Desperate Characters， published in 1970。 This is an exquisitely well written novel fraught with enough anxiety to make me need to puke。 It’s set in New York， a city I first became aware of at a very young age due to a new， publicly funded TV show called Sesame Street。 The “I ❤ N The Year of Women--in which I'm devoting 2021 to reading female authors only--continues with my introduction to the fiction of Paula Fox。 I intersected my reading project with Julie Grippo’s 1970s fiction jag by choosing Desperate Characters， published in 1970。 This is an exquisitely well written novel fraught with enough anxiety to make me need to puke。 It’s set in New York， a city I first became aware of at a very young age due to a new， publicly funded TV show called Sesame Street。 The “I ❤ NY” tourism campaign was also in high gear nationwide at the time。 But Fox’s vision of New York in the ‘70s isn’t one where humans and Muppets maintain a safe learning environment。 It’s a cesspool where ideals go to die， or people too if they’re bitten by a stray cat。 I felt fortunate to escape it。The story involves Sophie and Otto Bentwood， a forty-year-old childless couple existing in a refurbished Victorian era townhouse in Brooklyn Heights。 Sophie is a French translator who hasn’t taken an assignment in a while。 She sleeps late， meets other women for lunch and to remind herself of how cultivated she is， cooks。 Otto is a defense attorney whose longtime friend Charlie Russell has dissolved their partnership due to irreconcilable differences， being much more impulsive than the compulsively orderly Otto。 Smart with money—owning a Mercedes-Benz sedan and a summer farmhouse on Long Island—Otto spends his nonbillable hours fussing to Sophie about the city， society or what frauds their friends are。 More upsetting than the fact that Otto won’t stop talking is that Otto is right。Surrounded by New Yorkers who pass out drunk on the sidewalk or urinate out of a window， the Bentwoods are visited by a stray cat。 Giving the animal a saucer of milk and stroking its back， she’s bitten on the hand。 Sophie shares news of the attack with Otto and her friends but is reluctant to follow their advice to seek medical treatment。 She passes the incident off as nothing， despite feeling a deep sense of betrayal or of being profoundly wounded。 Her lover—a married man， publisher of sorts and client of Otto’s named Francis—who might empathize with Sophie's despair isn’t around。 The husband who is around seems to care about everything but Sophie。That they should be sitting across from each other in the same way they had sat for so many years and that the habitual intimacy between them could have suffered so wrenching a violation without there being evidence of it， was harrowing to Sophie。 If， all these months， she had so ardently lived a life apart from Otto without his sensing something， it meant that their marriage had run down long before she had met Francis; either that， or worse—once she had stepped outside the rules， definitions， there were none。 Constructions had no true life。 Ticking away inside the carapace of ordinary life and its sketchy agreements was anarchy。The first thing I noticed about Desperate Characters is how dizzying the language is。 This book is like grabbing onto a helium balloon lifting as it floats away。 I was momentarily elated to be defying gravity followed by a very anxious sense of foreboding。 It’s clear that this little trip， and it’s a short novel， won’t end well。 Financial security for the Bentwoods has built a very nice zoo exhibit in which the couple are inside staring out at the animals。 Otto sees the world as going down the tubes。 Sophie feels her life going down the tubes。 Her wound gets concerning enough that she finally visits the emergency room， which is aptly named。It was like a bus station， an abandoned lot， the aisles in the coaches of the old B。 & O。 trains， subway platforms， police stations。 It combined a transient quality， the disheveled atmosphere of a public terminal with the immediately apprehended terror of a way station to disaster。It was a dead hole， smelling of synthetic leather and disinfectant， both of which odors seemed to emanate from the torn scratched material of the seats that lined three walls。 It smelled of the tobacco ashes which had flooded the two standing metal ashtrays。 On the chromium lip of one， a cigar butt gleamed wetly like a chewed piece of beef。 There was the smell of peanut shells and of the waxy candy wrappers that littered the floor， the smell of old newspapers， dry， inky， smothering and faintly like a urinal， the smell of sweat from armpits and groins and backs and faces， pouring out and drying up in the lifeless air， the smell of clothes—cleaning fluids imbedded in fabric and blooming horridly in the warm sweetish air， picking at the nostrils like thorns—all the exudations of human flesh， a bouquet of animal being， flowing out， drying up， but leaving a peculiar and ineradicable odor of despair in the room as though chemistry was transformed into spirit， an ascension of a kind。Fox conjures up a nightmare that I was relieved to wake up from。 Language and ambiance are her strengths。 Narrative is somewhere further down the list。 It also ended too abruptly for me， which says more about the book than it does the ending。 However， Fox’s vision will stay with me。 Desperate Characters was adapted as a film of the same name in 1971 with Shirley Maclaine playing Sophie Bentwood。 Maclaine’s performance was lauded by critics， but the movie disappeared， one of many released in the early ‘70s whose idiosyncrasies failed to resonate with a wide audience。Paula Fox was born in 1923 in New York City。 While her parents settled in Los Angeles to write screenplays， she was passed from her grandmother to relatives to others， growing up in Cuba， Florida and New York。 In 1944， Fox was living with acting coach Stella Adler， unmarried and broke， when she gave birth to a daughter she gave up for adoption。 Taken by a wealthy couple， Fox’s biological daughter—Linda Carroll—would also become a single teenage mother， settling in the Pacific Northwest and giving birth in the mid-1960s to Courtney Harrison， who became the rock star Courtney Love。 This family tree makes Fox the biological great-grandmother of Frances Bean Cobain， Love’s daughter with the late rock legend Kurt Cobain。 Fox would attend Columbia University， marry and have two sons。 Working for many years as a teacher and tutor for troubled children， Fox published the first of six novels in her 40s， none of which sold well and would be out of print by 1992。 She would be championed by author Jonathan Franzen， who helped get her books reprinted。 Fox died in Brooklyn in 2017。Previous reviews in the Year of Women: -- Come Closer， Sara Gran-- Veronica， Mary Gaitskill-- Clothes， Clothes， Clothes， Music， Music， Music， Boys， Boys， Boys， Viv Albertine-- Pizza Girl， Jean Kyoung Frazier-- My Year of Rest and Relaxation， Ottessa Moshfegh-- Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe， Fannie Flagg-- The Memoirs of Cleopatra， Margaret George-- Miss Pinkerton， Mary Roberts Rinehart-- Beast in View， Margaret Millar-- Lying In Wait， Liz Nugent-- And Then There Were None， Agatha Christie 。。。more

