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Les hommes ont peur de la lumière
Un après-midi calme et ensoleillé, un bâtiment en apparence anonyme et, soudain, l’explosion d’une bombe.
L’immeuble dévasté abritait l’une des rares cliniques pratiquant l’avortement. Une victime est à déplorer et parmi les témoins impuissants, Brendan, un chauffeur Uber d’une cinquantaine d’années, et sa cliente Elise, une ancienne professeure de fac qui aide des femmes en détresse à se faire avorter.
Au mauvais endroit au mauvais moment, l’intellectuelle bourgeoise et le banlieusard désabusé vont se retrouver embarqués malgré eux dans une dangereuse course contre la montre. Car si au départ tout semble prouver qu’il s’agit d’un attentat perpétré par un groupuscule d’intégristes religieux, la réalité est plus trouble et bien plus inquiétante…
Tout à la fois thriller haletant et chronique d’une Amérique en crise, Les hommes ont peur de la lumière est surtout le puissant portrait d’un homme et d’une femme qui, envers et contre tout, essaient de rester debout.
L’immeuble dévasté abritait l’une des rares cliniques pratiquant l’avortement. Une victime est à déplorer et parmi les témoins impuissants, Brendan, un chauffeur Uber d’une cinquantaine d’années, et sa cliente Elise, une ancienne professeure de fac qui aide des femmes en détresse à se faire avorter.
Au mauvais endroit au mauvais moment, l’intellectuelle bourgeoise et le banlieusard désabusé vont se retrouver embarqués malgré eux dans une dangereuse course contre la montre. Car si au départ tout semble prouver qu’il s’agit d’un attentat perpétré par un groupuscule d’intégristes religieux, la réalité est plus trouble et bien plus inquiétante…
Tout à la fois thriller haletant et chronique d’une Amérique en crise, Les hommes ont peur de la lumière est surtout le puissant portrait d’un homme et d’une femme qui, envers et contre tout, essaient de rester debout.
255 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2022
78 people are currently reading
697 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Kennedy
132 books1,190 followersDouglas Kennedy was born in Manhattan in 1955. He studied at Bowdoin College, Maine and Trinity College, Dublin, returning to Dublin in 1977 with just a trenchcoat, backpack and $300. He co-founded a theatre company and sold his first play, Shakespeare on Five Dollars a Day, to Radio 4 in 1980. In 1988 he moved to London and published a travel book, Beyond the Pyramids. His debut novel The Dead Heart was published in 1994.
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December 24, 2025
Блудкава история - това са думите, с които ми идва наум да опиша тази книга.
Това е третия американски автор след Джон Гришам и Харлан Коубън, който според мен е продал името си за добри пари и по този начин литературни негри бълват посредствени романи и обират пари от заклетите му почитатели, очакващи добра литература. Участващите в това начинание бизнесмени вероятно са много доволни от инвестицията си.
Още по-гнусно е, когато избраната тема е нашумяла и важна за съвременното общество - правото на аборт в САЩ и фанатизираните му противници, готови на насилие и убийства, уж в полза на живота…
Сюжетът е лошо разработен, историята е некадърно развита, а героите са 1D същества - безлични и смотани. Върхът е образът на алчния и безпринципен католически свещеник Тодор Кючуков от София. Да бе, точно толкова некадърни са драскачите на тая глупост!
Отделно, преводът е с ниско качество - благодарим ви издателство "Колибри", че за пореден път не сте си свършили работата!
Единствено положително е, че "Страх от светлината" е една от двете безплатни книги, които Ozone.bg предлага на ползващите платформата им за електронно четене този месец.
Цитат:
"Хора, дето си мразят живота, никога не дават бакшиш."
Това е третия американски автор след Джон Гришам и Харлан Коубън, който според мен е продал името си за добри пари и по този начин литературни негри бълват посредствени романи и обират пари от заклетите му почитатели, очакващи добра литература. Участващите в това начинание бизнесмени вероятно са много доволни от инвестицията си.
Още по-гнусно е, когато избраната тема е нашумяла и важна за съвременното общество - правото на аборт в САЩ и фанатизираните му противници, готови на насилие и убийства, уж в полза на живота…
Сюжетът е лошо разработен, историята е некадърно развита, а героите са 1D същества - безлични и смотани. Върхът е образът на алчния и безпринципен католически свещеник Тодор Кючуков от София. Да бе, точно толкова некадърни са драскачите на тая глупост!
