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Mouth to Mouth
In the great tradition of morally murky narrators such as those in Gone Girl, The White Tiger or The Talented Mr Ripley comes a compelling, one-sitting literary thriller of imposters and Faustian bargains, in which a man pulls another man from the rough surf...and then wishes he'd just let him drown.
A struggling author is stuck at the airport, his flight endlessly delayed. As he kills time at the gate, he bumps into a former classmate of his, Jeff, who is waiting for the same flight. The charismatic Jeff invites the author to drinks in the first-class lounge, and there, swearing him to secrecy, begins telling him the fascinating and disturbing story of his gilded life, starting with a pivotal incident from his youth....
Alone on the beach one morning, Jeff notices a swimmer drowning in the rough surf - and so he rescues and resuscitates the unconscious man, before leaving him to the emergency services. But Jeff can't let go of the events of that traumatic day, and he begins to feel compelled to learn more about the man whose life he has saved, convinced that their destinies are now somehow entwined.
Upon discovering that the man is the renowned art dealer Francis Arsenault, Jeff begins to surreptitiously visit his Beverly Hills gallery, eventually applying there for a job. Although Francis doesn't seem to recognise him, he nevertheless casts his legendary eye over Jeff and sees something of worth - and so he initiates him into his world of unimaginable power and wealth, where knowledge, taste and access are currency and the value of things is constantly shifting, constantly calling into question what is real and what matters. As Jeff finds himself seduced by the lifestyle, he pursues a deeper connection with Francis, until morals become expendable and their relationship becomes ever darker, leaving him to wonder...should he have just let Francis drown?
A struggling author is stuck at the airport, his flight endlessly delayed. As he kills time at the gate, he bumps into a former classmate of his, Jeff, who is waiting for the same flight. The charismatic Jeff invites the author to drinks in the first-class lounge, and there, swearing him to secrecy, begins telling him the fascinating and disturbing story of his gilded life, starting with a pivotal incident from his youth....
Alone on the beach one morning, Jeff notices a swimmer drowning in the rough surf - and so he rescues and resuscitates the unconscious man, before leaving him to the emergency services. But Jeff can't let go of the events of that traumatic day, and he begins to feel compelled to learn more about the man whose life he has saved, convinced that their destinies are now somehow entwined.
Upon discovering that the man is the renowned art dealer Francis Arsenault, Jeff begins to surreptitiously visit his Beverly Hills gallery, eventually applying there for a job. Although Francis doesn't seem to recognise him, he nevertheless casts his legendary eye over Jeff and sees something of worth - and so he initiates him into his world of unimaginable power and wealth, where knowledge, taste and access are currency and the value of things is constantly shifting, constantly calling into question what is real and what matters. As Jeff finds himself seduced by the lifestyle, he pursues a deeper connection with Francis, until morals become expendable and their relationship becomes ever darker, leaving him to wonder...should he have just let Francis drown?
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First published January 11, 2022
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About the author
Antoine Wilson
16 books244 followersAntoine Wilson is the author of the novel Mouth to Mouth from Avid Reader Press (Simon & Schuster), and the novels The Interloper and Panorama City, from Other Press and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, respectively.
He is a contributing editor of the literary journal A Public Space as well as the Los Angeles Review of Books. His fiction and essays have appeared in The Paris Review, StoryQuarterly, Quarterly West, and Best New American Voices, among other publications.
He was winner of the San Fernando Valley Award for Fiction, and has been a finalist for The National Magazine Award, the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association Book of the Year Award, and the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Award.
He was recipient of the Carol Houck Smith Fiction Fellowship at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing, and has taught writing at the University of Iowa, the University of Wisconsin, the University of California San Diego, the University of California Extension Writers’ Program, and the Otis School of Art and Design.
Born in Montreal and raised in Central and Southern California as well as Saudi Arabia, he now lives with his family in Los Angeles. He can be found on twitter at @antoinewilson and Instagram at @theantoinewilson
He is a contributing editor of the literary journal A Public Space as well as the Los Angeles Review of Books. His fiction and essays have appeared in The Paris Review, StoryQuarterly, Quarterly West, and Best New American Voices, among other publications.
He was winner of the San Fernando Valley Award for Fiction, and has been a finalist for The National Magazine Award, the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association Book of the Year Award, and the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Award.
He was recipient of the Carol Houck Smith Fiction Fellowship at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing, and has taught writing at the University of Iowa, the University of Wisconsin, the University of California San Diego, the University of California Extension Writers’ Program, and the Otis School of Art and Design.
Born in Montreal and raised in Central and Southern California as well as Saudi Arabia, he now lives with his family in Los Angeles. He can be found on twitter at @antoinewilson and Instagram at @theantoinewilson
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,192 reviews
January 20, 2022
I've seen a fair bit of buzz about Mouth to Mouth and noticed that it received a positive review from Kirkus, but having read it now, I really don't understand why.
Perhaps it will be more engaging to those readers who enjoy reading about art curators and art galleries. I like a pretty picture as much as the next person, but the business side of this world does not really interest me. I kept reading and reading to get to the promised twist that everyone has been raving about, but, honestly, the biggest surprise for me is that the ending surprised anyone. It seemed like the most obvious conclusion.
The narrator turns up at JFK for a flight that is now delayed. There, he runs into an old acquaintance from university called Jeff. Jeff then proceeds to tell him what's happened in his life in the twenty or so years in which they haven't seen each other, beginning with how he saved the life of a drowning man and this action sent his life spiralling off in a direction he never predicted (or did he?).
The central question being asked, it seems, is whether this was an act of fate, or if, indeed, Jeff was steering his own destiny, but the avenues the author goes down on his exploration of this old question were not particularly interesting to me. I think, in the end, reading about men whose singular goal is money and power does nothing for me. At least the book was a short one.
Perhaps it will be more engaging to those readers who enjoy reading about art curators and art galleries. I like a pretty picture as much as the next person, but the business side of this world does not really interest me. I kept reading and reading to get to the promised twist that everyone has been raving about, but, honestly, the biggest surprise for me is that the ending surprised anyone. It seemed like the most obvious conclusion.
The narrator turns up at JFK for a flight that is now delayed. There, he runs into an old acquaintance from university called Jeff. Jeff then proceeds to tell him what's happened in his life in the twenty or so years in which they haven't seen each other, beginning with how he saved the life of a drowning man and this action sent his life spiralling off in a direction he never predicted (or did he?).
The central question being asked, it seems, is whether this was an act of fate, or if, indeed, Jeff was steering his own destiny, but the avenues the author goes down on his exploration of this old question were not particularly interesting to me. I think, in the end, reading about men whose singular goal is money and power does nothing for me. At least the book was a short one.
October 1, 2021
3.5 Stars
Old acquaintances meet again....
Waiting for a flight at JFK airport lounge, two former classmates reunite, and one of them, Jeff Cook goes into a storytelling mode and shares a story that he has never told before. Its a story that changed the course of two lives, his and the man he saved from drowning.
This was a slow burn story that somehow captured my attention, though at times the narrative seemed a bit over done, a bit drawn out, but thats the point. Jeff becomes obsessed with the man he resusitated (Francis) and works his way into his life. Does Francis recognize him as the one that saved him? Will Jeff disclose this to him? Is one of them playing the other?
I had many questions throughout reading this short novel (192 pages). There is a bit of suspense and a surprise of an ending.
Its strange and unsettling. We are left with an ambiguious message. The kind you want to discuss with someone.
Recommend if you enjoy character driven, human psyche, irony and identity themes. A lot to think about here.
Thanks to NG and the publisher for my early copy/ OUT January 11, 2022
Old acquaintances meet again....