Sharon Miller ，

Though “Desperate Characters” is a work of realism， a fierce symbolic current courses through it。 Sophie sees the ominous things that happen to her， like the cat bite， as “portents that lit up the dark at the edge of her own existence，” and she’s not wrong。 As I read the novel again， I thought of “Rosemary’s Baby，” a contemporaneous tale of a New York woman with a blighted womb trapped in a bad marriage and a piece of prime real estate。 （The one sex scene in “Desperate Characters” is aggressive Though “Desperate Characters” is a work of realism， a fierce symbolic current courses through it。 Sophie sees the ominous things that happen to her， like the cat bite， as “portents that lit up the dark at the edge of her own existence，” and she’s not wrong。 As I read the novel again， I thought of “Rosemary’s Baby，” a contemporaneous tale of a New York woman with a blighted womb trapped in a bad marriage and a piece of prime real estate。 （The one sex scene in “Desperate Characters” is aggressive and unsettling， a vampiric deed done in the dead of night。） At the book’s emotional climax， Sophie， alone in her bedroom， has a revelation: “God， if I am rabid， I am equal to what is outside。” Rather than horror， she experiences “an extraordinary relief。” The “outside” is what the Bentwoods have spent so much time and money fending off—the poverty and resentment that lies just beyond their well-painted front door， which they sense could combust into violence against them at any moment。 Stoking that fear is an emotionally and morally exhausting labor。 Sophie is glad to be done with it， at least for a moment。 Anyway， the encroachment of the outside is Otto’s obsession， not hers。 He speaks of the threat of the “locals” with the furious irony of a British colonial administrator who imagines rebellion fomenting at every turn。 In this early exchange between the couple， Sophie is the first speaker:“What happens to the people in them when the houses are bought？ Where do they go？ I always wonder about that。”“I don’t know。 Too many people everywhere。”“Who bought the houses？”“A brave pioneer from Wall Street。 And the other， I think， a painter who got evicted from his loft on Lower Broadway。”“It doesn’t take courage。 It takes cash。”What Otto loves is order， a sense of things being put in their right， and rightful， places。 In this， he is typical of his class of new Brooklynites， planting their flags in their freshly acquired territory:With one or two exceptions， each of the houses on the Bentwoods’ block was occupied by one family。 All of the houses had been built during the final third of the last century， and were of brick or brownstone。 Where the brick had been cleaned， a chalky pink glow gave off an air of antique serenity。 Most front parlor windows were covered with white shutters。 Where owners had not yet been able to afford them， pieces of fabric concealed the life within behind the new panes of glass。 These bits of cloth， even though they were temporary measures， had a certain style， a kind of forethought about taste， and were not at all like the rags that hung over the windows of the slum people。 What the owners of the street lusted after was recognition of superior comprehension of what counted in this world， and their strategy for getting it combined restraint and indirection。One boardinghouse remained in business， but the nine tenants were very quiet， almost furtive， like the last remaining members of a foreign enclave who， daily， expect deportation。That short， blunt paragraph arrives after the long one like a punch。 Like the predestined elect in Calvin’s Geneva， Brooklyn’s rich think of their improved homes as an outward sign of inward virtue。 They don’t bother to notice the resigned dread of the poor they are busy displacing; but Fox does， and she makes us see it， too。