Lost and Found: A Novel by Carolyn Parkhurst Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $1.76 You Save: $12.23 (87%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Lost and Found: A Novel
Book Review: Inventive and engaging novel
Summary: 4 Stars
Lost & Found is the latest offering in reality television--a globe-crossing elimination-style competition based on obscure clues and physically exhausting stunts. Parkhurst's novel is a story of interconnected lives and skeletons buried deep; the drama and comedy just happen to be set behind the scenes of a reality television show.
The story's central characters are mother-and-daughter team Laura and Cassie, who feel alienated from one another after an unplanned pregnancy in the family. On the television show, their lives get jumbled in with those of a cutthroat D-list celebrity, a now-married former gay man and lesbian (saved by the Redemption ministry), and a comedy duo of two bothers, one of whom has family pain buried deep under his happy façade. Throw in the machinations of a television team angling for as much conflict as possible, and the television taping experience serves as a turning point in each of the main characters' lives.
The action unfolds in chapters told from alternating points of view. As I reader, I connected with each of these characters via their individual voices. If I had known Parkhurst's novel was set around a reality television show, I might have hesitated about picking it up, but I'm glad I took the chance. A worthwhile read.
Book Review: It was bound to happen: a novel about reality TV...
Summary: 4 Stars
I read THE DOGS OF BABEL, Carolyn Parkhurst's first novel, right after it came out, and I was instantly in love. So, needless to say, as soon as LOST AND FOUND was available for pre-order, it went on my Wish List. Like some other reviewers here, I was somewhat skeptical when I read the plot outline: A novel about reality TV? After we've been bombarded with reality shows on the small screen for years (with no end in sight), now people are writing books about them? But as soon as I read the first page of LOST AND FOUND, I knew I was in for something special. In her new novel, Parkhurst takes her readers beyond the game to the essence of reality TV itself: the people.
LOST AND FOUND follows the contestants on a reality show of the same name. Á la "The Amazing Race" and, more recently, "Treasure Hunters," the object of "Lost and Found" is to jackrabbit across the globe, solving clues and collecting objects--all of which will get the contestants closer to a million-dollar prize. The contestants are separated into teams of two, and we meet them on the sixth leg of their journey. At the heart of the story are mother/daughter team Laura and Cassie, who share a heartbreaking secret. Although they are inextricably linked as mother and daughter, they are separated by a chasm of guilt, anger, and misunderstanding. Also along for the ride are married couple Justin and Abby, who are recovering homosexuals (yes, I know how strange that sounds--just read the book) and are eager to spread God's word to "Lost and Found"'s millions of viewers; Dallas and Juliet, child stars desperate to make a comeback (Juliet, in particular, will do anything to keep her name in the headlines); and Boston brothers Carl and Jeff, who aren't terribly interesting but provide a welcome dose of comic relief and sweetness in an incredibly satiric novel. There's also a team of high school sweethearts, reunited after twenty years apart, and two young inventors who have already made their millions and are there for the experience more than anything--but those teams aren't interesting enough to warrant too much "page time" (or too much "screen time" in the fictional TV show "Lost and Found"). The idea is that, somewhere between Egypt and Sweden, amid macao parrots and plastic sushi, the contestants will all learn something important about themselves.
LOST AND FOUND is a very inventive, thought-provoking novel, one that packs quite a wallop despite its relative shortness. Parkhurst explores some big issues in her sophomore effort--the nature of "reality," of sexuality, of celebrity, of redemption--and she does so with grace and acute attention to detail. There are tender moments here; there are funny moments; there are moments of incredible insight that will surprise and provoke you. Parkhurst handles her large cast of narrators with ease, and her prose is just as earnest and sure-footed as it was in DOGS OF BABEL. She's taken a tired topic and rejuvenated it, taking her readers behind the drama that plays out on TV to everything behind the scenes that doesn't make it past the editing room. Although I know LOST AND FOUND won't stick with me as much as Parkhurst's first effort, her second novel is potent and full of heart. LOST AND FOUND is definitely a novel to "tune in" to! (Pardon the corniness; I couldn't resist. Just read the book, you won't be sorry!)
Book Review: Found . . . a winner!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you scan my other reviews you'll see two things about me: I have extremely conservative values, and I don't give out 5 stars often. This is, actually, the first one.
The idea for Lost and Found is a great one, and Parkhurst mines it well, creating many situations that had me thinking and others that had me laughing out loud. Her characters were so real; their perceptions, struggles and amusement so tangible. This is one I will remember.
I was hesitant to read Lost and Found because I gathered from previews and reviews that there is a strong theme revolving around homosexuality, and, frankly, I'm sick of the lifestyle being constantly shoved in our faces in every form of media. But I do struggle with this issue. I'm well aware of what the Bible teaches, and I don't believe God has changed His mind to suit our current popular perceptions. However, I'm also well aware that this is a complex, deeply felt and often painful issue that deserves nothing less than my respectful compassion.
Parkhust didn't have an agenda with her story, or, at least, not the usual one ("not that there's anything wrong with it.") Her motive was to sensitively portray the struggle that these particular characters experienced, and she succeeded beautifully. And, okay, yeah, she wasn't a great advertisement for programs that claim to reform gay people. She didn't condemn them outright, and even if you believe that it can happen, you have to admit that most people would struggle and many would fail.
So, to get five stars from me a book needs to entertain fully and change or challenge my brain. Maybe Lost and Found really only rates a 4 1/2 in both of those areas, but I'm really fond of the Amazing Race, so I'm giving it a solid five.
Book Review: What would you be willing to share?
Summary: 4 Stars
Carolyn Parkhurst's second novel, Lost and Found, captures the essence behind the reality television movement. The story begs the questions: Exactly how much of yourself would you be willing to expose all in the name of profit and what would you be willing to do for reward? Parkhurst's characters all struggle with unique problems that collide with these basic questions, and it makes for a very thought-provoking read.
Book Review: Why I Love Reality Television.
Summary: 5 Stars
I have loved reality TV since Real World. I know ... A lot of people don't understand it. This book helped me to understand why I love it. It's the people. The characters that we come to know over the course of their shows.
Granted, this book has far more interesting and likeable characters than most reality shows. You can also skip the cliffhangers, and breeze right through to find out who wins. (I had a hard time putting the book down.0
I loved this book. It's beautifully written and well researched. There's just the right amount of detail about the destinations visited. Fun read. Whether you like reality TV or not.