Waiting for a flight at JFK airport lounge, two former classmates reunite, and one of them, Jeff Cook goes into a storytelling mode and shares a story that he has never told before. Its a story that changed the course of two lives, his and the man he saved from drowning.
This was a slow burn story that somehow captured my attention, though at times the narrative seemed a bit over done, a bit drawn out, but thats the point. Jeff becomes obsessed with the man he resusitated (Francis) and works his way into his life. Does Francis recognize him as the one that saved him? Will Jeff disclose this to him? Is one of them playing the other?
I had many questions throughout reading this short novel (192 pages). There is a bit of suspense and a surprise of an ending.
Its strange and unsettling. We are left with an ambiguious message. The kind you want to discuss with someone.
Recommend if you enjoy character driven, human psyche, irony and identity themes. A lot to think about here.
Thanks to NG and the publisher for my early copy/ OUT January 11, 2022
August 22, 2021
She had been "...the first thing he thought of upon waking and the last he thought of before sleep descended". They had broken up. The beach parking lot was empty before sunrise. "The immensity of the ocean...[he stepped] barefoot on the cold sand, feeling a sense of liberation at his own insignificance." "Out of the corner of his eye-a dark form on the surface of the water-a swimmer making for shore...something was wrong...He knew with certainty that the crisis at hand was his alone to handle...one's interceding or not could equally represent fate."
A flight delay from JFK to Berlin was perfect for passing the time conversing with a fellow passenger. They were barely acquainted as college students at UCLA, 20 years prior. Jeff Cook, smartly dressed for success, asked our narrator to join him in the first class lounge to await the Berlin flight announcement. Jeff was a successful art dealer. The narrator would be traveling to Berlin, at his own expense, to drum up interest in his writing.
Jeff spoke of the incident occurring after college. "...through no planning or forethought...[he was] responsible for saving a man's life." While plying the narrator with constant food and drink, Jeff told his story. "He could have despaired, walked away, subtracted himself from the scene." He jumped into the ocean and pulled the man to shore, administering the CPR he had only seen on TV. Spectators watched...an ambulance arrived...the swimmer was whisked away..."Joggers and walkers gave him wide berth. None would meet his eye. Wrapped in a rough wool blanket, barefoot...shirtless, he must have looked like just another of the hard-luck cases, wandering aimlessly...".
Who was Jeff Cook? He claimed that this was a first telling of his story to anyone, 20 years later after the rescue. Why now? "...he had saved a man's life-had done the ultimate good deed-shouldn't he want to remember it?"
Francis Arsenault Fine Arts was located in Beverly Hills, Jeff recounted wanting to see the stranger whose life he saved. "I didn't want it to seem like I had come to collect anything...You don't save someone's life to collect a reward." If that be the case, why accept a job at the gallery and start to become indispensable to Francis?
"Mouth to Mouth" by Antoine Wilson is a fascinating literary novel. It explores the connection between rescuer and survivor and exposes buried secrets. There were many unanswered questions. Were Jeff and Francis good people? Were they users? Was the narrator truly the first person to hear the story? Were Jeff's recollections embellished based upon an audience? Was our narrator reliable? This thought provoking read is one I highly recommend.
Thank you Avid Reader Press/ Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A flight delay from JFK to Berlin was perfect for passing the time conversing with a fellow passenger. They were barely acquainted as college students at UCLA, 20 years prior. Jeff Cook, smartly dressed for success, asked our narrator to join him in the first class lounge to await the Berlin flight announcement. Jeff was a successful art dealer. The narrator would be traveling to Berlin, at his own expense, to drum up interest in his writing.
Jeff spoke of the incident occurring after college. "...through no planning or forethought...[he was] responsible for saving a man's life." While plying the narrator with constant food and drink, Jeff told his story. "He could have despaired, walked away, subtracted himself from the scene." He jumped into the ocean and pulled the man to shore, administering the CPR he had only seen on TV. Spectators watched...an ambulance arrived...the swimmer was whisked away..."Joggers and walkers gave him wide berth. None would meet his eye. Wrapped in a rough wool blanket, barefoot...shirtless, he must have looked like just another of the hard-luck cases, wandering aimlessly...".
Who was Jeff Cook? He claimed that this was a first telling of his story to anyone, 20 years later after the rescue. Why now? "...he had saved a man's life-had done the ultimate good deed-shouldn't he want to remember it?"
Francis Arsenault Fine Arts was located in Beverly Hills, Jeff recounted wanting to see the stranger whose life he saved. "I didn't want it to seem like I had come to collect anything...You don't save someone's life to collect a reward." If that be the case, why accept a job at the gallery and start to become indispensable to Francis?
"Mouth to Mouth" by Antoine Wilson is a fascinating literary novel. It explores the connection between rescuer and survivor and exposes buried secrets. There were many unanswered questions. Were Jeff and Francis good people? Were they users? Was the narrator truly the first person to hear the story? Were Jeff's recollections embellished based upon an audience? Was our narrator reliable? This thought provoking read is one I highly recommend.
Thank you Avid Reader Press/ Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 22, 2022
Who better to tell a story to than a writer?—
—“who better than someone who was there in the beginning?”
Or were they?
This one-sitting-unputdownsble mouthwatering- no pun intended-suspenseful - ‘story-within-a story’ Hitchcockian …..
slow-burner -
raises key questions that pique our curiosity…..
with a ‘punch-in-the-mouth’ - [in need to pause for a deep breath] -shocking ending.
The narrative is spectacular from the start…
….refreshingly entertainingly clever..
The plotting and pacing is so mentally captivating….
I can’t imagine anyone not devouring it in gulp.
The blurb says all anyone needs to know ….
I pledge the fifth in saying anything more!
—“who better than someone who was there in the beginning?”
Or were they?
This one-sitting-unputdownsble mouthwatering- no pun intended-suspenseful - ‘story-within-a story’ Hitchcockian …..
slow-burner -
raises key questions that pique our curiosity…..
with a ‘punch-in-the-mouth’ - [in need to pause for a deep breath] -shocking ending.
The narrative is spectacular from the start…
….refreshingly entertainingly clever..
The plotting and pacing is so mentally captivating….
I can’t imagine anyone not devouring it in gulp.
The blurb says all anyone needs to know ….
I pledge the fifth in saying anything more!
January 3, 2022
Here is a story of two college classmates that reunite in the lounge of JFK airport. One would have never considered them friends back in the day but Jeff seems to think otherwise and delivers a wicked tale to his unassuming former classmate. A tale of him saving a drowning man and the repercussions that follow.
A story told within a story and one that at first glance may not seem all that interesting. It's an ARC I've had for months that I continued to pass over in my search of the next great book. Realizing that the publishing date was coming up soon I figured I could slip in one last novel into my 2021 reading journey and so chose Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson. What a surprise this was. I was absolutely captivated by this slow simmering story. Antoine Wilson writes with such eloquence it's to be admired. I should also mention that this book utilizes one of my favorite plot devices: Cliffhanging chapters, done perfectly! I would no sooner finish a chapter when that "just one more" mantra would start blaring through my brain. And that ending... Chefs kiss! 👌 Highly recommend! 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for my complimentary copy.
A story told within a story and one that at first glance may not seem all that interesting. It's an ARC I've had for months that I continued to pass over in my search of the next great book. Realizing that the publishing date was coming up soon I figured I could slip in one last novel into my 2021 reading journey and so chose Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson. What a surprise this was. I was absolutely captivated by this slow simmering story. Antoine Wilson writes with such eloquence it's to be admired. I should also mention that this book utilizes one of my favorite plot devices: Cliffhanging chapters, done perfectly! I would no sooner finish a chapter when that "just one more" mantra would start blaring through my brain. And that ending... Chefs kiss! 👌 Highly recommend! 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for my complimentary copy.