Sophie’s question of what happens to the people whose houses are bought by people like her is fundamental to life and real estate in New York City。 Compare the passage above to one from “The Nest，” last year’s blockbuster novel by Cynthia d’Aprix Sweeney， about four adult siblings in New York who must split an inherited fortune。 Here is the backstory of a character called Stephanie—or， rather， of her house:Stephanie’d had the foresight to buy at the end of Giuliani’s reign as mayor， only weeks after 9/11 during what would turn out to be the tiniest of real-estate dips。 When she moved to the block on the wrong side of Flatbush Avenue， the non-Park Slope side， everyone—including Leo—thought she was crazy。 One of the houses on that corner was occupied by a thriving drug business。 Her house had ugly metal gates on the front and back windows。 The door of the kitchen， leading to an unused and rotting deck， had been cemented shut with concrete blocks。 But the day she looked at the building， she noticed city workers planting cherry trees along her side of the street， which she knew signaled an active neighborhood association。 There was a decent garden floor rental beneath the owner’s triplex。 And then there was the sheer size of the place—she could fit three of her Upper West Side studios into the first floor。 As she wandered the neighborhood that day， she counted three couples with strollers。 Her agency was thriving， and she’d always lived frugally， saving as much as she could。 She offered the asking price。This is a tale of perseverance and triumph。 Stephanie worked hard; Stephanie saved; Stephanie made a canny bid at the right time。 “The Nest” is an entertaining novel， full of observations about envy and competition among New York’s wealthy classes。 What is missing， in this passage， is a sense of all other people， the ones who used to live on Stephanie’s street and had to put up the “ugly” gates for protection。 Even the corner house is said to be occupied by a drug business; but， of course， a house is not occupied by a business。 It is occupied by the people who run it。 Who was there before？ Where did they all go？ Stephanie doesn’t think to ask， and neither does Sweeney。In a beautifully ambiguous moment at the end of “Desperate Characters，” Fox disentangles herself from the consciousness of the Bentwoods—they are in bed， asleep—and drifts to their window， where she observes their neighbors in the building across the way。 These are the “slum people” for whom Otto has such contempt。 A man stumbles to his window and pees outside into the yard。 In another apartment， an infant wakes and begins to cry。 Its father stands looking down into the crib， naked below the waist， cradling his penis in his hands。 He doesn’t pick the baby up; there is a chilling sense that something terrible is about to happen。 （Fox herself had an atrocious childhood， and it haunts all her work。） But nothing does。 The baby wets itself， relaxes， and suddenly， for the first and only time in the book， we find ourselves transported to the mind of another character: “ ‘All that for a shit！’ the father muttered to himself in Spanish。 ‘What a scandalous life it is 。 。 。’ ”Maybe Fox is telling us that each person is desperate in his own way。 But there seems to be another message， too， if a harder one to make out。 In the morning， siting alone at the dining-room table， Sophie looks out the window and sees the same man， watching her。 He is still without pants， holding his crotch; he begins to open his hands， as if to expose himself。 “She turned away quickly， thinking， that is his prize。 Then， sneaking another look back， saw that he was holding an infant in his arms， kissing its neck with an intensity she could almost feel on her own。” That surprising moment of love in the midst of so much tension， the unexpected warmth of lips on neck， doesn’t thaw the rest of the novel’s bitter chill。 But it still feels good， like sunlight。 。。。more

