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The Search
Walker is at a party where he meets Rachel. Two days later she turns up at his apartment. However, it's not Walker she wants but her husband Malory, who has gone missing. She asks Walker to find him. So begins this strange, beautiful, road-movie of a novel that takes the hero across the vast landscape of middle America on the trail of a man he has never met. And as Walker's search grows in its weird intensity, it seems that somebody else is following, searching for him too.
149 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
8 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Dyer
136 books924 followersGeoff Dyer was born in Cheltenham, England, in 1958. He was educated at the local Grammar School and Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He is the author of four novels: Paris Trance, The Search, The Colour of Memory, and, most recently, Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi; a critical study of John Berger, Ways of Telling; five genre-defying titles: But Beautiful (winner of a 1992 Somerset Maugham Prize, short-listed for the Mail on Sunday/John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize), The Missing of the Somme, Out of Sheer Rage (a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award), Yoga For People Who Can’t Be Bothered To Do It (winner of the 2004 W. H. Smith Best Travel Book Award), and The Ongoing Moment (winner of the ICP Infinity Award for Writing on Photography), and Zona (about Andrei Tarkovsky’s film Stalker). His collection of essays, Otherwise Known as the Human Condition, won a National Book Critics Circle Award in 2012. He is also the editor of John Berger: Selected Essays and co-editor, with Margaret Sartor, of What Was True: The Photographs and Notebooks of William Gedney. A new book, Another Great Day at Sea, about life aboard the USS George H W Bush has just been published by Pantheon.
In 2003 he was a recipient of a Lannan Literary Fellowship; in 2005 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature; in 2006 he received the E. M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters; in 2009 he was the recipient of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Best Comic Novel and the GQ Writer of the Year Award (for Jeff in Venice Death in Varanasi). His books have been translated into twenty-four languages. His website is geoffdyer.com
In 2003 he was a recipient of a Lannan Literary Fellowship; in 2005 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature; in 2006 he received the E. M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters; in 2009 he was the recipient of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Best Comic Novel and the GQ Writer of the Year Award (for Jeff in Venice Death in Varanasi). His books have been translated into twenty-four languages. His website is geoffdyer.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 29, 2023
Se la fuga diventa la migliore forma d'inseguimento
Prende l'avvio come una classica Detective story e, sebbene un po' sconfortata, mi apprestavo a sottomettermi ad un genere che solitamente non prediligo, dove c'è la classica narrazione tra inseguito e inseguitore.
E invece, circa a metà dell'opera, il canone del genere Detective story si slabbra cominciando a virare verso una storia un po' surreale in cui i ruoli di braccato e inseguitore si scambiano.
La narrazione diventa una fuga attraverso i classici topos della letteratura da viaggio un po' alla Kerouac: stazioni ferroviarie abbandonate, stazioni di autobus, autostrade alienanti come quelle losangeline con le loro sei corsie e fitte di raccordi che si intersecano come in un immaginario giochi di Shanghai e in cui spicca la bella descrizione di un incidente a catena che mi ha ricordato scene dal Crash di Ballard, o come anche l'ingorgo che ne consegue riprende praticamente la scena pazzesca del film Un giorno di ordinaria follia.
E viaggio che diventa senza meta e quasi teatro dell'assurdo in cui si susseguono belle descrizioni di città immaginarie e reali in una narrazione composita.
La città dove tutto si è cristallizato come nella favola della Bella addormentata nel bosco o gioco delle belle statuine in una immobilità senza tempo o la città che è come un infinito palazzo in cui si susseguono saloni corridoi, stanze senza soluzione di continuità e che riecheggiano le città medievali di Calvino, come anche suggestioni delle iconiche e metafisiche piazze italiane dipinte da De Chirico.
Chiaramente colpo di scena finale che non ha risollevato di molto il mio modesto piacere per questa lettura.
Tanti echi e di tante cose e di tanti autori però diciamo che, fondamentalmente, non ne ho capito bene il senso.. .
Chiudo, come spesso vedo fare su questo sito, e che esime e sottrae il recensore dal produrre un finale un po' più articolata ed impegnativo: tre stelle scarse!
P.s. molto apprezzabile la grafica del testo
Prende l'avvio come una classica Detective story e, sebbene un po' sconfortata, mi apprestavo a sottomettermi ad un genere che solitamente non prediligo, dove c'è la classica narrazione tra inseguito e inseguitore.
E invece, circa a metà dell'opera, il canone del genere Detective story si slabbra cominciando a virare verso una storia un po' surreale in cui i ruoli di braccato e inseguitore si scambiano.
