What do you think?
Rate this book
Story House
In his first novel, Stanley Park , Taylor brought readers into the inner workings of the Vancouver culinary scene, writing evocatively about everything from divine local ingredients to kitchen politics. In Story House , he takes on the rarefied world of architectural design – with some boxing, fishing and reality TV thrown in.
Graham and Elliot Gordon are half-brothers, six months apart, the only sons of Packer Gordon, a famous architect. Graham is the natural son of Packer and his wife. Elliot is the product of Packer’s dalliance with a mistress. The boys are openly hostile towards each other, always have been, and when they reach their mid-teens, Packer decides they will settle their differences in a boxing ring. He takes them to Pogey Nealon, a retired fighter who runs a gym out of the basement of his house on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. There, after eight weeks of training, the brothers box three rounds that will change their lives forever, as their father watches it all from a distance far greater than through the lens of his Bolex camera.
Some twenty-odd years later, both Pogey and Packer are dead, and it comes to light that Pogey’s house – the scene of Graham and Elliot’s pivotal battle – was likely an early design of Packer Gordon. Now deserted, the boarded-up building is home only to decades-worth of Pogey’s papers and film reels, and a slow rot that eats away at the walls. Graham is an architect himself, gaining recognition not only for his last name but his own work; he’s recently separated from his wife Esther and at a loss for how to make things work. Elliot is an importer of counterfeit brand-name products who works out of an old hotel on Hastings, and is married to a beautiful woman named Deirdre who gave up architecture to raise their young twins. The brothers’ paths have only crossed twice in the intervening years, and for both, that was twice too many.
In spite of their differences, which have only been magnified over time, Graham and Elliot agree to cooperate in restoring the house at 55 Mary Street, with enthusiastic help from the producer of the hit reality TV show Unexpected Architecture . It’s a seemingly doomed venture, but will make for great television. And as the plans for preserving Packer Gordon’s legacy begin to come together, there’s not only a surprising amount of collaboration, but cautious optimism that they might just pull it off. Yet nobody is prepared for what actually takes place when the cameras roll.
From the Hardcover edition.
Graham and Elliot Gordon are half-brothers, six months apart, the only sons of Packer Gordon, a famous architect. Graham is the natural son of Packer and his wife. Elliot is the product of Packer’s dalliance with a mistress. The boys are openly hostile towards each other, always have been, and when they reach their mid-teens, Packer decides they will settle their differences in a boxing ring. He takes them to Pogey Nealon, a retired fighter who runs a gym out of the basement of his house on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. There, after eight weeks of training, the brothers box three rounds that will change their lives forever, as their father watches it all from a distance far greater than through the lens of his Bolex camera.
Some twenty-odd years later, both Pogey and Packer are dead, and it comes to light that Pogey’s house – the scene of Graham and Elliot’s pivotal battle – was likely an early design of Packer Gordon. Now deserted, the boarded-up building is home only to decades-worth of Pogey’s papers and film reels, and a slow rot that eats away at the walls. Graham is an architect himself, gaining recognition not only for his last name but his own work; he’s recently separated from his wife Esther and at a loss for how to make things work. Elliot is an importer of counterfeit brand-name products who works out of an old hotel on Hastings, and is married to a beautiful woman named Deirdre who gave up architecture to raise their young twins. The brothers’ paths have only crossed twice in the intervening years, and for both, that was twice too many.
In spite of their differences, which have only been magnified over time, Graham and Elliot agree to cooperate in restoring the house at 55 Mary Street, with enthusiastic help from the producer of the hit reality TV show Unexpected Architecture . It’s a seemingly doomed venture, but will make for great television. And as the plans for preserving Packer Gordon’s legacy begin to come together, there’s not only a surprising amount of collaboration, but cautious optimism that they might just pull it off. Yet nobody is prepared for what actually takes place when the cameras roll.
From the Hardcover edition.
464 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2006
About the author
Timothy Taylor
10 books49 followersTimothy Taylor is a Canadian novelist, short story writer, journalist, and professor of creative writing. Raised in British Columbia and Alberta, he studied economics at the University of Alberta and earned an MBA from Queen's University. His short story "Doves of Townsend" won the Journey Prize in 2000, making him the only writer to have three stories compete for the prize in the same year. His novels include Stanley Park, nominated for the Giller Prize, Story House, The Blue Light Project, and The Rule of Stephens. He has also written extensively about food and wine for publications including Vancouver Magazine and The Walrus. His nonfiction books include The Cranky Connoisseur and Foodville. He joined the University of British Columbia's Creative Writing Program in 2013 and serves as an associate professor.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 1, 2026
Two brothers from different mothers, a boxing match set up by their larger-than-life father, a trip to Korea with a visit to a fortune teller, and a reality show on restoring a long forgotten building are some of the main elements of Story House, with everything wrapped up in themes of architecture and family ties . Why two stars? Well, I almost DNF'd a quarter of the way in but there was just enough to keep me going. Unfortunately, I never really connected with the characters, and I didn’t particularly enjoy the fragmented writing style. And the ending? Not exactly a satisfying payoff.
