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The Poser
A hilarious and dazzling debut novel about a master impressionist at risk of losing his true self
All his life Giovanni Bernini has possessed an unhealthy gift: he can imitate anyone he meets. Honed by his mother at a young age, the talent catapults him from small-town obscurity to stardom.
As Giovanni describes it, "No one's disguise is perfect. There is in every person, no matter how graceful, a seam, a thread curling out of them ... When pulled by the right hands, it will unravel the person entire." As his fame grows, Giovanni encounters a beautiful and enigmatic stage signer Lucy Starlight - the only person whose thread he cannot find - and becomes increasingly trapped inside his many poses. Ultimately, he must assume the one identity he has never been able to master: his own.
All his life Giovanni Bernini has possessed an unhealthy gift: he can imitate anyone he meets. Honed by his mother at a young age, the talent catapults him from small-town obscurity to stardom.
As Giovanni describes it, "No one's disguise is perfect. There is in every person, no matter how graceful, a seam, a thread curling out of them ... When pulled by the right hands, it will unravel the person entire." As his fame grows, Giovanni encounters a beautiful and enigmatic stage signer Lucy Starlight - the only person whose thread he cannot find - and becomes increasingly trapped inside his many poses. Ultimately, he must assume the one identity he has never been able to master: his own.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published March 17, 2015
29 people are currently reading
1282 people want to read
About the author
Jacob Rubin
7 books15 followersJacob Rubin’s writing has appeared in the anthology Best New American Voices, www.newyorker.com, New York magazine, Slate, n+1, and The New Republic. Times Square, a screenplay he co-wrote, was recently acquired by Focus Features. He lives in New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
June 1, 2015
Giovanni Bernini - Master Impressionist. To a fault. From the time when he was a very small boy, Giovanni was always aping someone else, in gesture, in speech, in body carriage. And he shines at it. Somewhere along the way, he lost his sense of himself. When it comes down to it, he has to pretend to be himself, with no inkling of who he really is. Is it a fact that nothing is quite as insidious as the truth?
While this novel did not entirely work for me, it was worth pursuing for the phrases that were nestled within the pages. 'A squadron of pigeons, fat and thrumming.' A man trying to smile, but finding his 'lips weighed too much.', 'words like hot soup in my mouth.'.
Plucked from the shelf at the local library, this turned out to be a so-so read for me. A little different, stronger at the start than the finish. A wee bit draggy in between.
While this novel did not entirely work for me, it was worth pursuing for the phrases that were nestled within the pages. 'A squadron of pigeons, fat and thrumming.' A man trying to smile, but finding his 'lips weighed too much.', 'words like hot soup in my mouth.'.
Plucked from the shelf at the local library, this turned out to be a so-so read for me. A little different, stronger at the start than the finish. A wee bit draggy in between.
December 24, 2015
The Poser by Jacob Rubin is a book that I would not under any circumstances recommend to anyone to read. Let me explain why.
First of all, I feel like this book had a lot of potential. The book is a fictitious story about an ordinary guy who is really good at impersonating people. He gets discovered and gets into show business, performing on stage and eventually in movies. Over the course of the journey, he meets a girl he can't impersonate, he is betrayed, he completely becomes another guy, and eventually all the craziness of his life
Now to the reason that no one should read this book. It is downright disturbing. The language and sexual content of the book are very high and extremely inappropriate. The only reason I finished reading this book was because I had an obligation to the author to read and review his book. I skimmed over questionable parts which there were a lot of. Now some people may be fine with content such as that, but I am not comfortable with it and don't find it entertaining to read a book such as this.
Overall, the story was nice and I feel that I would have enjoyed the story a lot more had it not been so dirty. The mature content of the story pretty much overshadowed everything else for me and I wasn't fully able to appreciate the story because the content was so bad.
First of all, I feel like this book had a lot of potential. The book is a fictitious story about an ordinary guy who is really good at impersonating people. He gets discovered and gets into show business, performing on stage and eventually in movies. Over the course of the journey, he meets a girl he can't impersonate, he is betrayed, he completely becomes another guy, and eventually all the craziness of his life
Now to the reason that no one should read this book. It is downright disturbing. The language and sexual content of the book are very high and extremely inappropriate. The only reason I finished reading this book was because I had an obligation to the author to read and review his book. I skimmed over questionable parts which there were a lot of. Now some people may be fine with content such as that, but I am not comfortable with it and don't find it entertaining to read a book such as this.
