It’s the novel of the summer and possibly the year. It’s a ragged chunk of ecstatic cerebral-satirical intellection. It’s bliss…. “Doxology” puts [Zink] on a new level.... She lays her heart on the line in a way she hasn’t before…. Zink writes as if the political madness of the last four decades had been laid on for her benefit as a novelist.” — New York Times
“A distinct, unflinching look at the country’s past and future.” — Time
“A master of compassionate satire bestows another off-kilter epic.” — O, the Oprah Magazine
“With the precision of a sniper, Nell Zink nails the disorientation of coming of age in the 1980s.… [Zink’s] most ambitious novel…. Ms. Zink writes with such momentum, and seems to be having so much fun, that she can make a story that traverses some of the darkest moments in recent history (9/11, both Iraq wars, the 2016 election) into an exhilarating and grimly amusing page turner…. “Doxology” is surprisingly uplifting.” — Wall Street Journal
"Has Nell Zink written the Great American Gen-X Novel?.... “Doxology” comes out swinging for a center spot in the literary canon.... One of the most notable novels of the year." — Chicago Tribune
“[The] subtle intersection of the ordinary and the absurd is [Zink’s] trademark maneuver. Wit ricochets around her straight-faced sentences like marbles in a can.... The most endearing aspect of “Doxology” is the resilient joy racing through Zink’s characters.... Her portrait of the parasitic relationship between fans and their idols is hilarious.... Zink is an astute critic of our recent election and its alarming abuses.” — Washington Post
“Charming and ambitious, encompassing the most serious themes of the 21st century while remaining comic and earthbound….[Zink is] a distinctive figure in American literature, almost gleefully unimpressed with pieties…. [Zink] suffers no delusions about society’s challenges. But she has a remarkable talent for taking our disorderly world and giving it a shape that feels funny, humane and true.” — USA Today
“Sweeping…. Powerful…. Zink could [always] merrily explode a weird subculture and expose its ugliness and beauty… But in this book, she balances this specificity (Coding! Punk rock! D.C. neighborhoods!) in the service of what feels like a larger goal.” — Los Angeles Times
“Sharp, empathetic, and at once critical and hopeful, following an oddball trio from their beginnings as a terrible punk band in 1990s Lower East Side through their coming of age into a post-9/11 New York and world.” — Buzzfeed
“The first truly great novel to tackle the 2016 election…. She’s sharper, slyer, than ever before…. No one can write a one-liner like Zink…. [Zink] captures those doomed final days before November 8, 2016, more accurately than any breathlessly reported account from any political reporter or former campaign worker.” — Paris Review
“The dualism at the heart of Zink’s entertaining and clever novel is another approach to an ancient puzzle: What part of ourselves do we allow to lead us? …. Bittersweet and brilliant.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Zink’s gifts for characterization and richly evoked periods and places are on display throughout.... Ambitious.” — Publishers Weekly
“The prolific and cult-beloved Zink could find a broader audience with this engaging family chronicle, which depicts two generations of an American clan, pre- and post-9/11.” — Entertainment Weekly
“A tender story about what it means to be a good person and a good parent in trying times…. Zink is a sharp observer of current events…. Doxology circles around a coterie of gentle, likable characters.… More than a few readers will see in their story reflections of their own lives.” — Shelf Awareness
With the precision of a sniper, Nell Zink nails the disorientation of coming of age in the 1980s.… [Zink’s] most ambitious novel…. Ms. Zink writes with such momentum, and seems to be having so much fun, that she can make a story that traverses some of the darkest moments in recent history (9/11, both Iraq wars, the 2016 election) into an exhilarating and grimly amusing page turner…. “Doxology” is surprisingly uplifting.
[The] subtle intersection of the ordinary and the absurd is [Zink’s] trademark maneuver. Wit ricochets around her straight-faced sentences like marbles in a can.... The most endearing aspect of “Doxology” is the resilient joy racing through Zink’s characters.... Her portrait of the parasitic relationship between fans and their idols is hilarious.... Zink is an astute critic of our recent election and its alarming abuses.
A distinct, unflinching look at the country’s past and future.
The prolific and cult-beloved Zink could find a broader audience with this engaging family chronicle, which depicts two generations of an American clan, pre- and post-9/11.
A tender story about what it means to be a good person and a good parent in trying times…. Zink is a sharp observer of current events…. Doxology circles around a coterie of gentle, likable characters.… More than a few readers will see in their story reflections of their own lives.”
A master of compassionate satire bestows another off-kilter epic.
The first truly great novel to tackle the 2016 election…. She’s sharper, slyer, than ever before…. No one can write a one-liner like Zink…. [Zink] captures those doomed final days before November 8, 2016, more accurately than any breathlessly reported account from any political reporter or former campaign worker.
Sharp, empathetic, and at once critical and hopeful, following an oddball trio from their beginnings as a terrible punk band in 1990s Lower East Side through their coming of age into a post-9/11 New York and world.
A master of compassionate satire bestows another off-kilter epic.
The dualism at the heart of Zink’s entertaining and clever novel is another approach to an ancient puzzle: What part of ourselves do we allow to lead us? …. Bittersweet and brilliant.
Charming and ambitious, encompassing the most serious themes of the 21st century while remaining comic and earthbound….[Zink is] a distinctive figure in American literature, almost gleefully unimpressed with pieties…. [Zink] suffers no delusions about society’s challenges. But she has a remarkable talent for taking our disorderly world and giving it a shape that feels funny, humane and true.
With the precision of a sniper, Nell Zink nails the disorientation of coming of age in the 1980s.… [Zink’s] most ambitious novel…. Ms. Zink writes with such momentum, and seems to be having so much fun, that she can make a story that traverses some of the darkest moments in recent history (9/11, both Iraq wars, the 2016 election) into an exhilarating and grimly amusing page turner…. “Doxology” is surprisingly uplifting.
Sweeping…. Powerful…. Zink could [always] merrily explode a weird subculture and expose its ugliness and beauty… But in this book, she balances this specificity (Coding! Punk rock! D.C. neighborhoods!) in the service of what feels like a larger goal.
[The] subtle intersection of the ordinary and the absurd is [Zink’s] trademark maneuver. Wit ricochets around her straight-faced sentences like marbles in a can.... The most endearing aspect of “Doxology” is the resilient joy racing through Zink’s characters.... Her portrait of the parasitic relationship between fans and their idols is hilarious.... Zink is an astute critic of our recent election and its alarming abuses.
It’s the novel of the summer and possibly the year. It’s a ragged chunk of ecstatic cerebral-satirical intellection. It’s bliss…. “Doxology” puts [Zink] on a new level.... She lays her heart on the line in a way she hasn’t before…. Zink writes as if the political madness of the last four decades had been laid on for her benefit as a novelist.
A distinct, unflinching look at the country’s past and future.
Charming and ambitious, encompassing the most serious themes of the 21st century while remaining comic and earthbound….[Zink is] a distinctive figure in American literature, almost gleefully unimpressed with pieties…. [Zink] suffers no delusions about society’s challenges. But she has a remarkable talent for taking our disorderly world and giving it a shape that feels funny, humane and true.
The first truly great novel to tackle the 2016 election…. She’s sharper, slyer, than ever before…. No one can write a one-liner like Zink…. [Zink] captures those doomed final days before November 8, 2016, more accurately than any breathlessly reported account from any political reporter or former campaign worker.
Sweeping…. Powerful…. Zink could [always] merrily explode a weird subculture and expose its ugliness and beauty… But in this book, she balances this specificity (Coding! Punk rock! D.C. neighborhoods!) in the service of what feels like a larger goal.
"Has Nell Zink written the Great American Gen-X Novel?.... “Doxology” comes out swinging for a center spot in the literary canon.... One of the most notable novels of the year."
"Has Nell Zink written the Great American Gen-X Novel?.... “Doxology” comes out swinging for a center spot in the literary canon.... One of the most notable novels of the year."
Eileen Stevens's youthfully vibrant narration perfectly complements this audiobook, set in the New York independent music scene of the 1990s. The audio format suits Zink's inventive language, which is beautifully delivered by Stevens. Her gift for characterization is evident in her nuanced portrayals of a trio of friends—Joe, Daniel, and Pam—who form a lasting bond after connecting through music. She sensitively conveys the maturing voice of Pam and Daniel's daughter, Flora, who becomes interested in environmental activism. While much of the narration moves at the spirited pace of young lives, Stevens slows the tempo to one of somber contemplation when depicting the events of 9/11. An intriguing listen, full of nostalgia for the recent past and questions about the future. M.J. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
SEPTEMBER 2019 - AudioFile
Eileen Stevens's youthfully vibrant narration perfectly complements this audiobook, set in the New York independent music scene of the 1990s. The audio format suits Zink's inventive language, which is beautifully delivered by Stevens. Her gift for characterization is evident in her nuanced portrayals of a trio of friends—Joe, Daniel, and Pam—who form a lasting bond after connecting through music. She sensitively conveys the maturing voice of Pam and Daniel's daughter, Flora, who becomes interested in environmental activism. While much of the narration moves at the spirited pace of young lives, Stevens slows the tempo to one of somber contemplation when depicting the events of 9/11. An intriguing listen, full of nostalgia for the recent past and questions about the future. M.J. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
SEPTEMBER 2019 - AudioFile
