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Leaving the Atocha Station

By Ben Lerner
Series: Best of Granta
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.79 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 18,578 ratings, 2,228 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner explores the life of a young American poet, Adam Gordon, during his fellowship in Madrid. Navigating personal relationships and art alongside bouts of doubt and introspection, Adam reflects on authenticity and self-perception in a foreign culture, all while grappling with profound questions about his place in the world and his own creative process.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate introspective narratives that explore the complexities of art, identity, and existential anxiety through the perspective of a self-aware poet navigating life in Madrid. Its subtle humour and philosophical musings make it an intriguing read for those who enjoy character-driven stories with a meditative pace.

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Included in the BEST OF GRANTA launch list for 2023: this story of a young American abroad and adrift is a hilarious, intelligent cult classic, from one of the most celebrated contemporary novelists.

Included in the BEST OF GRANTA launch list for 2023: this story of a young American abroad and adrift is a hilarious, intelligent cult classic, from one of the most celebrated contemporary novelists.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
Adam Gordon is a brilliant, if highly unreliable, young American poet on a prestigious fellowship in Madrid, struggling to establish his sense of self and his attitude towards art. Fuelled by strong coffee and self-prescribed tranquillizers, Adam's 'research' soon becomes a meditation on the possibility of authenticity, as he finds himself increasingly troubled by the uncrossable distance between himself and the world around him. It's not just his imperfect grasp of Spanish, but the underlying suspicion that his relationships, his reactions, and his entire personality are just as fraudulent as his poetry.

Series: Best of Granta

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  • Leaving the Atocha Station
    Adam Gordon is a brilliant, if highly unreliable, young American poet on a prestigious fellowship in Madrid, struggling to establish his sense of self and his attitude towards art. Fuelled by strong coffee and self-prescribed tranquillizers, Adam's 'research' soon becomes a meditation on the possibility of authenticity, as he finds himself increasingly troubled by the uncrossable distance between himself and...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Ben Lerner's Leaving the Atocha Station is celebrated for its humour and intelligence, drawing comparisons to both bildungsroman and dark comedy. Critics praise its ability to blend art and existential musings with sharp, witty narration, capturing the essence of a young American poet navigating life in Madrid. The book's insights into creativity and self-awareness have been described as both poignant and hilarious, marking it as a standout debut in contemporary fiction.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781803510040

Publisher: Granta Publications Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 17 August 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Granta Publications Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 138g

Pages: 192

Collections

Ben Lerner Fiction General Fiction Humour Literary Fiction Series: Best of Granta

About the Author

BEN LERNER was born in Topeka, Kansas, in 1979. He has received fellowships from the Fulbright, Guggenheim, and MacArthur Foundations, and is the author of three internationally acclaimed novels, Leaving the Atocha Station, 10:04 and The Topeka School. He has published the poetry collections The Lichtenberg Figures, Angle of Yaw (a finalist for the National Book Award), Mean Free Path and No Art as well as the essay The Hatred of Poetry. Lerner lives and teaches in Brooklyn.

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  • Transcription
    The narrator of Ben Lerner's new novel has travelled to Providence, where he is to conduct what will be the final published interview with Thomas, his ninety-year-old mentor, and the father of his college friend, Max. But after the narrator drops his smartphone in the hotel sink, he arrives at Thomas's house with no recording device, a fact he is...
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  • The Topeka School
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  • Transcription
    Transcription
    The narrator of Ben Lerner's new novel has travelled to Providence, where he is to conduct what will be the final published interview with Thomas, his ninety-year-old mentor, and the father of his college friend, Max. But after the narrator drops his smartphone in the hotel sink, he arrives at Thomas's house with no recording device, a fact he is...
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  • Leaving the Atocha Station
    Leaving the Atocha Station follows Adam Gordon, a brilliant yet highly unreliable young American poet on a prestigious fellowship in Madrid. He struggles to establish his sense of self and his attitude towards art. Fuelled by strong coffee and self-prescribed tranquillizers, Adam's 'research' soon becomes a meditation on the possibility of authenticity. He finds himself increasingly troubled by the uncrossable...
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