Отделно, преводът е с ниско качество - благодарим ви издателство "Колибри", че за пореден път не сте си свършили работата!
Единствено положително е, че "Страх от светлината" е една от двете безплатни книги, които Ozone.bg предлага на ползващите платформата им за електронно четене този месец.
Цитат:
"Хора, дето си мразят живота, никога не дават бакшиш."
May 17, 2022
Retrenched and approaching sixty, Brendan is an Uber driver in Los Angeles and the central character in Afraid of the Light by Douglas Kennedy. Brendan offers astute observations of his passengers as he travails the traffic and his humdrum life. One day, he picks up a passenger Elise and he gets caught up in the challenges of her world, where he witnesses a violent protest first hand. The incident is a catalyst for challenging his own existential reality and unleashes an avalanche of events that will threaten his own family’s wellbeing. A most interesting read that straddles the dual purpose of an action thriller and literary tale, capturing the nuance moral complexity that offers valuable insight into the most socially divisive issue of our times. With a gripping narrative and realistic portrayal of a thorny issue, makes it a four and a half star must read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.
August 4, 2022
This book started off really well. The topic is brave and very current especially given recent events with Roe v Wade. The main character draws you in and I had immense sympathy for him. I also liked the relationship that built between him and Elise. The story builds slowly with the author letting the reader grab the complexity of the issues.
But then the book becomes like a gangster movie with such extremes that just were not credible for me. I get that we need to be shocked by events but the unravelling of the story just didn't work. I was all set to give this book a 5 because I loved it up to the last third or so but I wish the author had been a bit more realistic with the ending.
But then the book becomes like a gangster movie with such extremes that just were not credible for me. I get that we need to be shocked by events but the unravelling of the story just didn't work. I was all set to give this book a 5 because I loved it up to the last third or so but I wish the author had been a bit more realistic with the ending.
December 25, 2025
Толкова плоско. И езикът му е плосък, и съжетът му е плосък, добре, искал си да разгромиш идеологическите си противници, направи го поне по-елегантно. Не мога да повярвам, че това е авторът на "Моментът".
February 1, 2025
Me alucina la forma de escribir de Douglas Kennedy. No sé qué tiene que hace que sus novelas me fluyan como las de pocos autores. En este caso, me estaba encantado la trama y los personajes de la historia, pero creo que hacia el final se vuelve todo demasiado surrealista y exagerado. No la recomendaría.
July 9, 2021
Afraid of the Light, the latest publication by Douglas Kennedy, has been hotly anticipated in this house. It did not disappoint. Don’t get me wrong, this is quite a shift in style and direction for Kennedy from his last novel, Isabelle in the Afternoon and those that proceeded, but this book is crafted with the greatest skill, intelligence and powers of social and moral observation.
Dark at times and touching on moral issues that have polarised large parts of society, this really is a cracking read. Told through the “tired” eyes of world-weary Uber driver, Brendan, this is a pacy, punchy and hugely thought-provoking novel which compels the reader to keep turning the page. Highly recommended and worthy of the highest ratings.
Dark at times and touching on moral issues that have polarised large parts of society, this really is a cracking read. Told through the “tired” eyes of world-weary Uber driver, Brendan, this is a pacy, punchy and hugely thought-provoking novel which compels the reader to keep turning the page. Highly recommended and worthy of the highest ratings.
June 17, 2023
Douglas Kennedy was one of my go-to writers in a past life, because he could always be relied on for an immersive domestic story. It’s been a long time since I’ve read any of his books, but I picked this one up spontaneously in the library in the hopes that it would get me out of a reading slump. I was really pleased to find that I got exactly what I expected, an immersive, easy to read, domestic story. Quite a bit more 21st century than his earlier books which I have read but still just as solid.
May 5, 2025
Честно казано - ужасна. Дъглас Кенеди определено ми загуби времето с тази книга... Хубаво - за Щатите това е някаква много наболяла тема, но... Тази история сама по себе си нямаше абсолютно никаква стойност (а и смисъл всъщност!).