March 3, 2013
Really liked this book. Definitely adds knowing Vancouver and having Matta Clark images in my head. I loved the stories starting and then being filled in and completed pages/chapters later. It's helpful to be a patient reader here.
December 17, 2010
Phenomenal, as expected from Timothy Taylor. Almost too rich in content and style. So many themes, so many metaphors, so much magic, so much LIFE and LOVE, in all their painful complexity.
November 3, 2020
Seemingly filled with way too many digressions that distract and pull focus from the main point.
Read
February 24, 2022Not as good as Stanley Park, but a 4/5
April 10, 2022
Did not finish
May 26, 2011
A bit complicated of a story at times but Taylor's exploration of the effects of architecture on people and the relationships between members of a dysfunctional family trying to "make things right" is a great exploration of the human condition. The story was a bit hard to follow at times, but getting to the ending made it worthwhile.
-page 86-87
"I need to tell you something," he said to her, interrupting.
She listened, at least. Graham heard her sit back in what sounded like a soft chair, probably in the club lounge. He pictured her: skin darkened by the sun, now added colour rising in her cheeks as she focused on his next words. Korean features prettier in concentration.
"When I was in L.A.," Graham told her, "I met a man who had a house built by my father. He's a producer. Avi Zweigler."
Esther registered the receipt of data. "Okay," she said.
"Zweigler collects Packer Gordon. Models, tools, blueprints. Amazing."
Still listening. No premature move toward a conclusion. "Okay," she repeated.
"Zweigler bought my father's camera," Graham told her. "The movie camer he used to film his projects. The camera he also used . . ."
"I remember," Esther said, growing impatient. She was expert at remaining calm in the face of an uncertain future, but always less successful hiding her feeling about the dead weight of the particular past. And discussion of this part of Graham's past, Esther had long thought , only revealed Packer Gordon to be (in addition to famous, a philanderer and bad with money) capable of cruelty. And that was a sunk cost, the valuation of which was irrational."
-page 86-87
"I need to tell you something," he said to her, interrupting.
She listened, at least. Graham heard her sit back in what sounded like a soft chair, probably in the club lounge. He pictured her: skin darkened by the sun, now added colour rising in her cheeks as she focused on his next words. Korean features prettier in concentration.
"When I was in L.A.," Graham told her, "I met a man who had a house built by my father. He's a producer. Avi Zweigler."
Esther registered the receipt of data. "Okay," she said.
"Zweigler collects Packer Gordon. Models, tools, blueprints. Amazing."
Still listening. No premature move toward a conclusion. "Okay," she repeated.
"Zweigler bought my father's camera," Graham told her. "The movie camer he used to film his projects. The camera he also used . . ."
"I remember," Esther said, growing impatient. She was expert at remaining calm in the face of an uncertain future, but always less successful hiding her feeling about the dead weight of the particular past. And discussion of this part of Graham's past, Esther had long thought , only revealed Packer Gordon to be (in addition to famous, a philanderer and bad with money) capable of cruelty. And that was a sunk cost, the valuation of which was irrational."
March 3, 2009
By the author of Stanley Park (highly recommended for foodies and Vancouver lovers), Taylor's latest novel traces the lives of two estranged brothers as they intersect with the fate of a dilapidated building in the seedy east side of Vancouver that was designed by their famous architect father. Sibling rivalary, relationships, architecture (modern and Haida), the landscape British Columbia, even boxing, all play roles in this complex and entertaining book.
(unfortunately, Story House is difficult to locate in the U.S., which is surprising given the success of Stanley Park.)
(unfortunately, Story House is difficult to locate in the U.S., which is surprising given the success of Stanley Park.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2010
What a disappointment! I loved his first book, so I forced myself to finish this one, even though I didn't like it. I just kept thinking he would change my mind near the end. Nope! I found this book so confusing; I had a hard time keeping up with up where the characters were and what time they were in. I think that was the point, but I just found it annoying. I also felt that he didn't develop the characters enough. Oh, and I hated the ending.
Read
April 22, 2011I appreciated what Taylor was trying to do, but I wasn't in the head space or I don't have enough appreciation for architecture to fully "get" this book. There was some great use of language and I liked the tension between the brothers, but I could feel myself skimming a lot of the architecture info.
I'm not giving this a star review because I can understand that the book showed a fair amount of skillful writing, but I didn't enjoy it and didn't appreciate it.
I'm not giving this a star review because I can understand that the book showed a fair amount of skillful writing, but I didn't enjoy it and didn't appreciate it.
August 2, 2011
Finding it hard to get through. I disklike the sentence fragments, and the heavy reliance on architecture to somehow move the plot (is there even a plot?) and to invoke a relationship with characters (who I don't care about). What I do like is the relationship between the two warring half-brothers, which I can relate to. =) Although I wanted to give the Vancouver-based author a try, this book just isn't doing it for me.
March 7, 2013
I enjoyed this book every bit as much as Stanley Park. The story is certainly complicated enough and there is a lot of architecture involved. However, use of architecture and its effects on people is a very good exploration of the human condition.
March 10, 2011
an almost mythic tale of two brothers
Read
August 20, 2011I did not finish this book.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews