You Shall Know Our Velocity
 

You Shall Know Our Velocity (Vintage)

by Dave Eggers

In his first novel, Dave Eggers has written a moving and hilarious tale of two friends who fly around the world trying to give away a lot of money and free themselves from a profound loss. It reminds us once again what an important, necessary talent Dave Eggers is. (read review)

Top tags: fictiontravelcontemporary fictionmcsweeneyseggers (all tags)

 

Member Reviews

  • koavf
    1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
    • Rated 4 stars

    YSKOV is a kind of post-modern, road-trip buddy comedy, and as awful as that sounds, it's actually immensely enjoyable. The heroes are as weak-willed-yet-good-intentioned as the average 21st-century American and make the reader reassess what it means to be responsible and humane. Be sure to read the paperback, with the additional 50 pages.

    koavf wrote this review Monday, May 28 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Andra
    • Rated 5 stars

    This book changed how I see the world. It served as a quiet reminder of the beauty that is in sadness. Eggers can elicit tears and joy, confusion and clarity. The best book I've read since Joyce.

    Andra wrote this review Wednesday, September 24 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Connie S
    • Rated 5 stars

    When I started this one, I didn't like it. I didn't like it, because I didn't like the characters. And the fact that I didn't like them showed me that Eggers wrote them well enough that they stepped from the page and not only became real, they became real enough to dislike.
    That being said, it's remarkable to watch the main character change. He grows from the rather unbelievable journey he gets to make, and he has a resounding moment of self-recognition that brought tears to my eyes. By the end of the book I was cheering him on, and I became an instant Eggers fan. I can't wait to read more of his work.

    Connie S wrote this review Tuesday, August 12 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Jordana  H
    • Rated 3 stars

    Most people that I know that have read this book have had mixed feelings about it. I personally, liked the book. Eggars writing is amazing; lots of really long, beautifully constructed sentences. However, I did feel the story lacked cohesiveness. Overall a good read.

    Jordana H wrote this review Saturday, May 24 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Matt H
    • Rated 4 stars

    borrowed this from laura. in the wake of the death of one of his two closet friends, will - a seemingly normal twenty-something - enlists his remaining friend to accompany him on a spontaneous multi-continental quest to distribute to strangers the wealth he's recently aquired but with which he feels uncomfortable. the pair hop from country to country, without a plan, desperate to happen across some form of destiny, and to distract themselves from the confusion their experiences have bred. certain elements of the characters' backstories make them less relatable here than in egger's memoirs, and the author's choice to make will's mind those few shades too dark made me feel more detatched than empathetic, unlike my experience reading eggers' non-fiction. will and his friend start out quirky and interesting, but the more we learn about how will actually perceives the world, the less i like what i'm seeing. well written and interesting, but unnecessarily dark and ultimately hard to identify with.

    Matt H wrote this review Monday, June 16 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Zoe
    • Rated 3 stars

    I quite enjoyed this book, though I probably won't read it again. If anyone would like it though, it really is very good.

    Zoe wrote this review Wednesday, April 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Becky B
    • Rated 4 stars

    A romp-around-the-world with a guilt-ridden would-be philanthropist and his best friend as they attempt to offload an unworthy fortune on worthy recipients, with hilarious results. If you already know Dave Eggers, you can probably guess there's a big ol' postmodern narrative twist before the book is through.

    Becky B wrote this review Sunday, March 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • amber c
    • Rated 2 stars

    I found the narrator completely annoying. The book wouldn't have been so difficult to like if not for that.

    amber c wrote this review Friday, February 15 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Janet S
    • Rated 5 stars

    I heard Dave speak at Butler University a few years back and he was captivating and funny and thus I purchased his book.

    Janet S wrote this review Monday, February 4 2008. ( reply | permalink )
Displaying 1-10 of 28 reviews
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