Overall, the story was nice and I feel that I would have enjoyed the story a lot more had it not been so dirty. The mature content of the story pretty much overshadowed everything else for me and I wasn't fully able to appreciate the story because the content was so bad.
January 29, 2015
It took me a solid 50 pages to get hooked on this zany picaresque, but patience paid off. Jacob Rubin is brilliantly original, with a particular gift for description. “Thin legs tapering into squiggles.” “A French horn of a man.” “A cowboy’s pose.”
Spot-on impersonations take the protagonist, Giovanni Bernini, from a New England village to vaudeville, then the silver screen and eventually to politics, elected office and—that’s all I’ll reveal. The character’s secret is the ability to find a thread in others that he can pull to unravel, then uncannily reconstruct the person, gesture by gesture, tone by tone. As Giovanni’s adventures gallop along, the reader begs the question, is this guy a cipher? Is there any THERE there? In this era of well-crafted branding and questionable authenticity, when every other person on social media—not merely politicians and actors--creates a persona that disguises their true self, this book is as thought-provoking as it is clever. This, in a country that has elected one actor to the Presidency, and where Meryl Streep or George Clooney could very likely win in a landslide if they chose to run.
One of THE POSER’s blurbs suggests that the author has impersonated a writer twenty years to his senior. That would be very skilled author.
Spot-on impersonations take the protagonist, Giovanni Bernini, from a New England village to vaudeville, then the silver screen and eventually to politics, elected office and—that’s all I’ll reveal. The character’s secret is the ability to find a thread in others that he can pull to unravel, then uncannily reconstruct the person, gesture by gesture, tone by tone. As Giovanni’s adventures gallop along, the reader begs the question, is this guy a cipher? Is there any THERE there? In this era of well-crafted branding and questionable authenticity, when every other person on social media—not merely politicians and actors--creates a persona that disguises their true self, this book is as thought-provoking as it is clever. This, in a country that has elected one actor to the Presidency, and where Meryl Streep or George Clooney could very likely win in a landslide if they chose to run.
One of THE POSER’s blurbs suggests that the author has impersonated a writer twenty years to his senior. That would be very skilled author.
June 24, 2015
From beginning to end, I loved this book. The writing, the story, the odd Giovanni Bernini. I loved the way that I felt that I was in New York and then LA, even if I wasn't. Jacob Rubin has a fantastic way with words; so many sentences are filled with so much meaning. Like his protagonist, Rubin certainly has a way of reading people, and his impressions of them come out gloriously in print. Wonderful debut novel. Bravo!
April 16, 2015
Book Review & Giveaway: I couldn’t resist the title when I saw The Poser by Jacob Rubin and, when I read the publisher’s description, I found the concept intriguing because so many possibilities sprang to mind. Rubin has quite a gift for writing about the human condition. This fable is set in a satirical country much like the U.S. but not. It’s set in a past which felt like the 1930’s or 1940’s, but it may not be the past at all since this is an alternate reality – not alternate in the fantasy sense but one that sets the context and bolsters the content dramatically. I predict The Poser is going to make some award lists, so be sure to enter our giveaway at http://popcornreads.com/?p=8324 if it sounds like your kind of read.
November 22, 2014
I received this galley through YPG's Little Big Mouth. While the concept of the novel sounded fresh and original, the execution was extremely disappointing. The plot felt rushed, and the lack of character development made me question many of Giovanni's motives and actions throughout the book. For something that has received so much hype, and from an author who is so well respected for his other writings, I expected so much more.
October 13, 2018
I came across this one when I was looking into some questions of impersonation and politics and found that Rubin had written a thoughtful essay on Dana Carvey’s take on George H. Bush. I thought it was very well done, and it didn’t hurt that I share his opinion that Carvey introduced a new twist into Saturday Night Live’s political discourse with that act.
In any case, this novel starts out beautifully as it fulfills a difficult ambition. Giovanni can impersonate anyone. He’s a prodigy; even as an infant even he responded to the facial expressions greeting him. To make this work, Rubin has to be a skilled mimic himself, has to be able to perform one voice after another on the page.
And, for most of this, he is. The guy can write, and the joy of discovering that in this, his first novel is part of what makes reading it so rewarding. It’s a novel that carries with it some of the weight of the act that Giovanni puts together and then performs in a seedy little theater.
So the character and context here are terrific. The story that develops in that space takes more time, and, while it starts out just as impressively, it tails off toward the end.
Initially, Giovanni finds himself drawn to impersonating others because it seems he may have no self at the core of his identity. When Max, a two-bit show biz manager finds him, he gives Giovanni someone to imitate. Through that mimicry, Giovanni finds a public pose that allows him to market his skill. Max is a bit of shyster, but he’s ultimately loveable, and that gives Giovanni a purpose.
From there, Giovanni finds himself drawn to imitating Bernie, a much more serious theater owner. Bernie represents a more sinister allure than the pleasantly shady Max. He’s aggressive in business, disparaging of those who work for him, and ultimately ruthless. If you throw in Lucy, a not-so-talented singer-actress who may or may not be the first person (beyond his controlling mother) to love Giovanni, and you have an almost mythic array of characters and relationships.
The novel starts to weaken a little when Rubin has to move those characters into new situations and settings. We leave the Broadway-like setting of the first two-thirds or so and wind up, first, in Hollywood where Giovanni becomes an unlikely movie star, and then in a less clear context where he becomes a right-wing political provocateur. Shaped by Bernie, he brings his capacity for mimicry to the campaign trail, and he weds his gifts to a cruel species of politics.
The novel is two or three years old, but, in that respect, it feels as if it’s anticipating Trump in the way that Kosinski’s Being There anticipated Reagan. Where that previously unthinkable empty suit candidacy was central to the whole novel, though, this feels somewhat appended. It’s not, ultimately, a political or even social novel. At its best, and that best is impressive, it’s a personal one.
The tragedy of Giovanni’s life is that he’s not sure he can find himself beneath the voices of others that he wears like a protective suit. Rubin gets back to that in the end, after his detour into perhaps too-public a life, and brings those ideas back as Giovanni meets a peculiar therapist who mostly understands him.
It’s not a complaint to say that this excellent set-piece veers a bit too long into picaresque. Rather, I’d be happy to try to imitate Rubin myself since I’m awfully impressed by what he’s pulled off.
In any case, this novel starts out beautifully as it fulfills a difficult ambition. Giovanni can impersonate anyone. He’s a prodigy; even as an infant even he responded to the facial expressions greeting him. To make this work, Rubin has to be a skilled mimic himself, has to be able to perform one voice after another on the page.
And, for most of this, he is. The guy can write, and the joy of discovering that in this, his first novel is part of what makes reading it so rewarding. It’s a novel that carries with it some of the weight of the act that Giovanni puts together and then performs in a seedy little theater.
So the character and context here are terrific. The story that develops in that space takes more time, and, while it starts out just as impressively, it tails off toward the end.
Initially, Giovanni finds himself drawn to impersonating others because it seems he may have no self at the core of his identity. When Max, a two-bit show biz manager finds him, he gives Giovanni someone to imitate. Through that mimicry, Giovanni finds a public pose that allows him to market his skill. Max is a bit of shyster, but he’s ultimately loveable, and that gives Giovanni a purpose.
From there, Giovanni finds himself drawn to imitating Bernie, a much more serious theater owner. Bernie represents a more sinister allure than the pleasantly shady Max. He’s aggressive in business, disparaging of those who work for him, and ultimately ruthless. If you throw in Lucy, a not-so-talented singer-actress who may or may not be the first person (beyond his controlling mother) to love Giovanni, and you have an almost mythic array of characters and relationships.
The novel starts to weaken a little when Rubin has to move those characters into new situations and settings. We leave the Broadway-like setting of the first two-thirds or so and wind up, first, in Hollywood where Giovanni becomes an unlikely movie star, and then in a less clear context where he becomes a right-wing political provocateur. Shaped by Bernie, he brings his capacity for mimicry to the campaign trail, and he weds his gifts to a cruel species of politics.
The novel is two or three years old, but, in that respect, it feels as if it’s anticipating Trump in the way that Kosinski’s Being There anticipated Reagan. Where that previously unthinkable empty suit candidacy was central to the whole novel, though, this feels somewhat appended. It’s not, ultimately, a political or even social novel. At its best, and that best is impressive, it’s a personal one.
The tragedy of Giovanni’s life is that he’s not sure he can find himself beneath the voices of others that he wears like a protective suit. Rubin gets back to that in the end, after his detour into perhaps too-public a life, and brings those ideas back as Giovanni meets a peculiar therapist who mostly understands him.
It’s not a complaint to say that this excellent set-piece veers a bit too long into picaresque. Rather, I’d be happy to try to imitate Rubin myself since I’m awfully impressed by what he’s pulled off.
February 7, 2015
This book reels in the reader from its first pages. Giovanni Bernini, the narrator has a gift (or curse?) for the art of imitation and from a young age, this talent causes him no end of trouble. The opening hints at this success and then backtracks to this childhood and discovery by Max, a larger than life sort of talent scout. The style is engaging and with its unique premise, it is easy to continue flipping the pages of this one! The setting, though, from small town to “City” is vague - as is its exact timeline which may frustrate readers who prefer a more firmly grounded story. It is the characters here who are the focus and who truly drive the plot. And, for the most part, Giovanni makes for a sympathetic narrator.
But as intriguing as the first two parts of the book are, by the third, the story starts to drag a bit as Giovanni starts to lose himself more and more. The ambiguous setting - in both time and place - shifts from distracting to downright irritating. Especially when compounded with the Giovanni’s downward spiral from stage to screen. The reader is left with little to actually connect with... the midpoint of the novel is really difficult to push through...
But the conclusion of the third section, with its cliffhanger livens up the book as it takes another turn. In some ways the final section is more reminiscent of the beginning and I must say, that by the book’s ending, I have started to like it all over again. It’s definitely a unique read and definitely interesting. I think because of some of the style choices this will incite particularly lively discussions amongst book clubs and discussion groups.
But as intriguing as the first two parts of the book are, by the third, the story starts to drag a bit as Giovanni starts to lose himself more and more. The ambiguous setting - in both time and place - shifts from distracting to downright irritating. Especially when compounded with the Giovanni’s downward spiral from stage to screen. The reader is left with little to actually connect with... the midpoint of the novel is really difficult to push through...
But the conclusion of the third section, with its cliffhanger livens up the book as it takes another turn. In some ways the final section is more reminiscent of the beginning and I must say, that by the book’s ending, I have started to like it all over again. It’s definitely a unique read and definitely interesting. I think because of some of the style choices this will incite particularly lively discussions amongst book clubs and discussion groups.
April 12, 2015
I think that Jacob Rubin is destined to be one of the most important writers of the 21st C. I found his novel to be an excellent example of "noir fiction." I found it to be original and finely.honed down to the essence of Giovanni. One could say that Mr. Rubin has found Giovanni's thread. I really like that there was a beginning, a middle and an end. The end was not a result of the writer running out of steam or interest in the protagonist but perhaps gives this reader some further insights toto Giovanni . Having spent the last 40 yrs of my life as a psychotherapist with psychoanalytic training, I found the interaction between Giovanni and Dr. Orphels to be honest, humane, open, and certainly created longings in myself to be more like Dr. Orphels. I loved this novel,...the absence of the usual gimmicks that identify a point in historical time and it's unidentifiable places gives the story a suspended quality. The authoris dedicated to a writing style that informs the reader about who the characters are both directly by his description and by their interaction with each other. This may seem rather cliche but my experience is that few writers are able to accomplish this certainly in less than 300 pages.
I disagree with the reviews that allude to humor...perhaps some may find Giovanni's efforts to pose as an object
clowning. Or perhaps I missed the humor for the anguish of his isolation and effort to find authenticity?
I disagree with the reviews that allude to humor...perhaps some may find Giovanni's efforts to pose as an object
clowning. Or perhaps I missed the humor for the anguish of his isolation and effort to find authenticity?
March 6, 2015
I received an ARC from Penguin First Flights:
The premise of Jacob Rubin’s The Poser was so incredibly strong. I loved the idea that Giovanni could not simply impersonate anyone he met, but that he could pull their “thread” and essential become them. Although this talent allows Giovanni to become successful on the stage, on the silver screen, and in politics, he eventually begins to lose himself – and this is where Rubin began to lose me. Once Giovanni was floundering, the book began floundering. Once Giovanni was drifting, so was my mind. Maybe Rubin intended the story to mimic Giovanni’s mental struggles, but the plot began to feel uneven – and rushed.
Even though I thought that the story’s thread began to unravel around the halfway point, I felt that Rubin’s character description was exceptional and his voice was pertinent and unique. Living in a world where few people are authentic and everyone is pretending to be someone they aren't, it is easy to lose who we really are. Although Rubin focuses mostly on actors and politicians, his critique of our lack of genuineness is something that society very well needs to ponder.
The premise of Jacob Rubin’s The Poser was so incredibly strong. I loved the idea that Giovanni could not simply impersonate anyone he met, but that he could pull their “thread” and essential become them. Although this talent allows Giovanni to become successful on the stage, on the silver screen, and in politics, he eventually begins to lose himself – and this is where Rubin began to lose me. Once Giovanni was floundering, the book began floundering. Once Giovanni was drifting, so was my mind. Maybe Rubin intended the story to mimic Giovanni’s mental struggles, but the plot began to feel uneven – and rushed.
Even though I thought that the story’s thread began to unravel around the halfway point, I felt that Rubin’s character description was exceptional and his voice was pertinent and unique. Living in a world where few people are authentic and everyone is pretending to be someone they aren't, it is easy to lose who we really are. Although Rubin focuses mostly on actors and politicians, his critique of our lack of genuineness is something that society very well needs to ponder.
May 29, 2015
Here it is, a book as awesome as its cover. A strange book that nearly lost me at the first chapter, but then grabbed my attention definitively and held it throughout. Sort of a rambling mini epic, a picaresque of sorts, about a life of a most unusual man, World's Greatest Impressionist, Giovanni Bernini. A man as comfortable in skins of others and he is uncomfortable in his own. Someone who can imitate life to perfection instead of living it. A genuinely fascinating original character. Authentic performer who must learn to become an authentic human being, but not before fame, fortune, love, disappointment, success, betrayal, murder and other usual suspects have their way with him. Rubin's debut novel offers all the excitement and adventure of a great story wrapped in some seriously impressive linguistic splendor. Just as his protagonist, the author seems to have mastered the art of observation and he relates those observations in such a way that'll have you reading every single word and marveling at the way they come together to form perfect imagery. Very enjoyable book. Highly recommended.
May 16, 2015
"Perhaps. The world was crowed with impressionists, so, I suppose, one had to pull their threads and find out who everyone really was" (211)
I would like to thank penguin random house Canada for providing me with an advance copy of this book.
This took me a solid couple of chapters to get into, but after that I couldn't put it down. So please don't give up on this book, trust me you'll regret it! This was an awesome short read as I read it in a day! The plot was awesome and kept me engaged throughout the book. If you don't fall in love with Giovanni, then you must not be reading the same book as me!
The loved this book and would recommend it anyone 14+
I would like to thank penguin random house Canada for providing me with an advance copy of this book.
This took me a solid couple of chapters to get into, but after that I couldn't put it down. So please don't give up on this book, trust me you'll regret it! This was an awesome short read as I read it in a day! The plot was awesome and kept me engaged throughout the book. If you don't fall in love with Giovanni, then you must not be reading the same book as me!
The loved this book and would recommend it anyone 14+
May 3, 2015
I received a copy of "The Poser" through Goodreads First Reads.
I loved this book! It was an excellent read. The concept is creative and interesting - Giovanni has the talent of being able to imitate anyone. Eventually, that talent brings him fame, but the fame comes at a cost, a lot of costs unfortunately. The story flows together so nicely. I couldn't put it down most nights. I had to know what would happen next. The entire time I read this book I thought it would translate awesomely into a film, as well. When "The Poser" is published in March 2015, make sure you read it.
I loved this book! It was an excellent read. The concept is creative and interesting - Giovanni has the talent of being able to imitate anyone. Eventually, that talent brings him fame, but the fame comes at a cost, a lot of costs unfortunately. The story flows together so nicely. I couldn't put it down most nights. I had to know what would happen next. The entire time I read this book I thought it would translate awesomely into a film, as well. When "The Poser" is published in March 2015, make sure you read it.
February 15, 2016
I wanted to like this book because the story behind it all seemed really interesting. The main character impersonating other people like he was trying to discover himself meanwhile hitting the big leagues along the way. The story of him posing as people left me wanting more and I didn't care for how he dealt with his relationship with other people. He became so obsessed with trying to uncover the thread of some people that it became creepy. The bottom line is that this book wasn't exactly my cup of tea.
August 2, 2015
Like the narrator, this book seemed to flounder in the middle. I thought the last section was the strongest, so kudos for a good ending. Is it possible to connect with a narrator who can't connect to himself? I think it would've been easier had other characters been better developed. Ultimately this felt like an unconvincing impersonation: flat and forced but hinting at something great behind it.
March 20, 2015
Just the right mix of uplifting and unnerving
I suppose it will impact a mimeticist more than an experiential adept, but it is a hell of a read either way.
I suppose it will impact a mimeticist more than an experiential adept, but it is a hell of a read either way.
July 31, 2015
Captivating, original and sad in a heart-warming way.
October 14, 2015
I just could not get into this book. I read over half of it and when I didn't care how it ended I knew to put it down.
July 8, 2024
This book is all premise and no promise. What is it about me that is authentically and uniquely “me” - the most authentic part of myself that never goes away, no matter what other hats I might be wearing as I move through the social world? If a person could see this “thread” in everyone, how would it affect their relationships? What if a person could see this thread in everyone but themselves? How would that affect their relationships? This premise is instantly compelling and great food for thought. It just seems like the author had a lot of trouble turning it into an actual book.
I think the real problem is that the premise the author is working with is untrue. The premise posits the idea that we all show different sides of ourselves, depending on the situation, the audience, the topic, and in doing so we are putting on a costume; but our “thread” is authentic no matter what costume we are wearing. But this is untrue. This premise implies that our authentic self is flat and not dynamic. When the truth is, that we are all capable of great nuance, and that we can be true to ourselves no matter what side of ourselves we are showing. If the premise is deeply flawed, the book attempting to support it will also be deeply flawed.
Not good.
I think the real problem is that the premise the author is working with is untrue. The premise posits the idea that we all show different sides of ourselves, depending on the situation, the audience, the topic, and in doing so we are putting on a costume; but our “thread” is authentic no matter what costume we are wearing. But this is untrue. This premise implies that our authentic self is flat and not dynamic. When the truth is, that we are all capable of great nuance, and that we can be true to ourselves no matter what side of ourselves we are showing. If the premise is deeply flawed, the book attempting to support it will also be deeply flawed.
Not good.
January 19, 2019
Although I really liked Jacob Rubin's book, "The Poser" when I reached the last section, "Orphels" I had thought that Giovanni Bermomo was a sort of a gigolo / ventriloquist who took on different personalities on street corners. Until I got "really into the book," I though that it took place in Venice, Italy.
After reading the 2nd part of the book again, I realized that the book took place in New York City...I did see Giovanni as a good and loyal son to his mother.
However, in the third section of the book, "Orphels" I couldn't understand how Giovanni ended up in the Mental hospital. I did like the philosophy of that specific institution with all the walls turned into glass. A bit confusing, but enjoyable nevertheless.
I hope that someone will clear up my confusion.
Thank you.
Laura Cobrinik
After reading the 2nd part of the book again, I realized that the book took place in New York City...I did see Giovanni as a good and loyal son to his mother.
However, in the third section of the book, "Orphels" I couldn't understand how Giovanni ended up in the Mental hospital. I did like the philosophy of that specific institution with all the walls turned into glass. A bit confusing, but enjoyable nevertheless.
I hope that someone will clear up my confusion.
Thank you.
Laura Cobrinik
March 12, 2022
This was an interesting and wild ride of a read. I am glad it was an easy read that had good flow to it. It could have easily have become too heavy or wordy, because a lot of it is physiological and inside the main character’s head. Giovanni Bernini is a master impressionist, but not because he trained to be or worked to be. It’s just genuinely who he is. He has to be in order to be himself. He starts out getting in trouble at school, only to eventually be discovered and makes success as a theatre stage act. His impersonating gets him into trouble because it is his whole life, how his brain works. He eventually ends up in a mental institution. I enjoyed the book but it was very “out there” with some of the concepts and impersonating. 3.5 stars if I could. I wouldn’t reread it but it would make an interesting book for a book club or someone studying psychology.
October 27, 2018
I thought the premise of this book was brilliant. A man so gifted at mimicry that he can't help but do impressions of other people constantly, taken under the wing of a sketchy nightclub owner who propels him to stardom but may have devious intentions, eventually gets to the point where he cannot go on imitating others but has no idea how to be himself, or even who he really is.
Throughout the whole story we are never given a solid setting or time frame, and while this can be annoying, I think it helps the reader to relate to Giovanni. He has lost his sense of self just as we have lost our sense of time and space.
There were many turns of phrase here that I thoroughly enjoyed, but somehow this didn't grab my imagination as I hoped it would.
Throughout the whole story we are never given a solid setting or time frame, and while this can be annoying, I think it helps the reader to relate to Giovanni. He has lost his sense of self just as we have lost our sense of time and space.
There were many turns of phrase here that I thoroughly enjoyed, but somehow this didn't grab my imagination as I hoped it would.
August 14, 2018
Though The Poser has an interesting premise and some delightful turns of phrase, I found it largely felt a lot more tragic than comic, and it really just didn't click with me.
The audiobook performance itself is really impressive–in particular, there's a really well done scene late in the book where the narrator gradually changes his tone and vocal tics as Giovanni to match the character that Giovanni is beginning to impersonate.
The audiobook performance itself is really impressive–in particular, there's a really well done scene late in the book where the narrator gradually changes his tone and vocal tics as Giovanni to match the character that Giovanni is beginning to impersonate.
September 6, 2021
It’s the story of a man who can be anyone but himself, told in a very entertaining way. I’d even go about 4.3 stars. I’m not surprised that fellow readers on average don’t rate it as highly as I did, because there’s an elevated level of strangeness to it, but I found it to be a hugely imaginative, humorous and compelling read. One of those books during which particular passages will just make you stop and marvel at the author’s talent.
January 20, 2023
I liked Giovanni’s character development. I thought it was an interesting metaphor for corruption in Hollywood and the entertainment business. However, the plot was not connected and it felt like it was divided into three sections that were barely related to each other. I also did not like how Rubin drastically complicated descriptions of everyday things. I think I remember him describing a sandwich as a “tomato and cheese matrix.”
October 24, 2018
Was inspired by a glowing review in the NYT to buy this book...but it goes down as one of only a handful of books that I have not been able to complete. Even when I don't like a book, I usually manage to make it through to the end - not in this case. It had a great premise, but I found that I just didn't care enough about the main character, or find the story interesting or amusing
April 25, 2020
Best novel I've read in a long, long time. I would've had a bit different ending, but it was still an excellent read. Well-crafted, with striking, memorable characters and unique phrasings. The strength is in the sheer originality of the telling. I'm disappointed there aren't other Rubin stories I can go on to read.
September 7, 2017
Intriguing idea but it just never got a hold of me and I couldn't find myself caring enough what happened to even finish it. It was rather depressing (admitting that I am easily disturbed that way however). I read for enjoyment, to get "away." This book took me away - I just didn't like to where.
October 26, 2017
Interesting idea for a book that gets ruined with a cop out of an ending. It felt like the author got caught with being unable to finish the almost plotless story so he ended it with a cliche. Unfortunate choice when the character development was lacking. I recommend passing on this one.
September 16, 2020
It took me almost 100 pages to even get into the story, and then by the time I was invested in Giovanni himself, it was over. The last few chapters were enjoyable, and there is hope in the ending, but overall I was disappointed.
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