La narrazione diventa una fuga attraverso i classici topos della letteratura da viaggio un po' alla Kerouac: stazioni ferroviarie abbandonate, stazioni di autobus, autostrade alienanti come quelle losangeline con le loro sei corsie e fitte di raccordi che si intersecano come in un immaginario giochi di Shanghai e in cui spicca la bella descrizione di un incidente a catena che mi ha ricordato scene dal Crash di Ballard, o come anche l'ingorgo che ne consegue riprende praticamente la scena pazzesca del film Un giorno di ordinaria follia.
E viaggio che diventa senza meta e quasi teatro dell'assurdo in cui si susseguono belle descrizioni di città immaginarie e reali in una narrazione composita.
La città dove tutto si è cristallizato come nella favola della Bella addormentata nel bosco o gioco delle belle statuine in una immobilità senza tempo o la città che è come un infinito palazzo in cui si susseguono saloni corridoi, stanze senza soluzione di continuità e che riecheggiano le città medievali di Calvino, come anche suggestioni delle iconiche e metafisiche piazze italiane dipinte da De Chirico.
Chiaramente colpo di scena finale che non ha risollevato di molto il mio modesto piacere per questa lettura.
Tanti echi e di tante cose e di tanti autori però diciamo che, fondamentalmente, non ne ho capito bene il senso.. .
Chiudo, come spesso vedo fare su questo sito, e che esime e sottrae il recensore dal produrre un finale un po' più articolata ed impegnativo: tre stelle scarse!
P.s. molto apprezzabile la grafica del testo
February 8, 2015
What happens when the quest you are on becomes vague loses direction, peters out? That's what happens to Walker (no first name), when -- out of a desire to make it with his ex-wife, who engages him -- goes in search of Malory (no first name). It seems that Walker goes through towns on two continents. All that happens is that Malory is spotted, people have seen him, people have heard of him -- until Walker ends up in the cathedral city of Nemesis (continent not named). A filmmaker has seen Malory walk to the center of a bridge over the river and ...
... and what? The quest ends. Walker leaves.
Geoff Dyer's The Search: A Novel is a strange kind of postmodern mystery -- one without a clear-cut resolution. But what keeps the reader's interest up? All I could say is that Walker finds himself in a world that becomes exceedingly perplexing and even surrealistic. It is as if he were walking through paintings by Giorgio di Chirico and Edward Hopper. His object, so clear at first -- find Malory, sleep with his ex-wife -- becomes diffused with the distance from his starting point:
... and what? The quest ends. Walker leaves.
Geoff Dyer's The Search: A Novel is a strange kind of postmodern mystery -- one without a clear-cut resolution. But what keeps the reader's interest up? All I could say is that Walker finds himself in a world that becomes exceedingly perplexing and even surrealistic. It is as if he were walking through paintings by Giorgio di Chirico and Edward Hopper. His object, so clear at first -- find Malory, sleep with his ex-wife -- becomes diffused with the distance from his starting point:
In the information office the word 'Horizon' came into his mind -- out of nowhere, for no reason. Spores were blown around by the wind and plants sprang up where they happened to settle. Maybe words and ideas were a kind of spore: they were in the air and sometimes they settled on you. Feeling foolish he asked the woman at the desk if there was a place called Horizon nearby.If this sort of thing unsettles you, you might not like The Search. I loved it, and eagerly look forward to reading more by Dyer.
"A bus leaves in twenty minutes," she said, unstartled, unsmiling.
March 14, 2020
When my teacher told me this was a detective novel of sorts, I have to admit I wasn’t all that excited - I’m not very into the genre in general because I feel like the basic storyline is often very similar and unsurprising.
This particularly novel, however, really took me by surprise. I loved the detail in the novel and trying to find meaning behind everything, trying to figure out what is going on with the world and with Walker himself.
I did feel that, because it is so descriptive, I really had to focus when I was reading. I figured that any detail I might miss would prove to be relevant later on, and in a way that truly was the case.
The storyline is very original and I was truly taken aback by how the novel developed. I would definitely recommend this, especially to anyone interested in novels that carry a lot of meaning/societal criticism.
This particularly novel, however, really took me by surprise. I loved the detail in the novel and trying to find meaning behind everything, trying to figure out what is going on with the world and with Walker himself.
I did feel that, because it is so descriptive, I really had to focus when I was reading. I figured that any detail I might miss would prove to be relevant later on, and in a way that truly was the case.
The storyline is very original and I was truly taken aback by how the novel developed. I would definitely recommend this, especially to anyone interested in novels that carry a lot of meaning/societal criticism.
January 4, 2022
4.5/5
Absolutely loved this book. The writing style is insanely good. The story in itself was amazing too. I loved the layers in the storytelling.
This book actually made me feel like I could taste, touch, hear, and smell the places and things described in the book. It was marvelous and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
We had to read this book for school and it was linked to a task that made us describe cities. That task combined with this book made me see cities in an entirely different way, it makes me enjoy different atmospheres of different parts in big cities more.
I really recommend this book!
Absolutely loved this book. The writing style is insanely good. The story in itself was amazing too. I loved the layers in the storytelling.
This book actually made me feel like I could taste, touch, hear, and smell the places and things described in the book. It was marvelous and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
We had to read this book for school and it was linked to a task that made us describe cities. That task combined with this book made me see cities in an entirely different way, it makes me enjoy different atmospheres of different parts in big cities more.
I really recommend this book!
May 24, 2016
In The Search, Walker embarks on a mission to track down the ex-husband of a glamorous beauty named Rachel. In the first 20 pages, Walker and Rachel meet, flirt, and seem to fall for each other, and the book rides the momentum of their chemistry. Then Walker takes to the road, and that momentum comes to a grinding halt.
I've never read Invisible Cities, by Italo Calvino, but as I read this, I thought of it. Each city Walker visits thrusts the novel deeper into a sort of magical realism, and the cities (one that exists entirely in the same expansive building; one in which you long to leave but can never seem to muster the inspiration to do so) are intriguing thought experiments that highlight Dyer's early potential and skill with contradiction. In the Afterword he mentions Invisible Cities and its obvious influence.
Still, I longed for the electricity the book started with. People fascinate me much more than place, and as The Search ventured deeper into the surreal, the plight of its characters seemed less and less important. I give three stars because it was short and full of intriguing nuggets that show flashes of the writer Dyer has become.
I've never read Invisible Cities, by Italo Calvino, but as I read this, I thought of it. Each city Walker visits thrusts the novel deeper into a sort of magical realism, and the cities (one that exists entirely in the same expansive building; one in which you long to leave but can never seem to muster the inspiration to do so) are intriguing thought experiments that highlight Dyer's early potential and skill with contradiction. In the Afterword he mentions Invisible Cities and its obvious influence.
Still, I longed for the electricity the book started with. People fascinate me much more than place, and as The Search ventured deeper into the surreal, the plight of its characters seemed less and less important. I give three stars because it was short and full of intriguing nuggets that show flashes of the writer Dyer has become.
May 15, 2016
A smart and elegantly cool homage to Calvino's Invisible Cities. I liked the reinterpretation as a detective noir, but the characters and plot are a little too detached to get really invested in the plot; especially when the plot inches further and further into the metaphysical realm as the book progresses. This doesn't take away from any of the book's charm, however. Its an enjoyable read right up to the sharp and clever ending. This is my first Geoff Dyer and I will probably check out other works in the future.
August 3, 2022
I was initially intrigued by this story in the opening sections of the book. However, as it went on the whole thing felt very long winded and lost most of its purpose.
There are a few exciting moments but it feels like most of the book is just descriptions of various towns and cities.
There are a few exciting moments but it feels like most of the book is just descriptions of various towns and cities.
August 21, 2007
Dyer's my favorite writer, but I think he was still learning his craft when he wrote this.
June 16, 2018
“Nothing means anything anymore unless you are photographed doing it. We need photos to prove to everyone else we exist, to remind ourselves.”
This starts off along the lines of an updated melange of a Chandler story and a Hitchcock movie, with our mysterious protagonist playing the part of a hard-boiled detective of sorts, with a colourful and compelling past. Around half way in, it begins to take on the shape and feel of the plot to a 70s prog rock album. There is a cold, unsettling tension throughout the book, and there are a few confusing moments along way the too.
I am a big fan of Dyer, and I enjoyed parts of this, especially where he displays some of his creative flair, but overall this was the first of his books I’ve read that left me feeling disappointed, and I thought this had an absolute stinker of an ending that really left a bad taste in the mouth. This was well below his usual high standard of writing, but hey, they can’t all be great.
September 10, 2017
I see Beckett in everything.
I thought this was actually quite good. I mean, I don't get all the tepid reviews I'm seeing. Yeah, did it go a bit... well... where did it go?
I'm not sure.
But anyway the writing was sublime at times.
But anyway the writing.
3.7
I thought this was actually quite good. I mean, I don't get all the tepid reviews I'm seeing. Yeah, did it go a bit... well... where did it go?
I'm not sure.
But anyway the writing was sublime at times.
But anyway the writing.
3.7
December 29, 2024
Walker, following a party, is requested to seek out a missing husband. The trail has a very shallow lead and soon promises to go nowhere fast. His journey takes him from town to town, as he travels the scenes get more mysterious. A real page turner getting more so as the story develops.
