Remainder
 

Remainder

by Tom McCarthy

A man is severely injured in a mysterious accident, receives an outrageous sum in legal compensation, and has no idea what to do with it.

Then, one night, an ordinary sight sets off a series of bizarre visions he can’t quite place.

How he goes about bringing his visions to life–and what happens afterward–makes for one of the most riveting, complex, and... (read more)

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Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It

babyteeters
  • Rated 4 stars

Truly original and odd.

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Didn’t Like It

Maite
  • Rated 1 stars

Terrible British "humor", questionable storytelling at best - if you are the type of person who talks because they like to hear themself talk (constant self-monologue) and you enjoy reading strange and completely random words and sentences that are meant to form a "story" then this book is probably for you. Otherwise, don't waste your time/money.

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Community:
  • Rated 3.26 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 0 stars
 

Newest Comments

  • Truncated

    truncated said:

    I think that the detail of the recreations throughout the book mirror McCarthy's character in the repetitiveness with making his subjects do things over and over with perfection, despite the level of insanity the parts were.

    I loved the twist at the end, which leaves the main character in a sort of perpetual bliss. We don't see him arrested for his final 'recreation' in the bank robbery. Instead, McCarthy leaves him weightless and turning in the air with Naz. I loved Naz's character as well. I liked the way he was described as a thinker, with the "whirring back behind his eyes".

    I think that it possibly could be read as a satire on modern money and what the rich do with it and how they disregard regular people. I think that this is by far one of the best books in the last five years.

    Nihilistic literature isn't horrible. It's just something you have to get used to I guess.

    posted Saturday, May 19 2007
  • Jodie

    jodie said:

    I agree, but didn't it seem that Naz was questioning his own actions and the actions of the protagonist? I mean, how many times did you read the line "I looked at Naz and saw the wheels turning, etc"? That, to me, gave the hint of Naz knowing that things are going in the wrong direction and even if he's getting paid, what with the black-outs and everything, he just keeps going along with it. Was there no one who cared about anyone in this book? Why would the author creat such a black hole of emotion?

    posted Saturday, May 19 2007
  • falselogic

    falselogic said:

    I think this was intentional by the author. The people the protagonist surrounded himself with people who make their livings catering to the whims and fancies of their wealthy clientèle. When you surround yourself with sycophants and boot-lickers, rather than friends and family, you will never hear those words...

    posted Friday, May 18 2007
  • Jodie

    jodie said:

    Are the wealthy better than us?

    Was anyone else bothered by the fact that at no point in this novel did anyone say "Hey, look man...I think you've gone a little to far!" Is the because of the writers decision not to interject any kind of emotion in this book, or is it because the narrator was super rich and no one wants to say "No" to money?

    posted Wednesday, May 16 2007
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