Главният герой е несравним смотльо, който по стечение на обстоятелствата попада между шамарите. И през цялото време нищо не прави, освен да пуска по някоя и друга самоубийствена мисъл... През всяко действие на историята той беше абсолютна изтривалка за всички - от жена му и "най-добрия" му приятел, през Юбер (за които работи) до някаква непозната леля/баба, която случайно вози до клиника за аборти...
И защото това е история, която с нищо (с АБСОЛЮТНО НИЩО) не може да те грабне - Кенеди добавя малко пресилено и изсмукан от пръстите "екшън" в последните 20тина страници на книгата...
Не препоръчвам! 😒
Главният герой е несравним смотльо, който по стечение на обстоятелствата попада между шамарите. И през цялото време нищо не прави, освен да пуска по някоя и друга самоубийствена мисъл... През всяко действие на историята той беше абсолютна изтривалка за всички - от жена му и "най-добрия" му приятел, през Юбер (за които работи) до някаква непозната леля/баба, която случайно вози до клиника за аборти...
И защото това е история, която с нищо (с АБСОЛЮТНО НИЩО) не може да те грабне - Кенеди добавя малко пресилено и изсмукан от пръстите "екшън" в последните 20тина страници на книгата...
Не препоръчвам! 😒
July 2, 2024
3,75⭐️
April 8, 2025
Започвайки книгата нямах представа, че тематиката е такава – ЗА и ПРОТИВ абортите в САЩ – един сблъсък на фракции достигнал вече опасни размери и фанатизъм.
Всичко започва съвсем лежерно и спокойно. Брендън е шофьор на такси в Лос Анжелис. Той наближава 60-те и останал без работа на една такава преклонна възраст няма много опции пред себе си. Започва да работи за Юбер разказвайки ни как действа системата, колко неплатена и неблагодарна е работата, колко са все по-взискателни клиентите и как за най-дребното оплакване от тях, могат да му отнемат правата да шофира за компанията. Обяснявайки ни всичко това, неочаквано се озовава пред сграда, в чийто вход непознат мотоциклетист хвърля бомба. А минути преди това Брендън е оставил там клиент.
Така всъщност започва действието в тази книга, в която се озоваваме насред война между крайно настроени сепаратисти защитаващи правото на живот на неродените бебета, но стигащи до крайности като да отнемат живота на други хора. Освен това зад тях стои Църквата или поне нейни представители като отец Тодор Кючуков (емигрант от България), който по най-лицемерен начин лавира между различните страни само и само да се облагодетелства лично. На тяхна страна са и хора с много власт и много пари, които също издигат лозунги за забрана на абортите, а самите те изнасилват малолетни…
Брандън никога в живота си не е се е противопоставял на никого, живеел е кротко и послушно, но вече му е писнало. Самият той без да иска ще се окаже на противоположната страна на конфликта, но много скоро сам ще осъзнае, че това е правилната страна и, че наистина му пука. Защото всеки човек, всяка жена трябва да има право на избор! Право на избор дали да роди или не едно дете, в зависимост от това дали е желано или не и дали то е заченато в правилния момент и от правилния човек.
Темата е доста обширна и всяка от страните може да изтъкне стотици причини ЗА и ПРОТИВ, но и затова свободата в правото на избор не трябва никога да бъде отнемана. Защото винаги ще ги има и нелегалните аборти, а там трагедията вече е в пъти по-голяма.
Ето защо книгата беше любопитна за мен, особено като се вземе предвид и семейното положение на главния герой, както и натиска, на който е бил подложен през целия си живот. Беше ми интересно да проследя изборите, които направи и как се промени начина му на мислене. И все пак нещо не ми достигна, за да ми хареса наистина историята. Бях разочарована и от някои моменти във финалната развръзка и затова оценката е 3,5*.
Всичко започва съвсем лежерно и спокойно. Брендън е шофьор на такси в Лос Анжелис. Той наближава 60-те и останал без работа на една такава преклонна възраст няма много опции пред себе си. Започва да работи за Юбер разказвайки ни как действа системата, колко неплатена и неблагодарна е работата, колко са все по-взискателни клиентите и как за най-дребното оплакване от тях, могат да му отнемат правата да шофира за компанията. Обяснявайки ни всичко това, неочаквано се озовава пред сграда, в чийто вход непознат мотоциклетист хвърля бомба. А минути преди това Брендън е оставил там клиент.