Samoa Libros ，

（3。8）"Pero ¿por qué había subrayado las palabras？ ¿Se refería a que el horror de la ley es que hay que legitimarla？ ¿O había pensado en él， en su propio anhelo de orden？ ¿O era el doble subrayado una expresión de ironía？ ¿O pensaba que la ley era sólo otra “forma” del mismo cruel impulso que estaba dirigida a reprimir？ Llevaban quince años casados。 ¿Qué sabía ella de lo que Otto pensaba？ Lo conocía en la densidad de su vida juntos， no fuera de ella”。Esta sutil novela me hizo recordar “Rabia”， de （3。8）"Pero ¿por qué había subrayado las palabras？ ¿Se refería a que el horror de la ley es que hay que legitimarla？ ¿O había pensado en él， en su propio anhelo de orden？ ¿O era el doble subrayado una expresión de ironía？ ¿O pensaba que la ley era sólo otra “forma” del mismo cruel impulso que estaba dirigida a reprimir？ Llevaban quince años casados。 ¿Qué sabía ella de lo que Otto pensaba？ Lo conocía en la densidad de su vida juntos， no fuera de ella”。Esta sutil novela me hizo recordar “Rabia”， de Sergio Bizzio。 En esta novela de Paula Fox， una mordida de gato rompe no solo el tejido de la piel， sino también los tejidos maritales y hasta sociales de un país cambiante。 。。。more

Leukon ，

Ojalá supiera explicar porqué este libro me pareció una obra maestra。 Pero no puedo。 El tema parece anodino， los personajes aburridos。 Pero tiene algo。 Eso que no se puede definir y lo hace especial。

Iulia ，

3。5*I would say 'wow' but Otto Bentwood would promptly rebuke me for using this 'jelly word'。 This book is deceptively lightweight， but I'm not really sure what it's about and whether it actually is more than plain navel-gazing à la ‘60s。 It’s one of those books that you can’t pin down， that is stubbornly nebulous no matter how hard you try to analyse and pick it apart。 But the writing， oh my！ It’s sophisticated and raw at the same time， magnetic and sharp; and the dialogue practically flawless。 3。5*I would say 'wow' but Otto Bentwood would promptly rebuke me for using this 'jelly word'。 This book is deceptively lightweight， but I'm not really sure what it's about and whether it actually is more than plain navel-gazing à la ‘60s。 It’s one of those books that you can’t pin down， that is stubbornly nebulous no matter how hard you try to analyse and pick it apart。 But the writing， oh my！ It’s sophisticated and raw at the same time， magnetic and sharp; and the dialogue practically flawless。 Paula Fox is clearly a very talented writer。 。。。more

molly samuel ，

I really enjoyed this reflective piece on marriage， love， the self and society in Desperate Characters。 We follow Sophie and Otto Bentwood through their life in 1970s New York; exploring their lives and the tensions in their marriage， the house， and Ottos job through the anxiety surrounding the cat bite Sophie receives in the first opening scenes of the book。 The bite grows and festers and swells as the tensions in the Bentwood's lives swells and starts to affect their surroundings。 I found this I really enjoyed this reflective piece on marriage， love， the self and society in Desperate Characters。 We follow Sophie and Otto Bentwood through their life in 1970s New York; exploring their lives and the tensions in their marriage， the house， and Ottos job through the anxiety surrounding the cat bite Sophie receives in the first opening scenes of the book。 The bite grows and festers and swells as the tensions in the Bentwood's lives swells and starts to affect their surroundings。 I found this to be a book that is not great for the plot， of which there is little， but its magnificent writing that makes you sit back after finishing the book and think "wow， I don't even know how to begin to think about what I just read"。 I definitely had to think a lot about this book after I finished it which is some thing I enjoy， and if you like books that inspire the mind， this ones for you。 。。。more

Emilia ，

Realmente la pareja protagonista son personajes muy desesperados y eso crea una atmosfera de mucha ansiedad y tension。 Me gusta que me pueda transmitir eso tan potentemente， pero el resto nada， no resalto otras cosas。

Ida Želinská ，

Toto bolo prekvapenie。 Najskôr: ako dobre napísané！ Potom: trochu nuda。。。 príbeh po pä´tdesiatich stranách nevydržal tempo， začal byť priehľadný。。。

Roberta Guthrie ，

Arranging matches Comedian Eddie Izard once observed that there are no British blockbuster movies because nothing ever happens in British movies。 He joked that， unlike American movies full of explosions，murders and noise - British films all consist of people standing still in rooms saying things like “I’m arranging these matches。”Paula Fox’s much-ballyhooed novel is admittedly set in Brooklyn in the 1970’s and not in England， but it retains that stifling stuffiness and felt a lot like that for m Arranging matches Comedian Eddie Izard once observed that there are no British blockbuster movies because nothing ever happens in British movies。 He joked that， unlike American movies full of explosions，murders and noise - British films all consist of people standing still in rooms saying things like “I’m arranging these matches。”Paula Fox’s much-ballyhooed novel is admittedly set in Brooklyn in the 1970’s and not in England， but it retains that stifling stuffiness and felt a lot like that for me -watching two people staring silently at each other in a series of rooms where nothing really happens and no one really does anything except arrange matches。Circling a few days in the lives of two middle-aged dilettantes I kept waiting desperately （get it？ “Desperately”） for something （anything！） to actually happen。 But nothing does- Sophie gets bitten by a stray cat and worries obsessively she will die from her wound - but won’t go the doctor。。。and when she finally does she worries obsessively she has rabies。 She doesn’t have rabies and nothing happens。 The bite gets better。Her husband is dissolving his law practice with a partner who had been a dear friend for years but now these two men can barely stand the sight of each other。 Why？ Who knows？ Nothing really happens there either。 His partner behaves badly and yells a bit。 And - oh my - the continuous casual racism is hard to stomach。 Forty years later， endless references to “Negroes” - their “smell” and their “quaint” ways are tough to read。 Ouch。 What Fox has an impeccable eye for are the settings these very dull people move through。 Her descriptions of the foods people eat， the homes they live in and the clothes they wear are a delight - if only the people in these intricately described spaces ever actually did anything or even interacted with them！ Instead it’s like paper dolls - in which static， lifeless figures are just placed in different settings to see how they look。 Then they are moved to a different setting to see how they look over here。 Everyone at the beginning of this tale is the exact same as they are at the end - no one grows or changes or seems to learn anything at all from their interactions - they just blandly continue moving through landscapes - arranging matches。 。。。more

Katie Antonelli ，

I just can't。 It's so boring， the characters are unlikable， there's no plot。 Would have been much better if her and the cat went on a rabid biting spree and started a zombi apocalypse。 I tried but I just couldn't bring myself to care about anyone in this book。 I just can't。 It's so boring， the characters are unlikable， there's no plot。 Would have been much better if her and the cat went on a rabid biting spree and started a zombi apocalypse。 I tried but I just couldn't bring myself to care about anyone in this book。 。。。more

PaperDreams55 ，

Este libro ha sido como un torbellino extraño e intenso。 Una historia de la que no esperaba nada y que me ha sorprendido bastante。Sophie， llena de tristeza， pensando siempre en lo peor。 Con un diálogo interno que alterna la culpa， la incomprensión y el desencanto por una vida llena de comodidades， pero insustancial。 Me ha costado entender a Sophie en determinados pasajes， aunque he empatizado con ella， no he terminado captar su dolor。Otto， su marido， es un personaje osco， que me ha parecido muy Este libro ha sido como un torbellino extraño e intenso。 Una historia de la que no esperaba nada y que me ha sorprendido bastante。Sophie， llena de tristeza， pensando siempre en lo peor。 Con un diálogo interno que alterna la culpa， la incomprensión y el desencanto por una vida llena de comodidades， pero insustancial。 Me ha costado entender a Sophie en determinados pasajes， aunque he empatizado con ella， no he terminado captar su dolor。Otto， su marido， es un personaje osco， que me ha parecido muy duro por momentos y desamparado en otros。 Su actitud me ha dado bastante rabia en algunas ocasiones。Todos los personajes secundarios tienen un papel clave， incluido el gato， que engranan esas preguntas que surgen al leer este libro。 Muchas no se responden， se quedan en el aire y me han hecho reflexionar bastante。Es un libro muy metafórico， lleno de interrogantes y de diálogos diferentes y curiosos。Creo que es un libro que gana con las relecturas y que si se consiguen resolver， poco a poco todos esos interrogantes， es uno de esos libros que dejan un poso muy interesante。 Recomendación: es mejor leer el prólogo al terminar el libro， contiene algunos spoilers。 。。。more

