The World Without You Book Reviews

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The World Without You. An interesting book full of drama and conflict.

Superb novel, finely calibrated, resonates long after you finish. A fabulous read (especially if you're reading it around the 4th of July), Joshua Henkin's THE WORLD WITHOUT YOU is a deeply affecting novel that is as much about its particulars--a family of disparate souls gathering on the one-year anniversary of the death of one of its members, a journalist son who was murdered in Iraq while covering the recent war there--as it is about the kind of stage a novel can provide to illuminate an event that might otherwise be incomprehensible due to its unthinkable nature. That this description could be applied to any work of realistic fiction, especially that whose subject matter, like Henkin's, would seem to be ripped from tragic headlines, goes without saying. But what Henkin is able to achieve in terms of providing us deep, humanely contradicting views of a family at emotional sea, seamlessly moving back and forth among its members' colliding points of view (while still never once letting up on the forward-moving tension and action of his narrative) reminds us of how the best practitioners of the novel necessarily elevate its potential not simply to be a mirror of life, but also a form of it itself. THE WORLD WITHOUT YOU, despite and because of its funereal heart, urges us both in form and content to live life to the fullest. It does so unsentimentally--and also often, thankfully, with a knowing sense of humor. A valuable experience, highly recommended!

The World without You - The Perfect eBook for a Summer Read!. On July 4, 2004, Leo Frankel, Marilyn and David Frankel's only son, an investigative journalist, was killed in Iraq. One year later the Frankel family gathers at their summer home to attend his memorial service. Thus, Joshua Henkin begins this moving account in his latest book, THE WORLD WITHOUT YOU. The marvelously fashioned characters reveal common conflicts that are centered on Leo`s death and each person`s role in the family. The characters are real and the reader can relate to them and believe in them. More importantly, like them or hate them, Henkin writes so that readers care about them. This makes THE WORLD WITHOUT YOU a glorious narrative that keeps readers involved from page one. I found this to be Josh Henkin at his best! The book downloaded quickly to my iPad with no problems. I loved that it was easy to take with me everywhere as I couldn't stop turning pages because the beginning grabbed me and I was hooked right away. Want to read more from Josh Henkin!

A deeply affecting character-driven family novel. I've been meaning to read Matrimony, Joshua Henkin's previous novel for years, but when I heard about this new novel, I decided to start with it. I'm so glad I did. I read The World Without You mostly in public places, which isn't particularly unusual for me. What is worth mentioning, however, is that nearly every chapter of this novel brought tears to my eyes. Some chapters left me sobbing, which is something I generally try to avoid in public places, but this novel was too good to put down in airports, on airplanes and on the bus. Despite taking place over a few days, Henkin masterfully constructs these characters fully. I never got confused as to which person, and they seemed like real people, was which. Part of the fun for me was the setting in the Berkshires, near where my husband grew up and I, too, love to spend summers. Essentially, this novel is all about character and writing: "In her twenties, she used to buy condoms with a casualness that bordered on disdain, but this feels different to her. There's something more private about pregnancy than about sex, and although she understands the two are connected, it's the trying to conceive that feels personal to her." As I looked back on the numerous passages I marked, I was still surprised to see that all of them were character-based statements. Henkin is a beautiful writer, and despite the tragic death at the novel's center, the emotions I felt as I read never felt forced or stemming from manipulation. Instead, they stemmed from real grief felt for these people. Favorite passage: "She's suspicious of people who don't snoop; she thinks it suggests a lack of curiosity." The verdict: The World Without You is a deeply affecting, character-driven novel and one I won't soon forget. Highly recommended.

No thanks.. Imagine spending a long weekend with a bunch of people you don't really care for. You have now experienced this book. In retrospect, I should never have purchased it. I'm not a family person - family reunions are not for me. And this family, specifically, is so unlikeable. If not for Gretchen, who is the most authentic, I cared not for any of them. Even the son being mourned? Not such an amazing person. I know, I know - if I liked it so little, why read to the end? I kept wanting something to happen - some reward for time invested. It did not. Aargh!

fantastic. Henkin's best book to date. Complex characters whose lives are woven together with great skill by the author. Very readable. (The previous reviewer gives a low rating based on missing pages. But that's clearly one of those periodic random iPad glitches. It has nothing to do with the book, which is not missing any pages. Folks should rate the book, not post a rating based on frustration from a messed up download.)

Wonderful literary fiction!. I loved this novel that depicts human relationships in such a true form. Henkin made his characters honest and raw, and didn't hold back. With themes of death, love, and forgiveness, I can't help but think this would make a wonderful book club selection. I highly recommend this novel!

The World Without You. Amongst the hundreds of novels about families Henkin's stands out for its depth, intelligence and sensitivity. What happens when a son, brother, husband dies prematurely and publicly, a victim of political terror? How do those who truly knew and loved him live with the loss, which is different for each of them, but real for all of them? Henkin writes real people, flawed, funny, kind, self absorbed, and ultimately loving. This is a novel worth anyone's time.

Loved It. This is an absorbing, fast, entertaining read featuring a great story, great characters, great details (one character "almost lost a toe, cutting it on a Pringles can during a water fight"). I loved the one-liners. "He used to work for a catering company, and the reigning wisdom was, a third more food for a Jewish event, a third less drink." Wesleyan is a college "where the students idea of exercise was to walk to the store to buy cigarettes." Though the context is a family that lost a member in the Iraq War, the book did not strike me as heavy-handedly political; the book probably would have worked almost as well if the character had died of cancer and the grieving mother had become an anti-smoking activist instead of an antiwar activist. It struck me as more a book about family and relationships and mourning than about war. The book is about the aftermath of a death, so it has a certain sadness about it, though not oppressively so. It winds up on a fairly upbeat note (I think I can say that without spoiling the story). The author is a friend of mine.

Beautiful. The World Without You is about how life happens and goes on even when you don't particularly want it to. At its essence this novel is about family and the bonds they share that can't be broken. Henkin has done a marvelous job of creating truly human characters.

A wonderful novel. I loved this book. Joshua Henkin writes about these characters in a way that made me feel like I knew them, like they were my family, like I cared deeply about them. A very satisfying novel and one I would highly recommend. FYI, I did not have the issue that the other reader mentioned -- my ebook was 100% fine.

Wonderful. Poignant. Heartbreaking. Touching. There are a lot of words I could use to describe this book, but the one that seems the most applicable is familiar. This is not because I can identify or even begin to imagine what the family has been through, but because the characters were all so very approachable. Rarely does a book draw the reader into the folds of its story so seamlessly as this one does. The World Without You is about a family that is falling apart after the death of their son, brother and husband, Leo. Captured and killed while working as a journalist in Iraq, Leo’s funeral was overridden by the press one year earlier and the family has chosen to memorialize him in a small ceremony in his favorite Berkshires town in Massachusetts. Told through alternating perspectives, The World Without You holds nothing back in its portrayal of a family that is slowly disintegrating. Everyone in this book is important and intriguing in their own way, but here is a snapshot of the most interesting: - Noelle - Sister of Leo and mother of four boys. Noelle fled her promiscuous past, became a born-again Orthodox Jew and lives in Jerusalem. She shakes things up by bringing her own kosher food and dishes. - Thisbe – Leo’s young widow and mother of their three year old, Calder. She’s in the precarious position of being young and wanting to move forward and respecting her past and Leo’s legacy. - Marilyn – Leo’s mother who is determined to make the weekend a success and for whom everyone else is trying to please. - Clarissa – Leo’s sister who is struggling with getting pregnant. The author, Joshua Henkin, does a wonderful job of navigating the waters of real family battles while respecting the perspectives of each. There were no favorites, nor were there any overly dramatic moments to sully the underlying tone of authenticity.What I love about this book is that it is relatable. Anyone who has argued with siblings or felt chastised by in-laws will be able to identify with this book, whether or not they have lost a close family member. It oozes sincerity without the cheesiness that often accompanies that emotion, and it has moved into one of my favorite books of the year.

Great summer read.. Literary author Joshua Henkin embodies compassionate writing. It’s easier to overload on action and violence than it is to build, layer upon layer, a character that lives. His stories unravel gracefully, gently that by the end of 300 some odd pages, the characters are friends, and you feel as if you had a visceral hand in creating the story just by reading it. His third novel, “The World Without You,” is a “Big Chill” story, spanning three days and three sisters who’ve come together to honor their dead brother, Leo, who had been killed the year before on Newsday assignment in Iraq. It’s fourth of July weekend, 2005, as the Frankel family, flaming redheads, tries to pull together for a memorial honoring Leo. Characters are richly textured: either on the verge of beginning or ending something. Henkin has an uncanny ability to write from a woman’s point of view, better than some women authors who, in an attempt to NOT write "women’s" fiction come off more as whining, condescending and sarcastic. In “The World Without You,” Henkin cleverly divides a young man’s life through the eyes of his women. Mom, can’t let go of her only son, his sisters, who teased their younger brother only to later watch him take a global wingspan of a journalist, learn to let go. And, of course, the most intimate relationship, his wife--needs to live again. I loved this novel. Henkin's characters stay with you for days, the sure sign of a great writer.

Dynamic Family Story. Henkin gets to the heart of family dynamics. Adult siblings, spouses and children interact, reminisce, explore their relationships, and even explode like fireworks over this Independence Day holiday. The gathering has been called to memorialize the youngest son, brother and husband of this realistic clan who the reader comes to know and understand and care about as the book progresses to a powerful and hopeful ending.

Family. Is there anything more complex than family relationships ? This is a story when one family comes together on the 4th of July, not for the traditional cookout, but to share unspeakable grief. It is a dysfunctional family, to be sure, but by the end, you get to know each one of them and you know the reasons behind what they do . Not exactly a "beach read" but a great Summer book ! Happy reading.

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