Така всъщност започва действието в тази книга, в която се озоваваме насред война между крайно настроени сепаратисти защитаващи правото на живот на неродените бебета, но стигащи до крайности като да отнемат живота на други хора. Освен това зад тях стои Църквата или поне нейни представители като отец Тодор Кючуков (емигрант от България), който по най-лицемерен начин лавира между различните страни само и само да се облагодетелства лично. На тяхна страна са и хора с много власт и много пари, които също издигат лозунги за забрана на абортите, а самите те изнасилват малолетни…
Брандън никога в живота си не е се е противопоставял на никого, живеел е кротко и послушно, но вече му е писнало. Самият той без да иска ще се окаже на противоположната страна на конфликта, но много скоро сам ще осъзнае, че това е правилната страна и, че наистина му пука. Защото всеки човек, всяка жена трябва да има право на избор! Право на избор дали да роди или не едно дете, в зависимост от това дали е желано или не и дали то е заченато в правилния момент и от правилния човек.
Темата е доста обширна и всяка от страните може да изтъкне стотици причини ЗА и ПРОТИВ, но и затова свободата в правото на избор не трябва никога да бъде отнемана. Защото винаги ще ги има и нелегалните аборти, а там трагедията вече е в пъти по-голяма.
Ето защо книгата беше любопитна за мен, особено като се вземе предвид и семейното положение на главния герой, както и натиска, на който е бил подложен през целия си живот. Беше ми интересно да проследя изборите, които направи и как се промени начина му на мислене. И все пак нещо не ми достигна, за да ми хареса наистина историята. Бях разочарована и от някои моменти във финалната развръзка и затова оценката е 3,5*.
September 10, 2022
A cautionary tale about how bad things have got in the USA.
One says some situations in the book are far-fetched; well, since the psycho took office in 2016, everything went downhill... who would have believed that the Capitol would be raided by the far-right mob with the blessings of the psycho?
Chills went down my spine at reading the last line...
A solid 4,5/5 (upgraded to 5 in GR because the social issues addressed in this book deserve the highest note)
One says some situations in the book are far-fetched; well, since the psycho took office in 2016, everything went downhill... who would have believed that the Capitol would be raided by the far-right mob with the blessings of the psycho?
Chills went down my spine at reading the last line...
A solid 4,5/5 (upgraded to 5 in GR because the social issues addressed in this book deserve the highest note)
June 9, 2023
Ironiquement triste avec l'actualité vis à vis de Wade & Roe aux USA, mais pas très convaincant. Pour un loser, le protagoniste est au final un peu trop bon pour ce qu'il représente - et je n'arrive toujours pas à mettre le doigt précisément sur ce qui m'a dérangé avec lui.
Du reste, un peu ennuyant comme histoire, qui s'étire en longueur pour pas grand chose.
Du reste, un peu ennuyant comme histoire, qui s'étire en longueur pour pas grand chose.
March 21, 2023
Belle ballade à l’ouest des États Unis et j’ai appris beaucoup de choses sur le système Uber, les pros et les contres système IVG où le monde de l’argent règne en maître.
4 ⭐️
4 ⭐️
May 16, 2022
Après avoir été licencié du jour au lendemain, Brendan, la cinquantaine se retrouve sans emploi. Pour parer au plus pressé et gagner de l’argent rapidement, il décide de travailler pour Uber. Au volant de sa voiture, les clients se succèdent, certains plus odieux que d’autres, dans ce Los Angeles labyrinthique où la richesse la plus insolente côtoie la misère la plus désastreuse. Lorsqu’il prend Élise au hasard d’une course, rien ne lui permet d’anticiper le cataclysme sur le point de bouleverser son existence. Et pourtant… les évènements qu’il va vivre vont obliger cet homme durement touché par la crise, marié et père d’une fille, à reconsidérer ses priorités et à s’interroger sur des questions essentielles.