April 24, 2022
“Mouth to Mouth” is a confessional thriller that questions morality, guilt, and responsibility. It’s a crazy story with a very good ending.
An unnamed narrator runs into an old college friend while waiting out a delayed flight at JFK. The friend, Jeff, looks moneyed, which is not what the narrator expected. Jeff was a heavy weed user, and the narrator was surprised to see how successful Jeff ended up being, 20 years after graduation. Well, Jeff is so successful that he has access to the first-class lounge and invites the narrator to wait out the flight with him in the luxury of first-class. While waiting, Jeff decides to unload his burden, his story of how he became so financially successful.
It is unclear why Jeff chose to tell his life story, given the story showing Jeff in a questionable moral light. Maybe it’s the guilt and he needed to bare his soul. At any rate, Jeff tells his story, of how he inadvertently saved a man from drowning. Jeff was curious about the man and found out that he is a successful and renowned art dealer. Jeff becomes obsessed with the man, engineering a way for them to meet. The dealer does not remember Jeff as Jeff infiltrates his life. The thriller part is really the creepiness of a man maneuvering into a man’s work and family life. Author Antoine Wilson writes Jeff on the unethical spectrum.
To add fun and interest to the story, Wilson writes the art dealer as an unethical and brutal man. Jeff frequently questions if he was right in saving this unkind man. Jeff is attempting to paint himself as a great person for saving a man’s life, but the narrator asks to what end did he want to be a part of the dealer’s life? Jeff slowly tells his story of his rise to greatness and his relationship with the dealer. The reader is left to judge if Jeff was an opportunistic jerk exploiting the dealer, who is a jerk himself.
The ending of this story….well done Antoine Wilson, well done!
An unnamed narrator runs into an old college friend while waiting out a delayed flight at JFK. The friend, Jeff, looks moneyed, which is not what the narrator expected. Jeff was a heavy weed user, and the narrator was surprised to see how successful Jeff ended up being, 20 years after graduation. Well, Jeff is so successful that he has access to the first-class lounge and invites the narrator to wait out the flight with him in the luxury of first-class. While waiting, Jeff decides to unload his burden, his story of how he became so financially successful.
It is unclear why Jeff chose to tell his life story, given the story showing Jeff in a questionable moral light. Maybe it’s the guilt and he needed to bare his soul. At any rate, Jeff tells his story, of how he inadvertently saved a man from drowning. Jeff was curious about the man and found out that he is a successful and renowned art dealer. Jeff becomes obsessed with the man, engineering a way for them to meet. The dealer does not remember Jeff as Jeff infiltrates his life. The thriller part is really the creepiness of a man maneuvering into a man’s work and family life. Author Antoine Wilson writes Jeff on the unethical spectrum.
To add fun and interest to the story, Wilson writes the art dealer as an unethical and brutal man. Jeff frequently questions if he was right in saving this unkind man. Jeff is attempting to paint himself as a great person for saving a man’s life, but the narrator asks to what end did he want to be a part of the dealer’s life? Jeff slowly tells his story of his rise to greatness and his relationship with the dealer. The reader is left to judge if Jeff was an opportunistic jerk exploiting the dealer, who is a jerk himself.
The ending of this story….well done Antoine Wilson, well done!
May 7, 2023
As this tale begins, we meet a man, a writer, who is en route to an engagement in Berlin. We learn that he’s travelling cheaply, but having already caught a redeye from the West Coast to JFK, New York he’s now learned that his onward flight has been delayed. But then he spots a man he thinks he recognises from his time at UCLA, some twenty years ago. The man, Jeff Cook, notices him too and soon they’re enjoying free beer and snacks, courtesy of Cook’s First Class privilege. At this point I was looking forward to learning more about the writer (unnamed throughout), his onward journey and his time in the German capital. But the focus of story now switched as Cook began to tell of a pivotal event earlier in his life, something he’s never talked of to another living soul.
As Cook talked the writer took on the role of confessor, his responses sympathetic and occasionally prompting. Not that Cook needed much prompting, he’s on a roll and seems determined to provide an unexpurgated version. The start point, and the key to all that follows, is his intervention one morning when spots a man in severe difficulty off Santa Monica beach. Without further thought, he launches himself into the water and swims out to the man. Having rescued him from certain drowning others arrive on the scene and eventually he’s left alone, with no knowledge of the identity of the man he saved. Initially this doesn’t bother him, he’s done a good deed and that’s all that matters. But after stewing in his own juices for a while his curiosity gets the better of him – he needs to know more.
The flight delay becomes protracted (they’re both booked on the same flight, albeit at different ends of the aeroplane) and as the two men talk on more of Cook’s story is revealed. What follows is a tale of scheming, betrayal and fateful events. The interaction between the pair is really well handled, in fact the writing is first rate throughout. He’s a clever guy, the author, and I was constantly looking up words I didn’t recognise and references I didn’t understand the meaning of. The pacing is excellent too and as I got close to the end I was waiting for the final punch – it came late and it was pretty good, that’s all I’ll say.
A really clever and engaging tale from an obviously talented writer. I’ll definitely be looking out more of his work. My thanks to Atlantic Books for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
As Cook talked the writer took on the role of confessor, his responses sympathetic and occasionally prompting. Not that Cook needed much prompting, he’s on a roll and seems determined to provide an unexpurgated version. The start point, and the key to all that follows, is his intervention one morning when spots a man in severe difficulty off Santa Monica beach. Without further thought, he launches himself into the water and swims out to the man. Having rescued him from certain drowning others arrive on the scene and eventually he’s left alone, with no knowledge of the identity of the man he saved. Initially this doesn’t bother him, he’s done a good deed and that’s all that matters. But after stewing in his own juices for a while his curiosity gets the better of him – he needs to know more.
The flight delay becomes protracted (they’re both booked on the same flight, albeit at different ends of the aeroplane) and as the two men talk on more of Cook’s story is revealed. What follows is a tale of scheming, betrayal and fateful events. The interaction between the pair is really well handled, in fact the writing is first rate throughout. He’s a clever guy, the author, and I was constantly looking up words I didn’t recognise and references I didn’t understand the meaning of. The pacing is excellent too and as I got close to the end I was waiting for the final punch – it came late and it was pretty good, that’s all I’ll say.
A really clever and engaging tale from an obviously talented writer. I’ll definitely be looking out more of his work. My thanks to Atlantic Books for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 4, 2022
"Mouth to Mouth" by Antoine Wilson is an edgy and addictive story!
Our unnamed narrator runs into Jeff Cook at JFK Airport taking the same flight to Berlin. It's obvious, by his attire, that Jeff is doing well for himself and upon hearing their flight is delayed, he extends an offer to wait in the comfort of the first-class lounge.
Once in the lounge, Jeff begins to share his story about how his life dramatically changes after rescuing a drowning man. He goes into great detail about the man he saves being a famous art dealer who eventually takes Jeff under his wing.
Our narrator begins to really wonder about Jeff. Why is he telling someone he barely knows, an acquaintance from college 20 years ago, this personal story he's never told anyone else? Or so he says...
I was in the mood for something different but I didn't expect this short audiobook to be as good as it was! It starts slow, meanders for a while, and then it takes you to a surprise ending. I did not see that one coming!
I listened to the 5 hour audiobook narrated by Edoardo Ballerini who does a fabulous job leading the listener through this edgy story. I love his unique voicing skills!
A story within a story that offers plenty to think about, addictive writing that keeps you reading or listening, and a creative premise that draws you in. I highly recommend!
Our unnamed narrator runs into Jeff Cook at JFK Airport taking the same flight to Berlin. It's obvious, by his attire, that Jeff is doing well for himself and upon hearing their flight is delayed, he extends an offer to wait in the comfort of the first-class lounge.
Once in the lounge, Jeff begins to share his story about how his life dramatically changes after rescuing a drowning man. He goes into great detail about the man he saves being a famous art dealer who eventually takes Jeff under his wing.
Our narrator begins to really wonder about Jeff. Why is he telling someone he barely knows, an acquaintance from college 20 years ago, this personal story he's never told anyone else? Or so he says...
I was in the mood for something different but I didn't expect this short audiobook to be as good as it was! It starts slow, meanders for a while, and then it takes you to a surprise ending. I did not see that one coming!
I listened to the 5 hour audiobook narrated by Edoardo Ballerini who does a fabulous job leading the listener through this edgy story. I love his unique voicing skills!
A story within a story that offers plenty to think about, addictive writing that keeps you reading or listening, and a creative premise that draws you in. I highly recommend!
November 14, 2021
[4+] From the opening page, I was captive to Mouth to Mouth and read it in a couple sittings. Reminiscent of a Paul Auster novel, with a trace of foreboding, the narrator recounts a story told to him by a college acquaintance in an airport. I enjoyed every minute and finished clutching the book in a daze. (Thank you Simon & Schuster for sending me an ARC.)
February 16, 2022
4+ stars
A delayed flight and a chance encounter at JFK with a former classmate,Jeff Cook, with whom our narrator attended UCLA 20 years ago. They have a drink and food in the first class lounge when Jeff tells his story of rescuing a man from drowning in the sea at Santa Monica. He hasn’t told a soul this story until today but he can’t erase it from his memory. The man he rescued was Francis Arsenault, a well-known and very wealthy gallery owner. Is our narrator acting as a Confessor? Why pick now? Why pick the narrator? Even more importantly how reliable is Jeff? It’s a conundrum!
I thoroughly enjoy this character driven novella (about 200 pages long) which is extremely well written and immersive as you come to appreciate its entertaining cleverness. I like the way Jeff tells the story although parts of it makes you feel a growing discomfort when you witness his actions with Francis which becomes akin to obsession. It becomes increasingly unsettling as you question the disclosures and ponder the reasons. The author utilises chapter endings really well, creating suspense so you have to keep reading.
The character of Francis emerges powerfully and he isn’t one that’s easy to like but we’ve only got Jeff’s word for that especially as you see it’s a sort of the King is dead, Long live the King kind of story. The twist at the end is excellent and one which you don’t see coming. I’ll keep weighing that up!
This seems such a simple tale when you begin it but it isn’t. This is one to continue to think about and it kind of gets under your skin.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Atlantic Books for that much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
A delayed flight and a chance encounter at JFK with a former classmate,Jeff Cook, with whom our narrator attended UCLA 20 years ago. They have a drink and food in the first class lounge when Jeff tells his story of rescuing a man from drowning in the sea at Santa Monica. He hasn’t told a soul this story until today but he can’t erase it from his memory. The man he rescued was Francis Arsenault, a well-known and very wealthy gallery owner. Is our narrator acting as a Confessor? Why pick now? Why pick the narrator? Even more importantly how reliable is Jeff? It’s a conundrum!
I thoroughly enjoy this character driven novella (about 200 pages long) which is extremely well written and immersive as you come to appreciate its entertaining cleverness. I like the way Jeff tells the story although parts of it makes you feel a growing discomfort when you witness his actions with Francis which becomes akin to obsession. It becomes increasingly unsettling as you question the disclosures and ponder the reasons. The author utilises chapter endings really well, creating suspense so you have to keep reading.
The character of Francis emerges powerfully and he isn’t one that’s easy to like but we’ve only got Jeff’s word for that especially as you see it’s a sort of the King is dead, Long live the King kind of story. The twist at the end is excellent and one which you don’t see coming. I’ll keep weighing that up!
This seems such a simple tale when you begin it but it isn’t. This is one to continue to think about and it kind of gets under your skin.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Atlantic Books for that much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
July 11, 2022
4.50 Stars — What an odd-story indeed. With its short and sharp chapters that leave you wanting more more more, the unnamed character, and audience at the centre of this story is — for me — it’s finest asset though as he acts on our behalf in a quizzical and comical way only to somehow simultaneously also not want us to know quite as much as he does.. fascinating stuff. It’s the kind of writing and prose that you enjoy literally sentence by sentence. Sharp, unnerving and unsettling yet subtle!
Mouth to Mouth tells the tale of an author whom awaiting his flight to Germany — amidst chasing a hole that he’d become somewhat of a Cult-status author, has a chance encounter with an old College acquaintance, whom winds up sharing a story of his life that throws the author and readers through a very eerily, strange yet poignant loop.
Not your average psychological thriller. This one builds slowly but all-the-while doing so without the reader having any idea whatsoever where the story is going to end up. Telling the life of Jeff, is a wild ride through the seedy & manipulation-laden world of being an art dealer.
The story of Francis Arcenou is quite hypnotic and ultimately, wonderful. Wilson weaves the narrative ever so delicately whilst always maintaining that urgent sense of foreboding, but in manner that tickles the joints as opposed to pounds the psyche. This is the real gift Wilson brings. Writing in a near split-personality type structure, the story pings from Jeff’s telling of the story to the unknown-author’s perspective seamlessly and without any abridging or cutting of the building narrative. What a delightful method for storytelling.
The First-Class-Lounge setting at an airport is the excellently-utilised vessel for this odd and incredibly well-told story of a man who saves another’s life, then becomes fixated on what the consequences of that act will be, albeit without ever “intending” to do any of it. Ultimately, this is a story of sliding-door moments, a fate vs fickle-lottery of random events type battle that culminates in an ending well befitting it’s setup.
Wilson guides the reader expertly and writes with exquisite prose whether telling either perspective, punchy sharp sentences for the narrator, long-winded self-indulgent fantasist paragraphs for Jeff.
This one left me with a wry grin on my face, something I found rather befitting. This is an excellent story that is best read in one long or two medium sessions to fully immerse in the truly brilliant narrative.
Mouth to Mouth tells the tale of an author whom awaiting his flight to Germany — amidst chasing a hole that he’d become somewhat of a Cult-status author, has a chance encounter with an old College acquaintance, whom winds up sharing a story of his life that throws the author and readers through a very eerily, strange yet poignant loop.
Not your average psychological thriller. This one builds slowly but all-the-while doing so without the reader having any idea whatsoever where the story is going to end up. Telling the life of Jeff, is a wild ride through the seedy & manipulation-laden world of being an art dealer.
The story of Francis Arcenou is quite hypnotic and ultimately, wonderful. Wilson weaves the narrative ever so delicately whilst always maintaining that urgent sense of foreboding, but in manner that tickles the joints as opposed to pounds the psyche. This is the real gift Wilson brings. Writing in a near split-personality type structure, the story pings from Jeff’s telling of the story to the unknown-author’s perspective seamlessly and without any abridging or cutting of the building narrative. What a delightful method for storytelling.
The First-Class-Lounge setting at an airport is the excellently-utilised vessel for this odd and incredibly well-told story of a man who saves another’s life, then becomes fixated on what the consequences of that act will be, albeit without ever “intending” to do any of it. Ultimately, this is a story of sliding-door moments, a fate vs fickle-lottery of random events type battle that culminates in an ending well befitting it’s setup.
Wilson guides the reader expertly and writes with exquisite prose whether telling either perspective, punchy sharp sentences for the narrator, long-winded self-indulgent fantasist paragraphs for Jeff.
This one left me with a wry grin on my face, something I found rather befitting. This is an excellent story that is best read in one long or two medium sessions to fully immerse in the truly brilliant narrative.
February 27, 2022
What a delightfully clever story Mouth to Mouth is — The unnamed narrator bumps into his former college acquaintance, Jeff, at the airport. While they await their delayed flight, Jeff recounts the story of how he saved a drowning man’s life at the beach years earlier and how doing so redirected the course of his own life. Jeff had to know more about the man he saved and one day, finds himself visiting the man’s art gallery. This action sets off a series of other decisions, changing Jeff’s future.
The chapters are short and leave your wanting more — I read this story quickly, staying intrigued throughout. I had to see how things played out for Jeff, with a constant sense of hesitancy about what was to come. Mouth to Mouth is an entertaining read with an unexpected conclusion.
The chapters are short and leave your wanting more — I read this story quickly, staying intrigued throughout. I had to see how things played out for Jeff, with a constant sense of hesitancy about what was to come. Mouth to Mouth is an entertaining read with an unexpected conclusion.
November 21, 2021
Let me start by saying this is a good book. It is well-written, it's focused, and it comes in under 200 pages when many others would have had it well over 300 for no good reason. It is one of those novels where one person shares their story in great detail, and it does a better job at providing the setup for that situation.
It is a book that plays with the reader a little, which I always appreciate, the narration from Jeff being undercut regularly by our actual narrator, who comes to the forefront and then retreats again many times. It knows what it wants to say, it's efficient, and if it maybe hits the nail on the head a bit more than is my personal preference, it was never really going for subtlety anyway.
Now that we've finished all that, I just found myself wondering what the point was when it was all over. Not what was the point of the book, that was quite clear and as I mentioned it was effectively made. But why tell this story when it has, frankly, been told so many times already?
I know this could lead to plenty of comments I will delete later but it just felt very much like a white guy book. It is about wealthy white people and how they are terrible. And yes I suppose it's also about the way every generation becomes what it starts out hating, about the way we construct narratives of our lives that we may or may not actually believe ourselves, about the dangers of being young and aimless and easily dazzled. It did all this very well. It just never excited me. It never showed me something I didn't already know. It didn't reveal a truth I'm already well familiar with. It didn't present anything from a new direction. It is extremely competent and yet it left me somewhat cold despite my 4 stars.
It is a book that plays with the reader a little, which I always appreciate, the narration from Jeff being undercut regularly by our actual narrator, who comes to the forefront and then retreats again many times. It knows what it wants to say, it's efficient, and if it maybe hits the nail on the head a bit more than is my personal preference, it was never really going for subtlety anyway.
Now that we've finished all that, I just found myself wondering what the point was when it was all over. Not what was the point of the book, that was quite clear and as I mentioned it was effectively made. But why tell this story when it has, frankly, been told so many times already?
I know this could lead to plenty of comments I will delete later but it just felt very much like a white guy book. It is about wealthy white people and how they are terrible. And yes I suppose it's also about the way every generation becomes what it starts out hating, about the way we construct narratives of our lives that we may or may not actually believe ourselves, about the dangers of being young and aimless and easily dazzled. It did all this very well. It just never excited me. It never showed me something I didn't already know. It didn't reveal a truth I'm already well familiar with. It didn't present anything from a new direction. It is extremely competent and yet it left me somewhat cold despite my 4 stars.
July 29, 2022
This week marked the annual release of Barack Obama’s summer reading list . . . .
And despite being 60 reviews behind and having nearly 30 library books checked out (we won’t even go there with the reader copies I request and fail to read in a timely manner) I totally took a looksee and immediately went and requested one of his suggestions. THANKS, OBAMA! I’m going to admit I was a little skeered too because he recommended Razorblade Tears which I only 2 Starred because I was afraid I would be drawn and quartered by its fans if I gave it 1.
I’m going to put it out there immediately that many people will not like this book. The premise here is our narrator runs into an old college acquaintance . . .
I mean Jeff . . . .
(Why yes, I did just include a masturbatory gif on a former President’s book choice. Keepin’ it classy!)
Who proceeds to tell his life story while the two wait out a flight delay. Now, should this ever happen in my actual life (which, it would not, because there is zero chance I would ever make eye contact with anyone at an airport, let alone get roped into a conversation with them), I would most assuredly be saying . . . .
Buuuuuuuuuuuut, I am a Hitchcock/Highsmith superfan and this slow rolling narrative reminded me of their films/stories and I became entirely enraptured. At a time when any book that could be potentially categorized as a sort of "mystery or thriller" tends to be all about how much shock and awe or twists and turns can be contained with its pages, it was a breath of fresh air to read such a delicious sleeper like this.
And despite being 60 reviews behind and having nearly 30 library books checked out (we won’t even go there with the reader copies I request and fail to read in a timely manner) I totally took a looksee and immediately went and requested one of his suggestions. THANKS, OBAMA! I’m going to admit I was a little skeered too because he recommended Razorblade Tears which I only 2 Starred because I was afraid I would be drawn and quartered by its fans if I gave it 1.
I’m going to put it out there immediately that many people will not like this book. The premise here is our narrator runs into an old college acquaintance . . .
I mean Jeff . . . .
(Why yes, I did just include a masturbatory gif on a former President’s book choice. Keepin’ it classy!)
Who proceeds to tell his life story while the two wait out a flight delay. Now, should this ever happen in my actual life (which, it would not, because there is zero chance I would ever make eye contact with anyone at an airport, let alone get roped into a conversation with them), I would most assuredly be saying . . . .
Buuuuuuuuuuuut, I am a Hitchcock/Highsmith superfan and this slow rolling narrative reminded me of their films/stories and I became entirely enraptured. At a time when any book that could be potentially categorized as a sort of "mystery or thriller" tends to be all about how much shock and awe or twists and turns can be contained with its pages, it was a breath of fresh air to read such a delicious sleeper like this.
January 7, 2022
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: General Fiction
This is the story of two old acquaintances meeting for a flight at JFK airport lounge. Jeff Cook will tell a story that happened to him and changed his life. One day on the beach he rescued a man from drowning. He performed the CPR on that drowned man (that’s the reason this novel is titled Mouth to Mouth). But later he gets obsessed with that man and has to know whether he rescued a good man or made the world a big disservice by letting a monster stay alive.
The book is like a story narrated within a story. Don’t worry it is not confusing at all. The plot itself is simple yet it is the excellent writing that turns it into a page-turner. This is a general fiction that has thriller and mystery elements to it. You just want to know what is going to happen next. The story is less than 200 pages and the chapters are short making you fly through the book very quickly.
The only thing that we know about the second person to which Cook tells the story is that he is a writer. Jeff Cook by the end even gives him permission to write his story. But the surprise that comes like a shock to this writer and to the reader is the ending. Antoine Wilson did a great job with this story. I liked it a lot. This is one of the exceptional cases where I can call a book to be a slow burner but a page-turner at the same time! Strange.
Many thanks to Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster, NetGalley, and the author Antoine Wilson for providing me an advance reader copy of this book.
Genre: General Fiction
This is the story of two old acquaintances meeting for a flight at JFK airport lounge. Jeff Cook will tell a story that happened to him and changed his life. One day on the beach he rescued a man from drowning. He performed the CPR on that drowned man (that’s the reason this novel is titled Mouth to Mouth). But later he gets obsessed with that man and has to know whether he rescued a good man or made the world a big disservice by letting a monster stay alive.
The book is like a story narrated within a story. Don’t worry it is not confusing at all. The plot itself is simple yet it is the excellent writing that turns it into a page-turner. This is a general fiction that has thriller and mystery elements to it. You just want to know what is going to happen next. The story is less than 200 pages and the chapters are short making you fly through the book very quickly.
The only thing that we know about the second person to which Cook tells the story is that he is a writer. Jeff Cook by the end even gives him permission to write his story. But the surprise that comes like a shock to this writer and to the reader is the ending. Antoine Wilson did a great job with this story. I liked it a lot. This is one of the exceptional cases where I can call a book to be a slow burner but a page-turner at the same time! Strange.
Many thanks to Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster, NetGalley, and the author Antoine Wilson for providing me an advance reader copy of this book.
December 20, 2022
A novel about delusions of grandeur, and their deathly consequences: At JFK airport, the unnamed narrator, a writer, meets a former UCLA classmate who invites him to the first class lounge and feels compelled to tell him his life story. This sets in motion the story-within-a-story structure, in which we learn that the classmate, Jeff, has saved a man's life (via mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but the book title of course also refers to oral storytelling), and then became obsessed with this very man, aiming to find out what he did with his second chance. Turns out the man is a wealthy art dealer named Francis, and Jeff wiggles his way into his life, becoming his assistant and dating his daughter. But Jeff is not all too pleased with the way Francis spends the part of his life he enabled him to have by saving him...
Yes, there is a "Saw" vibe to it, and I think to call this book, as many reviews did, a "morality tale" is a little too overblown; rather, I enjoyed it for its discussion of megalomania, and I found it rather entertaining. The characters and from some point on the plot are pretty predictable, and if you'd like to read about the art world, the gold standard is still The Map and the Territory. But as a text about manipulation and conceit, this is cleverly done.
A short, fun read, but not overwhelmingly innovative or riveting.
Yes, there is a "Saw" vibe to it, and I think to call this book, as many reviews did, a "morality tale" is a little too overblown; rather, I enjoyed it for its discussion of megalomania, and I found it rather entertaining. The characters and from some point on the plot are pretty predictable, and if you'd like to read about the art world, the gold standard is still The Map and the Territory. But as a text about manipulation and conceit, this is cleverly done.
A short, fun read, but not overwhelmingly innovative or riveting.
May 15, 2023
Huh? I don’t get it.🤔
Jeff pulled a lifeless Francis from the water 20 years prior, and applied CPR so long and hard he broke the man’s sternum. Eventually Francis came around, but would only tell people he’d broken the ribs in a “squash accident”. WHY?
While waiting for a delayed flight to Berlin, Jeff bumped into an old acquaintance from UCLA and the two spent the downtime in the First Class Lounge—Jeff’s treat. For several hours, Jeff related the story, mentioning several times he’d never spoken of the incident to anyone until now. WHY?
The story is so full of holes and implausibilities that I’m surprised I read to the end. It was very well written, and I did enjoy it at times. I suppose I thought there might be some enlightenment at the end. But there wasn’t.
You know, there are books that leave the reader with questions at the end. And then there are books like this one, that leave you feeling maybe the author couldn’t figure it out either! Maybe he’d left it this way hoping readers would be satisfied. But this reader was not.🙄
3 “What-the-heck-did-I-just-read?” stars ⭐⭐⭐
Jeff pulled a lifeless Francis from the water 20 years prior, and applied CPR so long and hard he broke the man’s sternum. Eventually Francis came around, but would only tell people he’d broken the ribs in a “squash accident”. WHY?
While waiting for a delayed flight to Berlin, Jeff bumped into an old acquaintance from UCLA and the two spent the downtime in the First Class Lounge—Jeff’s treat. For several hours, Jeff related the story, mentioning several times he’d never spoken of the incident to anyone until now. WHY?
The story is so full of holes and implausibilities that I’m surprised I read to the end. It was very well written, and I did enjoy it at times. I suppose I thought there might be some enlightenment at the end. But there wasn’t.
You know, there are books that leave the reader with questions at the end. And then there are books like this one, that leave you feeling maybe the author couldn’t figure it out either! Maybe he’d left it this way hoping readers would be satisfied. But this reader was not.🙄
3 “What-the-heck-did-I-just-read?” stars ⭐⭐⭐
October 6, 2022
The unnamed narrator of this story runs into Jeff Cook, an old classmate whom he hasn't seen in a long time, at the airport. Both are flying to Berlin and when their flight is delayed they sit in the first-class lounge and get caught up.
As I said in an update, I got My Dinner with Andre vibes from this book. Jeff seems to do most of the talking as he tells a story about saving another man from drowning about 20 years ago and how he became obsessed with that man who turned out to be a well known art dealer. The book is less than 200 pages with some really short chapters, perfect for "just one more", and I found it absolutely mesmerizing. As Jeff's tale progressed I really started to wonder where it was going and why he chose our narrator to relate the story to. Jeff insisted this was the first time he'd told anyone the story. I confess to being a little disappointed by the ending; I think I was expecting something much more startling.
This was another loan from the London Public Library for which I thank them again.
As I said in an update, I got My Dinner with Andre vibes from this book. Jeff seems to do most of the talking as he tells a story about saving another man from drowning about 20 years ago and how he became obsessed with that man who turned out to be a well known art dealer. The book is less than 200 pages with some really short chapters, perfect for "just one more", and I found it absolutely mesmerizing. As Jeff's tale progressed I really started to wonder where it was going and why he chose our narrator to relate the story to. Jeff insisted this was the first time he'd told anyone the story. I confess to being a little disappointed by the ending; I think I was expecting something much more startling.
This was another loan from the London Public Library for which I thank them again.
February 14, 2022
2.75 stars
What if you saved the life of a stranger and subsequently found out he was a sadistic jackass. Would it have been better if you had let him die?
If this book weren't so short I might have DNF'd it. It's a well-written, quick read with a nice flow, but it was ultimately a bit of a disappointment. This is one of those books that starts off with an intriguing premise that draws you in right away, after which the whole thing becomes a trudge. You keep reading in hopes that there will be a big payoff, but it never quite lives up to the promising start.
May 22, 2022
Intriguing premise, but I lost interest pretty quickly. Almost a DNF but decided to skim because I was curious about the ending. Meh. Borrowed from the library.
October 26, 2023
I am a sucker for a good story and I found this one a rare treat.
I listened to the audio read by Edoardo Ballerini
Rarely does an audio book keep me up, I usually doze off spending my morning hours trying to figure out where in the book to begin again. But at midnight I had to reluctantly turn this audio off and save the end for my morning walk. I had managed to listen to the first three hours and knew it was only becoming more and more difficult to hit the stop key.
According to Chinese proverb If you save a man's life you are then responsible for it. For Jeff Cook this responsibility plays out in a most unusual way and much is left to the reader's interpretation. Cook begins telling his tale to a college acquaintance in an airport lounge (he claims he is telling this 20 year old story for the very first time.) The acquaintance is a writer and wonders if he is being told in order to bring the story to print.
The 20 year old tale begins when Cook happens to spot and then save a drown man. He manages with much personal effort of CPR to bring the man back to life before Medics arrive and carry him off. Did he manage to save the man and if does, does he deserve a reward? With a little bit of work he manages to find out the man's name and the fact that he survived the ordeal with only a few broken ribs. This knowledge is not enough for Cook he wants to know who this man is and was it a life worth saving. At least this is the story as he tells it, as he begins to first stalk the man, then takes a job working for him, finds out more about his business dealings and begins to question all he finds out. As he slowly gets more and more involved in this man's life his judgments and motivations become more and more murky. Like quicksand it seems to suck him in slowly till extraction seems impossible.
The chapters are short and fly by. Expert foreshadowing lets you know that the end is not likely to have been a good one for either the saved man or the savior.
I particularly loved how much could be interpreted in a variety of ways. Great, fun listen and one I may have to rewind and see what I think on a second go
I listened to the audio read by Edoardo Ballerini
Rarely does an audio book keep me up, I usually doze off spending my morning hours trying to figure out where in the book to begin again. But at midnight I had to reluctantly turn this audio off and save the end for my morning walk. I had managed to listen to the first three hours and knew it was only becoming more and more difficult to hit the stop key.
According to Chinese proverb If you save a man's life you are then responsible for it. For Jeff Cook this responsibility plays out in a most unusual way and much is left to the reader's interpretation. Cook begins telling his tale to a college acquaintance in an airport lounge (he claims he is telling this 20 year old story for the very first time.) The acquaintance is a writer and wonders if he is being told in order to bring the story to print.
The 20 year old tale begins when Cook happens to spot and then save a drown man. He manages with much personal effort of CPR to bring the man back to life before Medics arrive and carry him off. Did he manage to save the man and if does, does he deserve a reward? With a little bit of work he manages to find out the man's name and the fact that he survived the ordeal with only a few broken ribs. This knowledge is not enough for Cook he wants to know who this man is and was it a life worth saving. At least this is the story as he tells it, as he begins to first stalk the man, then takes a job working for him, finds out more about his business dealings and begins to question all he finds out. As he slowly gets more and more involved in this man's life his judgments and motivations become more and more murky. Like quicksand it seems to suck him in slowly till extraction seems impossible.
The chapters are short and fly by. Expert foreshadowing lets you know that the end is not likely to have been a good one for either the saved man or the savior.
I particularly loved how much could be interpreted in a variety of ways. Great, fun listen and one I may have to rewind and see what I think on a second go
April 16, 2022
Some reviews suggested a psychological (suspenseful) novel about the art world. Wanting to explore, now & then, contemporary fiction, I unwisely ordered. This is the silliest book Ive read in a long, long time. Knowing this world very well, w a close chum who was a NY art dealer for decades, and another pal who has assisted in 3 major NYC galleries, along w many artist friends, in NYC and Los Angeles, I cannot take this melodrama seriously -- or as satire, which may be its failed aim.
The central figure Jeff goes to work for LA art dealer Francis Arsenault, an enigmatic power-broker. Jeff knows nothing about art or art dealing or, frankly, anything: a recent graduate of UCLA, he falls in love w Arsenault's daughter, and everything is just fine until she learns that Daddy promised a young femme artist a show in return for a screw. Her art is bad. Daughter has an all-American hissy-fit. ~~ Tant pis!
Dealers do fool around w artists...yes, but only w the "good" ones; sometimes, so do art critics. (The NYT--for years--had a critic who "made" a young woman a Star.) ~ However, I've never ever been to an art opening that played canned music, which is done at the Arsenault Gallery in LA. Jeff, starting at the gallery on the lowest level, would be getting minimum pay. This doesnt bother him as he's house-sitting for Brad Pitt. His job is, frankly, the most boring in the world. At another opening he meets the great minimalist Agnes Martin. He doesnt "get" her work. But Arsenault believes Jeff has "an eye."
Inspired by Somerset Maugham, the author tells his story as a told-to-me in an airport lounge during a flight delay. Like Maugham, he even tries to end w a surprise "kicker," which is a Nothing. Maugham was The Master of such "stories." The author here does jab LA/Hollywood art collectors with a stinging, accurate line: "They werent the type to drop money on unknown and emerging artists. They wanted art that people would recognize." If only his novel simmered with this kind of wit.
==
Jeff once saved the dealer from drowning, hence the title, if you care.
...
The central figure Jeff goes to work for LA art dealer Francis Arsenault, an enigmatic power-broker. Jeff knows nothing about art or art dealing or, frankly, anything: a recent graduate of UCLA, he falls in love w Arsenault's daughter, and everything is just fine until she learns that Daddy promised a young femme artist a show in return for a screw. Her art is bad. Daughter has an all-American hissy-fit. ~~ Tant pis!
Dealers do fool around w artists...yes, but only w the "good" ones; sometimes, so do art critics. (The NYT--for years--had a critic who "made" a young woman a Star.) ~ However, I've never ever been to an art opening that played canned music, which is done at the Arsenault Gallery in LA. Jeff, starting at the gallery on the lowest level, would be getting minimum pay. This doesnt bother him as he's house-sitting for Brad Pitt. His job is, frankly, the most boring in the world. At another opening he meets the great minimalist Agnes Martin. He doesnt "get" her work. But Arsenault believes Jeff has "an eye."
Inspired by Somerset Maugham, the author tells his story as a told-to-me in an airport lounge during a flight delay. Like Maugham, he even tries to end w a surprise "kicker," which is a Nothing. Maugham was The Master of such "stories." The author here does jab LA/Hollywood art collectors with a stinging, accurate line: "They werent the type to drop money on unknown and emerging artists. They wanted art that people would recognize." If only his novel simmered with this kind of wit.
==
Jeff once saved the dealer from drowning, hence the title, if you care.
...
March 3, 2022
3.5, rounded down.
While reading it, I was enjoying the wild ride, but much like Peggy Lee, once it was all over, I kept asking myself: "Is that all there is?" It's a swift-moving tome, easily read in a few hours, so it does have that going for it.
While reading it, I was enjoying the wild ride, but much like Peggy Lee, once it was all over, I kept asking myself: "Is that all there is?" It's a swift-moving tome, easily read in a few hours, so it does have that going for it.
December 5, 2025
"The accidental conqueror"
Holy shit this ending. And yes, it's perfectly comped to SALTBURN (movie)
Holy shit this ending. And yes, it's perfectly comped to SALTBURN (movie)
February 20, 2022
brain: yeah we can totally write a review a month after finishing this, no biggie
me: great! so, what was this about?
brain: fuck if i know
Caution: vague spoilers
how can a book with such a pretty cover be so... boring✨
literally nothing happened in this. the narrator meets his old classmate Jeff who tells him the story about how he saved another man's life, subsequently becoming obsessed with him and coincidentally✨ inserting himself into his life
all good old Jeff does is to keep going on about "Was it fate?" "He never really thanked me." and blabla. he's not even good at story telling. i wanted to be on the edge of my seat, instead i fell asleep listening to the audiobook
people also keep going on about the "spectacular" and "unexpected" ending of this book meanwhile i kept waiting for Jeff to be like "i brought you into this world, i can take you out again" from the very first page. and then it was so anticlimactic that i didn't even feel the validation about being right
TL;DR: the very definition of "well, at least they're pretty"
me: great! so, what was this about?
brain: fuck if i know
Caution: vague spoilers
how can a book with such a pretty cover be so... boring✨
literally nothing happened in this. the narrator meets his old classmate Jeff who tells him the story about how he saved another man's life, subsequently becoming obsessed with him and coincidentally✨ inserting himself into his life
all good old Jeff does is to keep going on about "Was it fate?" "He never really thanked me." and blabla. he's not even good at story telling. i wanted to be on the edge of my seat, instead i fell asleep listening to the audiobook
people also keep going on about the "spectacular" and "unexpected" ending of this book meanwhile i kept waiting for Jeff to be like "i brought you into this world, i can take you out again" from the very first page. and then it was so anticlimactic that i didn't even feel the validation about being right
TL;DR: the very definition of "well, at least they're pretty"
July 15, 2022
Really fun thriller, thoroughly enjoyable novel.
Kind of a joke on the concept of airport novels, given that it takes place entirely in an airport lounge, a tale told between friends who happen to run into each other while their flight to Germany is delayed by the Icelandic volcano.
Very lightly written and without much tension, yet at the same it's a real page turner. Somewhat Knausgaardian in its compelling mundanity. Wish it had gone more into art world money laundering but that's only a really minor complaint because the novel's pretty much perfect as it is. Maybe in a sequel based on Jeff's career?
Kind of a joke on the concept of airport novels, given that it takes place entirely in an airport lounge, a tale told between friends who happen to run into each other while their flight to Germany is delayed by the Icelandic volcano.
Very lightly written and without much tension, yet at the same it's a real page turner. Somewhat Knausgaardian in its compelling mundanity. Wish it had gone more into art world money laundering but that's only a really minor complaint because the novel's pretty much perfect as it is. Maybe in a sequel based on Jeff's career?
January 14, 2022
A fascinating contemporary twist on the classic ‘as told to’ novel, like Lord Jim and much of Somerset Maugham, which strands two old accquaintances in an airport VIP lounge==with a slight flavor of a Mr. Ripley novel, as the tale-teller, a man once admired by our protagonist when they were both in collage, plays with the other's attraction as he unspools his tale, in which his old admirer is a alternately charmed and alarmed by a fantastic tale of love, fate and a meteoric rise--set in the world contemporary art.
January 8, 2022
At first I wasn’t sure about this book. It was interesting enough to keep my attention, but nothing really blew me away until the ending. That alone in my opinion is worth the read.
“He’d dethroned the king, married the princess, and taken over the kingdom”.
A delayed flight at JFK reunited two college classmates. As they wait for their flight in the first class lounge they exchange pleasantries. Then one of the friends, Jeff Cook begins to share an account of an important event that changed the course of his life.
Jeff reveals how preformed CPR and ultimately saved the life of a drowning man. After the rescue, Jeff became preoccupied with finding out more about the man he revived. He discovers the man he saved was prominent art dealer Francis Arsenault. Jeff’s obsession leads him to secure employment at Francis’s art gallery.
Francis doesn’t seem to recognize Jeff, however, he sees something in Jeff that makes him become sort of a mentor for him. Francis shows him the ropes of the art world, and Jeff seems to flourish.
The events that transpired from here culminated in an ending that you have to read to believe.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
“He’d dethroned the king, married the princess, and taken over the kingdom”.
A delayed flight at JFK reunited two college classmates. As they wait for their flight in the first class lounge they exchange pleasantries. Then one of the friends, Jeff Cook begins to share an account of an important event that changed the course of his life.
Jeff reveals how preformed CPR and ultimately saved the life of a drowning man. After the rescue, Jeff became preoccupied with finding out more about the man he revived. He discovers the man he saved was prominent art dealer Francis Arsenault. Jeff’s obsession leads him to secure employment at Francis’s art gallery.
Francis doesn’t seem to recognize Jeff, however, he sees something in Jeff that makes him become sort of a mentor for him. Francis shows him the ropes of the art world, and Jeff seems to flourish.
The events that transpired from here culminated in an ending that you have to read to believe.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 1, 2022
Deeply disappointing. Where are the stakes?! The characters are paper thin, the writing is try-hard, and the plotting is frustrating to say the least. The author keeps dangling the carrot in front of the reader, only for it to become painfully obvious as to what the final revelations will be. Mouth to Mouth doesn't know whether to be a cheap thriller or a piece of literary fiction and ends up being neither and simply boring. 1/5
November 17, 2021
I read this delicious book in one sitting! I do love a narrator telling me a story. There is an ominous hint of mystery prevailing from the start that kept me turning pages.
Mouth to Mouth is the story told to a writer whose plane is delayed. He notices a familiar face, a man from college days. Speaking the man’s name, he is surprised to be happily embraced as an old friend, as someone who knew him ‘then.’ The man takes him into the First Class Lounge and over drinks spins a wondrous tale of loss, unthinking heroism, and unsought riches. A tale of obsession and guilt. Jeff Cook says he has never told his story before.
Our narrator is uncertain why he has been chosen to hear Cook’s story, especially since Cook insists it is because he was ‘there at the beginning’ although they were not imitate friends. Our confidence man noticed Cook on campus, and there were in a college art class. But never friends.
After college, Cook explains, his girlfriend dumped him and broke his heart, and one night he wandered to the sea alone. Noticing an arm rising from the water, he was impelled to plunge into the cold sea, bringing the dead weight of the body to land and administering CPR, mouth to mouth. The drowned man recovers. And Cook wonders who the man is, and what difference it makes that he was saved.
No man is a saint. I didn’t think I’d saved a saint, I hadn’t expected to, everyone has their flaws. I just wanted him to be good, though, I wanted to feel that I had done a good thing not only for him but for all the people he came into contact with.
from Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson
Cook questions the life guard who came to the scene and learns the drowned man’s name–Frances Arsenault. Cook stalks Arsenault, discovering he is a wealthy art dealer, and has a clandestine meetings with a mistress. When a job opens at the gallery, Cook is hired, even with no background or interest in art. He waits to be recognized, even if his hair is shorn.
Cook meets a woman at an art reception and she becomes his lover before she reveals that she is the boss’s daughter. He is finally noticed by Arsenault, still unsure if he had been recognized. And becoming close to Arsenault, he realizes the art business is basically a ‘money laundering scheme,’ with secret sales guaranteed to inflate prices.
It’s art. I could take anything and pump it up or tear it down.
Frances Arsenault in Mouth to Mouth
Arsenault’s life becomes complicated, threatening to divide his family, and he presses Cook for loyalty. It becomes a deadly game.
So set aside a few hours this winter. Get a cup of your favorite beverage, settle in your favorite chair. You won’t want to set this book down.
I received a free book from Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster. My review is fair and unbiased.
Mouth to Mouth is the story told to a writer whose plane is delayed. He notices a familiar face, a man from college days. Speaking the man’s name, he is surprised to be happily embraced as an old friend, as someone who knew him ‘then.’ The man takes him into the First Class Lounge and over drinks spins a wondrous tale of loss, unthinking heroism, and unsought riches. A tale of obsession and guilt. Jeff Cook says he has never told his story before.
Our narrator is uncertain why he has been chosen to hear Cook’s story, especially since Cook insists it is because he was ‘there at the beginning’ although they were not imitate friends. Our confidence man noticed Cook on campus, and there were in a college art class. But never friends.
After college, Cook explains, his girlfriend dumped him and broke his heart, and one night he wandered to the sea alone. Noticing an arm rising from the water, he was impelled to plunge into the cold sea, bringing the dead weight of the body to land and administering CPR, mouth to mouth. The drowned man recovers. And Cook wonders who the man is, and what difference it makes that he was saved.
No man is a saint. I didn’t think I’d saved a saint, I hadn’t expected to, everyone has their flaws. I just wanted him to be good, though, I wanted to feel that I had done a good thing not only for him but for all the people he came into contact with.
from Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson
Cook questions the life guard who came to the scene and learns the drowned man’s name–Frances Arsenault. Cook stalks Arsenault, discovering he is a wealthy art dealer, and has a clandestine meetings with a mistress. When a job opens at the gallery, Cook is hired, even with no background or interest in art. He waits to be recognized, even if his hair is shorn.
Cook meets a woman at an art reception and she becomes his lover before she reveals that she is the boss’s daughter. He is finally noticed by Arsenault, still unsure if he had been recognized. And becoming close to Arsenault, he realizes the art business is basically a ‘money laundering scheme,’ with secret sales guaranteed to inflate prices.
It’s art. I could take anything and pump it up or tear it down.
Frances Arsenault in Mouth to Mouth
Arsenault’s life becomes complicated, threatening to divide his family, and he presses Cook for loyalty. It becomes a deadly game.
So set aside a few hours this winter. Get a cup of your favorite beverage, settle in your favorite chair. You won’t want to set this book down.
I received a free book from Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster. My review is fair and unbiased.
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