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Among Friends: A Novel
NAMED ONE OF THE NEW YORKER'S "BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR SO FAR"
“Stylish and assured….Ebbott’s prose is honed and aphoristic, recalling the work of James Salter and John Cheever…The sentences go down easy...but there is substance beneath the gleaming surfaces.” —Washington Post
“Acutely perceptive and beautifully written…A living thing...A huge achievement.” —The Financial Times
"Finely calibrated...[A]s discerning as it is pitiless." —The New Yorker
What begins as celebration gives way to betrayal, shattering the trust between two families
It’s an autumn weekend at a comfortable New York country house where two deeply intertwined families have gathered to mark the host’s fifty-second birthday.
Together, the group forms an enviable portrait of middle age. The wives and husbands have been friends for over thirty years, their teenage daughters have grown up together, and the dinners, games, and rituals forming their days all reflect the rich bonds between them.
This weekend, however, something is different. An unforeseen curdling of envy and resentment will erupt in an unspeakable act, the aftermath of which exposes treacherous fault lines upon which they have long dwelt.
Written with hypnotic elegance and molten precision, and announcing the arrival of a major literary talent, Hal Ebbott’s Among Friends examines betrayal within the sanctuary of a defining relationship, as well as themes of class, marriage, friendship, power, and the things we tell ourselves to preserve our finely made worlds.
“Stylish and assured….Ebbott’s prose is honed and aphoristic, recalling the work of James Salter and John Cheever…The sentences go down easy...but there is substance beneath the gleaming surfaces.” —Washington Post
“Acutely perceptive and beautifully written…A living thing...A huge achievement.” —The Financial Times
"Finely calibrated...[A]s discerning as it is pitiless." —The New Yorker
What begins as celebration gives way to betrayal, shattering the trust between two families
It’s an autumn weekend at a comfortable New York country house where two deeply intertwined families have gathered to mark the host’s fifty-second birthday.
Together, the group forms an enviable portrait of middle age. The wives and husbands have been friends for over thirty years, their teenage daughters have grown up together, and the dinners, games, and rituals forming their days all reflect the rich bonds between them.
This weekend, however, something is different. An unforeseen curdling of envy and resentment will erupt in an unspeakable act, the aftermath of which exposes treacherous fault lines upon which they have long dwelt.
Written with hypnotic elegance and molten precision, and announcing the arrival of a major literary talent, Hal Ebbott’s Among Friends examines betrayal within the sanctuary of a defining relationship, as well as themes of class, marriage, friendship, power, and the things we tell ourselves to preserve our finely made worlds.
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Community Reviews
What’s it about?
Emerson and Amos have been friends since their college days. They have maintained this friendship for over thirty years. They gather with their wives and teenage daughters at a country house outside New York City. Something will happen over the weekend that threatens the harmony that they have long counted on.
What did it make me think about?
Friendships.
Should I read it?
If I am to be honest, I did not expect to care for this book. Some people loved it, but many others hated it. It gets 2.9 on Goodreads – that doesn’t bode well.
But I had chosen it as a Book of the Month pick, and I thought I would read a few pages. Well, I just kept reading. I did not find it difficult to get through at all. It reminded me a little of an Elizabeth Strout novel, except it was told from a male perspective—a unique look into a male friendship. We read a lot of inner dialogue that informs why the characters behave as they do. I suspect this might be tedious for many readers. I found it quite fascinating.
I would recommend this with reservations. It is not plot-driven, but it does move along. It is very thoughtful, so if action is your thing- skip it. I hated it and I admired it at the same time. You will understand if you decide to read the story. No spoilers here! I myself am eager to read Hal Ebbott’s next book.
Quote-
“Each in their own way will think of this drive. They will marvel at its ordinariness, they will search it for signs. Was it already broken? Was it already lost? They will wonder. They will have no idea.”
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