Grandeur et décadence du pays le plus riche du monde : l’Amérique. Profondément divisés depuis Trump qui a encore exacerbé cette scission après son accession au trône, les États-Unis deviennent désormais l’exemple à ne pas suivre. Après l’image d’Épinal du rêve américain, Douglas Kennedy met en lumière l’autre face de cette Amérique, celle des galères financières, de la perte de son emploi sans préavis et sans assurance chômage ni assurance santé, des petits boulots nécessaires pour subsister et dévoile le système d’exploitation d’UBER. Pour bien connaître les États-Unis après y avoir vécu 6 ans, dont 4 en Californie, je voudrais attirer votre attention sur un point : tout ce que raconte Douglas Kennedy dans « Les hommes ont peur de la lumière » est vrai. Tout ce qui concerne la vie à Los Angeles, le coût de la vie, les « habitudes » des plus riches, l’esclavagisme moderne est vrai.
Hasard de la programmation, le roman paraît à un moment clé de l’histoire du pays : la remise en question du droit des femmes à l’avortement. Le parti républicain a compris que pour regagner la Maison-Blanche, il va devoir rallier les fondamentalistes religieux à sa cause. Le portait que Douglas Kennedy fait de ces talibans de la pensée, par l’intermédiaire de son personnage de prêtre, Todor, démontre formidablement bien à quel point les suprématistes hommes blancs cherchent à reconquérir le pouvoir, contre la communauté noire évidemment, mais également contre les femmes. Vingt-six états sont en passe d’interdire l’avortement et de renvoyer des milliers de femmes à la condition de poules pondeuses qui n’ont plus aucun droit à disposer de leurs corps. Grossesses non désirées, viols, incestes, peu importe le motif, la réponse au droit à l’avortement reste identique : NON. Même la contraception deviendra illégale dans certains états comme la Louisiane.
Douglas Kennedy décortique le discours puritain, met en lumière ce sursaut chrétien face à un pseudo « relâchement moral » pour démontrer à quel point le dialogue entre deux camps devient tout simplement impossible. L’époque est à la guerre civile des idées face à une diminution drastique de l’éducation, et une augmentation de l’ignorance alimentée par les fake news. Ceux, comme Brendan, notre chauffeur UBER qui pourraient encore alimenter le débat sont trop occupés à survivre au quotidien dans une ville tentaculaire où l’argent fait loi. L’auteur a eu la bonne idée, parce qu’elle est réelle, de lui adjoindre une épouse militante, puritaine, et activiste afin de bien montrer que le fondamentalisme n’est pas seulement une affaire d’hommes, mais que les femmes aussi, par leurs histoires personnelles ou par conviction sont de bonnes armes pour convaincre et enrôler.
Si « Les hommes ont peur de la lumière » est d’abord un thriller haletant, doté d’une vraie intrigue et de jolis rebondissements, il est surtout une photographie très intéressante de l’Amérique d’aujourd’hui : précarité, fractures sociales, ubérisation de la société, lutte des classes, mais aussi remise en cause des droits fondamentaux des femmes à disposer de leurs corps. En 1985, Margaret Atwood imaginait une société dans laquelle certaines femmes seraient cantonnées dans un rôle de reproduction pour pallier une natalité en forte baisse. Il s’agissait alors d’une dystopie. Force est de constater que cette vision pessimiste d’un futur terrifiant se rapproche de plus en plus de notre présent. Douglas Kennedy fait montre de grandes qualités d’observation, mais surtout d’une capacité redoutable à détricoter un schéma de pensée nauséabond et rétrograde. « Les hommes ont peur de la lumière » reflète avec force propos l’ensemble de mes inquiétudes concernant le sort qui va être réservé aux femmes dans les années à venir. Lisez-le !
Grandeur et décadence du pays le plus riche du monde : l’Amérique. Profondément divisés depuis Trump qui a encore exacerbé cette scission après son accession au trône, les États-Unis deviennent désormais l’exemple à ne pas suivre. Après l’image d’Épinal du rêve américain, Douglas Kennedy met en lumière l’autre face de cette Amérique, celle des galères financières, de la perte de son emploi sans préavis et sans assurance chômage ni assurance santé, des petits boulots nécessaires pour subsister et dévoile le système d’exploitation d’UBER. Pour bien connaître les États-Unis après y avoir vécu 6 ans, dont 4 en Californie, je voudrais attirer votre attention sur un point : tout ce que raconte Douglas Kennedy dans « Les hommes ont peur de la lumière » est vrai. Tout ce qui concerne la vie à Los Angeles, le coût de la vie, les « habitudes » des plus riches, l’esclavagisme moderne est vrai.
