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    The End of Alice
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    The End of Alice
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    The End of Alice
    Audiobook8 hours

    The End of Alice

    Written by A.M. Homes

    Narrated by Jeff Harding

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    The End of Alice treads the thin line between the evil and the everyday and caused a major controversy when it was first published. The story centres on a disturbing correspondence between the narrator, a middle-aged killer serving his twenty-third year in prison; and his slang-speaking, sweet-seeming admirer, a nineteen-year-old girl intent on seducing a young neighbourhood boy. Slowly, through these letters, the narrator's dangerous character emerges.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherW. F. Howes Ltd
    Release dateMay 7, 2015
    ISBN9781471274176
    Author

    A.M. Homes

    A.M. Homes vive en Nueva York y es profesora en la Universidad de Columbia. Ha sido denominada «reina de las bad-girl heroines» (Mademoiselle) y «la mejor retratista de la depravación contemporánea» (The New York Times Book Review). En Anagrama se han publicado El fin de Alice: «Una indagación en lo más oscuro de los deseos, una obra emparentada con la Lolita de Nabokov, pero más brutal y provocadora» (Mauricio Bach, El Mundo); «Un cruce entre Lolita y El silencio de los corderos» (Karma); Música para corazones incendiados: «Una crónica excéntrica y delirante del tejido conyugal y del fracaso de un modelo social» (Javier Aparicio Maydeu, El Periódico); Cosas que debes saber: «Un sabroso catálogo de los horrores cotidianos que anidan en los suburbios residenciales de Estados Unidos» (Juan Manuel de Prada, ABC); «Pensad en A. M. Homes como en la hija imposible de John Cheever y Dorothy Parker, unida para siempre a su hermano siamés Todd Solondz» (Rodrigo Fresán); Este libro te salvará la vida: «Destinada a convertirse en una comedia memorable sobre un pedazo de vida en la ciudad de Los Ángeles» (Iosu de la Torre, El Periódico); «Una novela frenética, nerviosa, que tiene tanto de fábula moral como de crítica certera de la sociedad de consumo» (Diego Gándara, La Razón); La hija de la amante: «Relato intenso, duro, y que crea en el lector la fascinante necesidad de continuar leyendo» (Sergi Pàmies); «Libro despiadado, sombrío y resplandeciente a la vez» (María José Obiol, El País); Ojalá nos perdonen: «Excelente el reflejo social que nos ofrece Homes» (José Antonio Gurpegui, El Mundo); Días temibles: «la maestría de Homes para el relato y su talento para la observación y la parodia y el retrato deformante pero tan fi el de seres extremos a la vez que normales» (Rodrigo Fresán, ABC); En un país para madres: «Inquietante... Captura un mundo fuera de control... Una novela psicológica fascinante» (San Francisco Chronicle) y La revelación: «Una sátira feroz… Homes captura a las élites estadounidenses con exquisita precisión… Escenas que hacen llorar de risa… Irresistible» (Ron Charles, The Washington Post).

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    Reviews for The End of Alice

    3.5/5

    271 ratings18 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      A superbly well written novel, however it doesn't seem to have anything to say. This is one of those modern books that quite transparently is inspired by Lolita, however this is the first I've encountered that felt like an ode rather than a clumsy repackaging. Prose was excellent, the structure was beautifully crafted, but it feels hollow.

      I also wouldn't say it's worth the hype, it wasn't anywhere near as disturbing as it had been praised in horror/dark literary fiction circles. I was a bit disappointed. I was also disappointed to see the "12 year old suductress/er vs. the humble and protesting older pedophile" trope played out again in a less masterful hand than Nabokov's - I have a lot to say on that topic about this book, but the short of it is that I thought it was poorly executed.
    • 4/5
      The blurb of this book initially caught my attention, but by the time I was halfway through, I was sure I'd be too disgusted to finish. It is graphic, yes, but once I read past that to the underlying emotional story, I was hooked. The end of the book was absolutely amazing. After reading the final sentence, I had to sit back and let it all sink in. My mind needed time to absorb the details, untangle the web, and completely enjoy the story that had just been told to me. This book is unforgettable.
    • 5/5
      A.M. Homes's powerful narrative shines the light upon the most commonly misunderstood individual, all the while never showing mercy - from the beginning to the end, despite his weaknesses, we do not see the man as tormented, a victim of his lusts, but as a monster tormented.
    • 2/5
      When I told my roommate what this novel was all about, she gave me a look filled with disgust and said "I have no idea how you can stomach reading this kind of stuff." In all honesty, I get that look a lot. I don't always read books that are "normal" or "safe". It's not as if I hunt for books that deal with disturbing content, but if I find one and I think the premise is interesting, then I will definitely give it a shot. I think that books dealing with topics that are controversial make you think differently, and it can be useful to hone that ability. Anyways, this is one of those books that is sexual and graphic in nature, so consider this a warning: this book is not for the faint of heart!

      My synopsis itself will be brief: This is a story about a pedophile in prison who begins to receive letters from a 19-year old girl who lives in the suburbs. She plans to follow in our pedophile prisoner's footsteps and her letters are erotically charged, showing the way in which she seduces and claims her victim - a 12-year-old boy. The prisoner, on his end, uses this as an opportunity to live vicariously through the girl's actions and recall his own dalliances with little girls.

      So. This novel was definitely erotic and it will definitely make you feel uncomfortable. That being said, the prose was not my favorite thing. There were long rambling passages that bored me to tears, and I ended up skimming most of the novel in order to focus on the plot. Most of what was said was unnecessary; this book could definitely have been written in fewer pages/chapters. I thought the letter writing concept was cool and was hoping that the author would actually write out the whole letter for the reader to see. But no, instead we get the pedophile inserting certain parts of the letter, while summarizing the rest; it is also clear that his "summary" isn't just composed of whatever the girl has written but also what he himself has imagined is happening. That was a bit disappointing, as I would have liked to read it from her perspective instead. The overall concept of this novel was interesting but the actual writing of it left me disappointed. If you are expecting something thrilling or shocking, then don't go for this novel; other than making you feel uncomfortable at times, it doesn't do much else.
    • 5/5
      It feels weird to give a book like this, one with such a horrible subject matter, a five star rating -- but the truth is, Homes did such an excellent job with this. Homes never once shies away from the grotesque, but she never over does it either. There's enough to make anyone squeamish, to be certain, but it's like watching a trainwreck happen; no matter how bitingly, realistically terrible things get (and they do, often), there's a desperate need to see the whole truth of things unearthed. I feel that most people wouldn't be able to stomach this book, but it's fascinatingly disturbing and disgusting insightful, in the best of ways, and definitely worth a read.
    • 4/5
      WARNING: HORROR NOVEL. EVERY PARENTS NIGHTMARE.

      I just thought I should make that (the above) very clear.It starts out innocently enough a letter to a prisoner. But then the story evolves into something terrible, horrible. And lots of gruesome. Have I made it clear? This book is about a pedophile. A old one in prison and a new one...free. Your asking why did you read this? I do not know. I though "oh it is less than 300 pages, it should be a quick read and it will be like a Dateline episode". Well, it was a quick read; once I started this was not something I wanted lingering around. You could have put it down you say. I could have. But I chose not to. The subject (at one point I considered vomiting) is repulsive. It is not something we should look away from. Hide from. Not talk to our children about. IGNORE. It is scary.

      the fact the author chose to make the object of one sexual predator a boy hits home, I have a boy

      And it it not a nice clean sanitized Dateline episode. This is raw in your face sexual violence. This folks is the sad reality. It made me think of the documentary I watched on PBS about the camps of pedophiles in the woods in Florida.

      One blurb on my book calls this a "love story". The Los Angeles times can FUCK OFF. Love story?! That is not okay. This is absolutely not a love story. Not at all. And if we fool ourselves into thinking that well, I am scared for all of us.

      About the book, the writing you ask? I can say it was well done. I am not sure that I would really recommend this anyone I know. I advise to read at your own risk. I have nothing to offer. I feel like bathing in bleach after this one.

      And yes. I gave it a high rating. It was thought provoking. Made me want to vomit. Made me want to educate my child better. These are the monsters we should worry about. The ones that walk among us. In order to know them better we cannot ignore them. We owe our children that.

    • 4/5
      A story about pedophilia - not your every fare. Homes does a great job with disturbing imagery. The subject matter is uncomfortable, the writing is very well done: a good book for those looking for something dark.
    • 1/5
      Couldn't even make it to the 50-page mark in this book.
    • 4/5
      I really liked "The End of Alice" by A.M. Homes. I think that it was well written, and the time that it took him to write this book wasn't put to waste. It's sexual, and it enthralling. I think that this book deserves 3 and a half stars because of how slow the book went. When you're reading it, you want to skip ahead to get to the letter writing between Chappy, and the nineteen year old girl.
    • 4/5
      If you ever felt a bit undernourished by Lolita, this will definitely spike your caloric intake. Am I the only person who had a feeling that Homes is playing both sides in a gross out contest? I will confess that she got to me with the sound effects.
    • 5/5
      The subject matter is not your everyday kind of book. It opens your eyes to the sick and twisted minds of pedophiles. I do not agree with pedophilia but this book did open my eyes and mind to the causes that create these monsters. If you're open minded and like reading things that aren't every day then you'll enjoy this book.
    • 5/5
      This first-person account of a paedophile's relationships with his victims is very unpleasant and deeply disturbing, but wonderful and thought-provoking too.
    • 5/5
      An unpleasant masterpiece. The protagonist is an accused (and imprisoned) pedophile and possible child murderer. The torments the author dishes out to this character are revolting, nauseating, and possibly redeeming. I loved the book, but hated the story.
    • 5/5
      one of the most provocative books about a pedophile and a girl who has had the stirrings of becoming a pedophile herself.
    • 5/5
      Phenomenal, and phenomenally creepy.
    • 4/5
      If Nabokov made "Lolita" one hundred times more pornographic and violent, he would have beaten Homes to the punch with "The End of Alice". This is hands down one of the most disturbing novels I've ever read, even more than "American Psycho". Yet I couldn't put it down to see where this book would take me. Definately not for those with thin skin.
    • 5/5
      Believe the hype: this is a deeply disturbing novel. And yet, Homes handles the subject matter (namely, pedophilia) with dexterity; she neither sensationalizes nor glosses over the gravity of the characters' past and present actions. Undoubtedly, The End of Alice is going to offend plenty of would-be readers, but I wouldn't toss it aside just because of its content. It's an uncomfortable yet engrossing read.
    • 1/5
      despite the hype and the suppsoedly shocking theme it is disappointing in all departments