Francisco ，

3。5

Frannie ，

Forse stiamo precipitando， tutti noi。Ah， le aspettative e la pubblicità ingannevole！ Che poi uno legge il commento più che entusiasta di Jonathan Franzen in copertina， a cui si aggiunge un’altrettanto infervorata introduzione， sempre ad opera sua （per carità， leggetela dopo il romanzo！） e chiudiamo con una trama che suona più o meno così: il morso di un gatto randagio sconvolge la vita di una coppia newyorkese di mezza età già in crisi， scatenando una reazione a catena di eventi disastrosi e por Forse stiamo precipitando， tutti noi。Ah， le aspettative e la pubblicità ingannevole！ Che poi uno legge il commento più che entusiasta di Jonathan Franzen in copertina， a cui si aggiunge un’altrettanto infervorata introduzione， sempre ad opera sua （per carità， leggetela dopo il romanzo！） e chiudiamo con una trama che suona più o meno così: il morso di un gatto randagio sconvolge la vita di una coppia newyorkese di mezza età già in crisi， scatenando una reazione a catena di eventi disastrosi e portando a tragiche conseguenze。Beh， non è andata proprio così。Che l’intervento del gatto （descritto niente meno che come una bestia infernale） turbi la tranquilla routine da borghesia urbana degli anni Sessanta di Sophie e Otto è vero。 Un incidente così banale potrebbe risolversi e venire accantonato senza troppo sforzo， ma inspiegabilmente Sophie si rifiuta di farsi visitare da un medico。 Per quanto il morso l’abbia sconvolta， nega a più riprese la gravità della ferita alla mano， che per sua negligenza s’infetta sempre di più e sembra crogiolarsi in pensieri nefasti， quasi come se sentisse di meritare quella sofferenza e sperasse nel peggio。Dalla premessa iniziale ci aspetteremmo chissà quali conseguenze， ma in realtà in questo libro succede poco o niente e i coniugi sono solo due dei personaggi disperati （Desperate characters， titolo originale e molto più calzante di quello italiano。 Fortissime perplessità su questa traduzione！） e consapevoli di esserlo che lo popolano。L’idea di partire da un evento insignificante per poi allargare l’obiettivo e giungere a una riflessione esistenziale è buona， ma forse si perde nella realizzazione。 Narrazione piatta e dialoghi che suonano un po’ artefatti， costruiti e alla fine ci si chiede ancora dove volesse andare a parare la Fox。C’è da dire però che perfino Franzen， alla sua quarta （！） rilettura， non aveva avuto le sue risposte。 Che davvero non ci sia un significato da ricercare in questo libro？ O nella vita stessa， essendo questa così insensata e violenta？Magari ha ragione lui e si tratta semplicemente di un libro che va riletto più volte。 Ma purtroppo è una cosa che io faccio raramente。 A prescindere da tutto， credo che il primo impatto con un libro conti moltissimo e a una prima occhiata， io non c’ho visto nulla di strabiliante。 Piacevole， certo， ma non imperdibile。 。。。more

Lama ，

I would give it 2。5/5 stars I loved the introduction that Jonathan Franzen wrote which is Unusual for me because I find introductions not interesting and I often skim through them but I really enjoyed this one。But the book it self not so much although it was beautifully written but the story fell flat for me I didn’t feel invested in the characters， Otto and Sophia’s relationship is strange and a messy one I read a review that summed it up well that they were married for 15 years and know each o I would give it 2。5/5 stars I loved the introduction that Jonathan Franzen wrote which is Unusual for me because I find introductions not interesting and I often skim through them but I really enjoyed this one。But the book it self not so much although it was beautifully written but the story fell flat for me I didn’t feel invested in the characters， Otto and Sophia’s relationship is strange and a messy one I read a review that summed it up well that they were married for 15 years and know each other perfectly yet they don’t each other at all。There’s this line that Jonathan wrote that he wrote about Sophia that was perfectly described “Sophia， for her part， wavers between dread and a strange wish to be harmed。 She’s terrified of a pain she’s not sure she deserve。 She clings to a world of privilege even as it suffocates her” 。。。more

Michelline Palmeira ，

Through Sophie and Otto we are given a story about love， justice， friendship， letting go， racism， social order， and all that's in between in a society full of complex characters you can't simply love or hate。 They are just not that simple。It does feel desperate - but also very very human。 In a way or another， aren't we all？A masterpiece。 🖤 Through Sophie and Otto we are given a story about love， justice， friendship， letting go， racism， social order， and all that's in between in a society full of complex characters you can't simply love or hate。 They are just not that simple。It does feel desperate - but also very very human。 In a way or another， aren't we all？A masterpiece。 🖤 。。。more

Jessica Gouthro ，

Eh。 Sure。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Desperate Characters

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Desperate Characters&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Desperate Characters&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0