October 1, 2017
Dyer is a very good writer-- he describes scenes so well that I almost always felt as if I were there myself. But I really didn't care about the character nor his quest.
August 12, 2021
man searches for another man through imaginary cities...or does he?
April 9, 2022
I guess this novel does what it does pretty well, and my rating is more a measure of my appreciation, or lack of complete enthusiasm, for that sort of thing.
February 12, 2023
like a piece of art in a museum, extremely pretty but you have no idea what the fuck you're looking at.
glad it's over lol
glad it's over lol
November 15, 2023
a noir thriller that gradually then quickly becomes something else.
July 6, 2014
Geoff Dyer writes like no one else, although comparisons have been made to Italo Calvino's hallucinatory style. Dyer himself credits Calvino for inspiration, but his work is entirely his own. The Search was written in 1993, and he himself makes note of the fact that it is definitely set in a pre-digital world which makes a novel of detection retro. I was first aware of the liberties he takes with geography with the remark that Walker, his protagonist, sets off on his search by crossing the Bay Bridge and heading up the Coast. That is not possible without a little finagling. I thought it was an error in research, but as we follow Walker through an unrecognizable America, we come to realize it was only the first leg of a journey that just gets weirder and more intriguing as it progresses, more David Lynch in tone. Yes, there is a plot with a dishy dame and scary bad guys, but it is a testament to the joy of reading and imagination. I can only read his books sporadically since they provide such a richness of experience, but Dyer delivers and I'll wait a while to pick up another.
September 6, 2014
The first Dyer I've read. It's almost a really really good book, but feel short because in the end it's meandering and the point is a bit obvious and it doesn't add up. Walker, a tracker, meets Rachel at a party in, apparently, the Bay Area. She asks him to find her missing husband, which begins a journey across a dreamlike, strange America that exists in an alternate universe. The language is fun, especially those strange place names. In an afterword, Dyer points out how things have changed since this was written in 1993; the internet and mobile phones have changed things so much. True enough, but for some reason I never really felt the mystery in his book. HIs debt to Calvino is acknowledged in the afterword, and his alternates reminded me a bit of Mieville's The City and The City.
March 5, 2016
The best of Dyer's fiction. I say so, because I find Dyer's fiction a kind of stilted. Weak on plots. Flat characters. There is enough interesting stuff in them to be worth the time, of course. But in this, he experiments with different genres, and is deliciously layered, almost like a David Lynch movie texualized. It shares the characterization deficiency of all Dyer fictions: the male protagonist is Dyer himself, and the primary female character is the same one from any others. But there is a borgesque plot that makes up for everything, and then there is Dyer, with wit, charm, and digressions.
February 8, 2015
Written twenty years ago but just released in the US, this feels like the metaphysical-fictional version of his later (and better) "Out of Sheer Rage." The main character searches but does not find; the main character travels from destination to destination and describes the (nearly science-fictional) qualities of each place. Eerie and lovely in most places, worth a read if you are on a quest to read all of Dyer's works, which I am.
June 28, 2014
A perfect beach book. Starts off as a classic noir mystery, pretty dame needs help finding a missing man. About half way through the book, so gradually you don't even realize it's happening, you realize our hero has wandered into a phantasmagorical alter universe. Adventure and philosophy follow. Raymond Chandler meets The Twilight Zone.
December 29, 2014
An early Dyer novel starts as a promising thriller spurred by an intriguing romantic interest, but gradually becomes weirder as the hero journeys through a Middle America that grows odd, then unlikely, then thoroughly surreal. I love Dyer, but this story dragged. Sometimes there's value in subverting expectations, and sometimes there's value in fulfilling them.
July 8, 2014
Interesting book that drips the detective genre into the surreal. There are a few moments where Geoff Dyer lost me along the way with this book, but he grabbed me again with his prose. It's a great short read that almost overstays it's welcome.
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August 7, 2007Here's a review I posted on my blog:
June 18, 2014
Caccia all'uomo di città in città sempre più surreali, per scoprire che cacciatore e cacciato si identificano.
August 11, 2016
Starts out as a hard-boiled Raymond Chandler kind of situation . . . James Wood said Dyer makes books like keys, no two alike . . . This is maybe his key which least resembles any of the others . . .
June 13, 2014
This one totally hit a sweet spot for me. And I discussed it as part of this: Wrote about it here: http://www.randomhouse.ca/hazlitt/fea...
May 31, 2014
★★★½
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August 17, 2014This was an interesting book but felt like I was on an out of control ride. The prose were beautiful but the plot line was hard to follow for me.
April 16, 2015
This was small and strange. Like his other novels a sort of "metaphysical thriller". I really enjoy his thought provoking philosophical special effects. Fun!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews