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    Strangers at the Feast: A Novel
    Strangers at the Feast: A Novel
    Strangers at the Feast: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    Strangers at the Feast: A Novel

    Written by Jennifer Vanderbes

    Narrated by Renee Raudman

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    On Thanksgiving Day 2007, three generations of the Olson family gather. Eleanor and Gavin worry about their daughter, Ginny, an unmarried academic in her thirties with a newly adopted Indian daughter, and about their son, Douglas, who has recently been caught in the imploding real-estate bubble. But Ginny and Douglas, determined to have a perfect holiday, keep their troubles secret, a skill they have learned from their parents.

    As old grudges, personality clashes, and a stove malfunction spiral the Olson's holiday into a tense and foodless afternoon, seventeen-year-old Kijo Jackson and his best friend, Spider, set out from the housing projects on a mysterious job. As these two families-one white, one black-head toward a violent and inevitable encounter, Jennifer Vanderbes masterfully lays bare the fraught lives of these fascinating characters and the lengths to which they will go to protect their families.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateAug 9, 2010
    ISBN9781400188369
    Author

    Jennifer Vanderbes

    Jennifer Vanderbes is the author of the novels The Secret of Raven Point, Easter Island, and Strangers at the Feast, and is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a New York Public Library Cullman Fellowship. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Granta and has been translated into sixteen languages. She lives in New York City. Visit her website at JenniferVanderbes.com.

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    Reviews for Strangers at the Feast

    3.5/5

    94 ratings22 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I liked the characters in this story and I liked they way it took the entire book to learn all about them. Most of the time I like knowing the direction a book may go, but with this one I couldn't guess its direction and it was nice.
    • 2/5
      From all the reviews of this novel, I was expecting a real page-turner. Maybe it's just me, but I found the characters depressing.I didn't think it was suspenseful, and I thought what the characters did was deplorable.It depressed me. Too dark for my taste.
    • 5/5
      My Thanksgiving theme read was terrific.
      The character development was very interesting, done differently than I'm used to, as each "chapter" is another insight into that character.
      Some of the topics explored were obvious and some were subtle, which made me think this would be a good book club book.
      Anyone who has ever been part of a family that had a holiday dinner will easily identify with the dynamics.
      My favorite line, "As the bowls and platters commenced their orbit around the table, the clank of cutlery filled the room", I think sums up Thanksgiving dinner as well as anything I've read or heard before.
    • 4/5
      Quick read but well done. Could have been a bit more "insightful"....
    • 4/5
      I received this advance copy on Friday and finished reading it on Saturday. Talk about your family gatherings with some drama - this is one that takes it a step further than bickering between siblings. Not only the story, but the characters were what kept me so interested : they are us, me, our families, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, with their successes, failures and secrets. Anyone who wants to read about a contemporary family will enjoy this and finish it with many things to think about.
    • 5/5
      An enjoyable feast for readers, this novel takes place around a family Thanksgiving... gone wrong. Lots of family drama, including lost hopes and dreams, financial ruin, and lots of agendas. As you can surmise from the title, the feast gets interrupted by a few non-family members, though there are connections. I especially love how each chapter is written in the voice of one of the main characters; always a little worrisome, but I found the voices authentic. Only Gavin, the patriarch and Vietnam Vet, is underdeveloped... until near the end of the novel. A good read.
    • 1/5
      If you like Jonathan Franzen with a hint of mystery, you'll like this. I didn't.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the book and after finishing it I was reminded of Mrs. Pontellier swimming out to sea after truly realizing her position and circumstance in life as was imposed by societal standards.The idea of starting different chapters with characters as opposed to numbers or titles, made the book more personal. It worked better in my opinion, because the characters seem more real to the reader, as well as put the reader into a specific character frame when reading each chapter. It was as if you were reading a diary composed of different authors.Secondly, the books' settings and character lives were realistic situations. For example, the professions are believable, as well as the lives they would lead today. They could be people you pass on the street everyday or the neighbor living beside you.Davis is the father who survives Vietnam, only to return home to struggle to survive the rest of his life. Its nice to see his point of view recognized by the detective in the book at the end of the story. Elaine is the mother who devotes her life to taking care of her family only to be looked upon with pity from the children, friends and society. Although she attended and graduated college, she chose to be a mother and this is not an important profession. She is looked upon with contempt almost. You can see this when she places her viewpoint in the article only to have it refused within ten minutes. When you realize she doesn't want Ginny to know, it makes their story even more sad, in that both parents want their children to be proud of them. Davis sitting quietly, after reading Ginnys' article is another example of this.I could go on and on, about what other insights the characters gave, but those were the two I will remember the most. If you have the chance, sit down and read this book, you won't be disappointed.
    • 4/5
      The Olsons are a "normal" family with their share of financial, emotional, and psychological problems. Each one of the five adults has a story, told in alternating chapters. The large issues involve the effects of war, the ethics of eminent domain, the financial collapse of 2007, racism, and feminism. At the end, it's hard to feel anything but sadness, especially for the children. I did not love this novel, but it will haunt me for a long time. Vanderbes has a gripping way with words.
    • 5/5
      I read Vanderbes Easter Island and loved it so I looked forward to her latest and it did not disappoint. She uses a family gathering to explore the hidden and fractured pasts of each member. Juxtaposed against the Thanksgiving dinner is the story of another broken family from the other side of the tracks who are destroyed by the "urban renewal" which takes away their home. Vanderbes is an elegant writer and handles the dual story lines and time shifting with ease. The flow and tension within the novel makes this a compelling, well written read.
    • 4/5
      Brief Description: If you’re in the mood for a suspenseful family drama set during Thanksgiving, look no further! This novel manages to work in class warfare, single mother interracial adoption, simmering resentment, a marriage in freefall and multiple viewpoints. This story of the Olson family’s Thanksgiving will make your family’s feast seem like a smooth-sailing joy.My Thoughts: I’d heard so many rave reviews about this book that I just had to read it. Although I wasn’t quite as taken with it as some others (which could be due to the fact that I wasn’t in a good mental place when I read it as it was the first book I read after my mom died), I thought Vanderbes did a good job of showing a family in the midst of a complete and utter breakdown while also working in issues related to the gap between the haves and the have nots.
    • 5/5
      I liked this book a lot, although I avoided reading it for quite awhile. I expected something a lot more crime fictionish and lot gorier. Instead I got very nuanced literary fiction that contains a crime, although the question of victims and criminals is ambiguous at best.In a sense this is a story of suburban family angst. Plus it's Thanksgiving. As the family moves its way through all the Thanksgiving rituals (the cooking, arguing over who is doing the cooking and whose will host, the football games, the drinking, the fights, the teary moments where everyone comes together, saying grace, eating too much, etc.) the story unfolds around them.Shifting points of view, beautifully handled. Sharp, complex characterization. Elegant, precise writing. Mordant wit. Simple and complex tragedies. All of these elements combine to make this a book worth reading. That Vanderbes manages to address Thanksgiving and what it means to Americans (those who took the land and those whose land was taken) in examining this family and their encounter is a deeper, richer bonus. Restrained, delicate, and one of the best books I've read so far this year.
    • 5/5
      I received Strangers at the Feast: A Novel a few months ago and I loved it! A compelling complex story with engaging and interesting characters. The conflicts faced by the characters create questions about the reader's own perspective. The ending wrapped up a little too quickly for me but the shocking revelation at the conclusion outweighed the quickness of it's arrival. Literary fiction at it's finest. I have recommended this one to all of my friends.
    • 3/5
      This was a good read about interesting characters, but I felt that the author was building up to a very dramatic event, which kept me interested and reading. When we finally get to the big event, it was written with little description and was very anticlimactic. The aftermath of this event seemed liked it was written as an afterthought. I enjoyed reading from each character's point of view, but I was left very unsatisfied.
    • 3/5
      In Strangers At The Feast, Jennifer Vanderbes produces the tight, engaging narrative every writer dreams of creating. From the opening line, Jennifer Vanderbes draws you in and invites you to sit down with her fictional family while they tell their story. Vanderbes tackles weighty themes ranging from socioeconomics to eminent domain.I struggled to craft a synopsis that would do justice to Strangers At The Feast. Simply stating the plot doesn't cover the intricacies of Vanderbes' story. Unfortunately, the complexity that made Strangers At The Feast appealing to me as a reader also detracted from my experience. Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character. Although this formula gives the reader a feeling of immediacy and intimacy with Vanderbes' characters, they lack the distinctive voices that make the technique successful. Jennifer Vanderbes also spends more than half of her novel in flashback, in which she treats the reader to history lessons or waxes philosophical about the "emasculation of the American warrior." While these scenes are well-written, they drag down the book's pacing. When I finally reached the climax, Vanderbes rushed through it, and left a number of plot points unresolved. I was far more interested in the subplot involving Ginny Olson's adopted Indian daughter than in Douglas Olson's marital difficulties and was disappointed that I didn't get to see more of Priya. Despite lagging a bit in the middle, Strangers At The Feast is a quick read. Fans of literary fiction will enjoy Jennifer Vanderbes' skill with words and appreciate the depth of her research into a wide variety of topics.
    • 4/5
      I tend not to remember a lot of what I read in much detail. I’m not sure if this is the result of aging or reading too much or paying too little attention or a combination of all three. There was something about Jennifer Vanderbes’ novel, Strangers at the Feast, that vaguely reminded me of Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections and although my lousy memory doen’t provide much detail for that feeling, I suspect it is the novel’s depiction of one family’s dysfunctions and interrelationships. I have to confess that my feelings about the two books are diametrically opposed, however. While I absolutely loathed The Corrections and found I had neither sympathy nor empathy for a single one of his characters, I could embrace every member of the Olson family chronicled in Strangers. This tale of a Thanksgiving Day family dinner and the thoughts and life sketches of each member of the family resonated with me from first page to last. The writing is clear and fluid; the innermost thoughts of each character are as real to me as my own or as thoughts of people I know.One of the things that is ultimately telling about a book being really good or not so much is whether or not I would recommend it. Well, I can easily recommend this book to all of my reading friends but one – the one who only likes happy endings.
    • 3/5
      Strangers at the Feast, Jennifer Vanderbes The first thing I thought of as I read this book was that Vanderbes writes people very well. Her characters are complicated, flawed, and still sympathetic. None of them are stereotypically good or bad. Rather, they are real. This book has a large cast of characters, and each of them remains memorable even though I've finished the book.The premise of the book is the gathering of a family for Thanksgiving. The two parents, Gavin and Eleanor, their adult children, Douglas and Ginny, as well as Douglas' wife Denise and their children all congregate at Ginny's house for the big dinner. A surprise guest is Ginny's new adopted child Priya, a mute seven-year old girl from India. The novel splits into different narratives as the author describes, third-person, each of the characters.Eleanor, an aging sort of Mrs. Cunningham (from Happy Days), is controlling yet naive, with no grasp of how to interact with her family except to tell them what to do. Her focus is on material objects: the perfectly set table, the correct baking temperature for turkey. She appears unable to have a real conversation with anyone. In fact, she inwardly wonders if her adopted granddaughter came with any "guarantees". Her life has only one focus: motherhood. She constantly questions why her children don't appear to need her anymore, while she remains devoted and willing to do anything for them. She's even known to send herself cheery postcards, and while at first she annoys, you realize the pain that makes her act this way. Ginny is her daughter, an academic who lives to show off her knowledge and gloating at any perceived ignorance. Her knowledge is a cover for her feelings of worthlessness. She's adopted Priya suddenly in a grasp at finding meaning: instant motherhood is the answer she comes up for in her search for happiness. Sadly, she can't seem to relate to the child in any degree, and treats her more as a small housepet. Her head knowledge leaves her little common sense, and her proposed feast becomes a disaster. Douglas is a verifiable doofus, a real estate developer sinking into debt, who annoys everyone with his fascinating for discussing hypothetical situations: 'what if you won the lottery!' In this way he can avoid the reality of his financial ruin. His wife can't stand any of them, and only tolerates them because she dislikes her own family more. Lastly, Gavin, the patriarch, is a Vietnam vet who feels worthless in his life as an insurance salesman, and feels threatened by anyone elses's success.With a good premise and great characters, this novel has all the makings of a classic. Only the plot is a little bit disappointing. The character studies go on a bit too long, enough to make you wonder what the point is. An undercurrent of an impending crime is hinted at, but occurs late in the novel. The denouement is a bit unsatisfying as we never see how the characters evolve in any way, except for Eleanor. However, her transformation is the key to the novel and saves it in the end.While I enjoyed the author's voice, and the way it was snappy and fast-paced, she seemed to get off topic in a few places, namely a long discussion on Vietnam, another on menopause, and a thread on urban blight in the city. These detours were distracting and stalled the narrative quite a bit. The sudden denouement also felt forced.
    • 4/5
      Strangers at the Feast is a story about the Olson family. Pivotal to the plot is Doug, a thirty-something real estate developer who had forced people out of their homes in order to build a dazzling mega-tower in a former run down neighborhood. Also essential to the story is Kijo, a teenage African American who was evicted and forced to move with his Grandmother to a drug infested slum because of Doug. Kijo chooses Thanksgiving Day to fight back.The Olson Family is a dysfunctional one; they are fiercely loyal to their family, yet have no ability to communicate their strong emotions to one another. Because the whole story occurrs within the time span of one day (with, of course, flashes into everyone's past), The characters themselves become the focal point of the novel. Unfortunately, I found several of the characters to be unconvincing. Eleanor, Doug's mother, is a traditional housewife, always trying to maintain the peace. I wondered, however, how she could be so totally clueless about the reality surrounding her. Denise, Doug's wife, was equally unbelievable. It seems to me that she would have to focus on something besides money for her to be a three dimensional character. The story did keep my attention, though, especially toward the end, and I could sympathize completely with Kijo, Ginny, Gavin, and some others.
    • 5/5
      Strangers at the Feast is the story of a family gathering on Thanksgiving, 2007. It is told through the voices of many of the family members, as well as a black boy named Kijo is breaking into a house that Thanksgiving. The voices are interlocked, and the perspective changes frequently -- it could be dizzying, and hard to handle, but instead, it works together beautifully.I adored this book. It is written clearly, elegantly. It is interesting, it contains detail, it makes the reader think. Overall, this book is one that I highly recommend to anyone who is looking for good writing, as well as enjoyment.
    • 5/5
      It’s Thanksgiving day. Ginny, has invited her parents, her brother, his wife and their three kids to enjoy dinner in her new home. Ginny, single and an academic sort at that, is not well-versed in the kitchen, but is excited about hosting such an important meal. The others are excited about the prospect of seeing her new home, but they have their doubts over how successful the dinner will be. While waiting for dinner, each character has time to reflect on the past. The story is told through alternating points of view, whereas each chapter is dedicated to a character in the story. As the story progresses, it’s clear that the meal is anything but traditional and that there are larger issues to consider. The mere mention of Thanksgiving brings many images to mind. The glistening bird, the mounds of mashed potatoes, the gravy boats and…the drama. You know what I am talking about. Where Aunt Jolene drank a little bit too much wine and ended up out by the trash cans, or how that bird may have looked perfectly roasted on the outside, but really wasn’t. It happens. As much as I love Thanksgiving, there is also a little piece of me that dreads it as well. Vanderbes has written a novel that somehow encapsulates that exact feeling of dread. Family dynamics, intimate secrets, it’s all here. As the tension mounts, you know something is going to happen, but what? Well, I won’t share anything else because I want you to read it for yourself but Vanderbes does not disappoint. The writing is tight, the pace is gripping, and the characters are worth remembering. I was very excited to receive this book and once I cracked it open, I could not put it down.What I especially admire is that this isn’t JUST a page-turner, this is a book with a message. If you’re a fan of well-constructed stories, ones that unfold like a three-act play, are page-turners and include well-developed, conflicted characters, then there is no doubt in my mind that you will enjoy Strangers at the Feast.
    • 5/5
      loved the book. the characters telling about themselves and how they reacted to different situations. would have liked a different ending i wanted more wanted to see what happens next. it was hard to put book downwas given the book by simon and shuster
    • 5/5
      The Olson family gathers to celebrate the Thanksgiving holidays at the home of one of its members, Ginny. Ginny has recently made some drastic changes to her life, adopting a daughter from India, buying a house and her decision to host the family for this event is surprising but seems to be in line with this new phase of her life. Her brother Douglas and his wife Denise are drowning in severe debt as a result of Douglas's over speculation in the real estate market that has now gone bust. So while they smile and put on an appearance for their children and the rest of the family, there is trouble brewing. And Ginny and Douglas's parents, Eleanor and Gavin, are dealing with their own loneliness as they were never very communicative with each other following Gavin's return from the Vietnam war. While the meal starts off at Ginny's house, they are forced to move to Douglas's house because Ginny's stove malfunctions. This simple act sets the stage for a tragedy and calls into stark focus the underlying issues that have long simmered below the surface. From the synopsis of the book, I knew there was to be a catastrophic event that would rock the whole family. But because this part of the story does not happen till much later, I was able to focus on the excellent characterization of the family that preceded this event. It is in the description of the individual members of this family, their quirks and demons, their sympathies and triumphs, that the author really shines and displays her talent as a writer. The reader is able to delve into the lives of a complex and ultimately sad family. To call this family dysfunctional really does not do them justice as they are so much more and it cheapens and trivializes their true intricacies. Each member of the family harbors private concerns, pains and resentments that shape them into the people they choose to become. Ginny as the know it all college professor and generally unlikable daughter on the spur of the moment adopts a mute seven year old from India. While I could sympathize with almost all other members of her family, Ginny was the character I liked least. She spent her time throwing around her intelligence, constantly lecturing her family on every injustice in history and just being generally obnoxious. Her decision to adopt a child did not at all engender her to me as it was not well thought out and just seemed like a momentary emotion and a poorly thought out one at that. She always seemed to be caught up in displaying her supposed intellectual superiority that she rarely took a moment to examine herself and her motives. I never warmed to her and her thoughts on the last page further confirmed my belief in how shallow she was. Ginny's brother Douglas was a sad character to read. Here was a man who both consciously and unconsciously lived to please his father and feeling like this was an impossible goal. But the more he tried, the more he seemed to drift away from and displease his father. Sadly, his father returned from the Vietnam war an uncommunicative and taciturn man who shut his wife and the subsequent family they would have out of his inner thoughts. By the time he realizes his love for his wife and his family, both they and he had grown used to his aloofness. Gavin's character was a sad character to read because the reader is privy to his feelings and thoughts and so sees him more sympathetically than his family for whom he is a distant figure inspiring fear, longing, exasperation but nothing outside of obligatory familial love. Eleanor his wife was the typical sixties wife who believed that since her husband worked hard, provided for his family, never brutalized her or her children, she would put up with his remoteness. The amalgamation of all these personalities leads to the family who we meet at the beginning of the story. The final crime that occurs during this family gathering is not as monumental as I had originally thought it would be but served as the catalyst that ignites tensions long held. This story resonates the lack of communication that characterizes many of our lives. The stored up hurts that pile up over the years, the unspoken emotions, the remembered sins, unspoken praises, will in many cases produce individuals and families that navigate life in a maze, never acknowledging the underlying causes of various actions. This book is sad and I think most people will find it very depressing and may see the whole story in a negative light. But if one is willing to see beyond this, you will find a story that makes you ponder the complexity of relationships and their fundamental meaning.*Review copy provided by Simon and Schuster.