Hasard de la programmation, le roman paraît à un moment clé de l’histoire du pays : la remise en question du droit des femmes à l’avortement. Le parti républicain a compris que pour regagner la Maison-Blanche, il va devoir rallier les fondamentalistes religieux à sa cause. Le portait que Douglas Kennedy fait de ces talibans de la pensée, par l’intermédiaire de son personnage de prêtre, Todor, démontre formidablement bien à quel point les suprématistes hommes blancs cherchent à reconquérir le pouvoir, contre la communauté noire évidemment, mais également contre les femmes. Vingt-six états sont en passe d’interdire l’avortement et de renvoyer des milliers de femmes à la condition de poules pondeuses qui n’ont plus aucun droit à disposer de leurs corps. Grossesses non désirées, viols, incestes, peu importe le motif, la réponse au droit à l’avortement reste identique : NON. Même la contraception deviendra illégale dans certains états comme la Louisiane.
Douglas Kennedy décortique le discours puritain, met en lumière ce sursaut chrétien face à un pseudo « relâchement moral » pour démontrer à quel point le dialogue entre deux camps devient tout simplement impossible. L’époque est à la guerre civile des idées face à une diminution drastique de l’éducation, et une augmentation de l’ignorance alimentée par les fake news. Ceux, comme Brendan, notre chauffeur UBER qui pourraient encore alimenter le débat sont trop occupés à survivre au quotidien dans une ville tentaculaire où l’argent fait loi. L’auteur a eu la bonne idée, parce qu’elle est réelle, de lui adjoindre une épouse militante, puritaine, et activiste afin de bien montrer que le fondamentalisme n’est pas seulement une affaire d’hommes, mais que les femmes aussi, par leurs histoires personnelles ou par conviction sont de bonnes armes pour convaincre et enrôler.
Si « Les hommes ont peur de la lumière » est d’abord un thriller haletant, doté d’une vraie intrigue et de jolis rebondissements, il est surtout une photographie très intéressante de l’Amérique d’aujourd’hui : précarité, fractures sociales, ubérisation de la société, lutte des classes, mais aussi remise en cause des droits fondamentaux des femmes à disposer de leurs corps. En 1985, Margaret Atwood imaginait une société dans laquelle certaines femmes seraient cantonnées dans un rôle de reproduction pour pallier une natalité en forte baisse. Il s’agissait alors d’une dystopie. Force est de constater que cette vision pessimiste d’un futur terrifiant se rapproche de plus en plus de notre présent. Douglas Kennedy fait montre de grandes qualités d’observation, mais surtout d’une capacité redoutable à détricoter un schéma de pensée nauséabond et rétrograde. « Les hommes ont peur de la lumière » reflète avec force propos l’ensemble de mes inquiétudes concernant le sort qui va être réservé aux femmes dans les années à venir. Lisez-le !
January 24, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
Historia que muestra los peligros de los extremismos, centrada en el aborto, las asociaciones “pro-vida” y la influencia de la Iglesia en todo ello.
Todo gira en torno a un conductor de Uber (interesante descubrir los entresijos de ser su “empleado”, al menos en USA) de mediana edad, gracias a él descubrimos diferentes personajes y su propia historia, y todo ello nos retrata de forma clara y concisa a la sociedad americana.
Es un libro corto y pausado, pero de los que te hacen reflexionar sobre diferentes cuestiones. Me ha gustado.
Historia que muestra los peligros de los extremismos, centrada en el aborto, las asociaciones “pro-vida” y la influencia de la Iglesia en todo ello.
Todo gira en torno a un conductor de Uber (interesante descubrir los entresijos de ser su “empleado”, al menos en USA) de mediana edad, gracias a él descubrimos diferentes personajes y su propia historia, y todo ello nos retrata de forma clara y concisa a la sociedad americana.
Es un libro corto y pausado, pero de los que te hacen reflexionar sobre diferentes cuestiones. Me ha gustado.
June 11, 2022
I could not bring myself to read it to the end. I'm totally fed up with cry-baby men, with men who don't have "cojones", with big-time losers who are unable to get a grip on their lives as there were a few too many of those in Douglas Kennedy's books.
As Alex Rogers put it in his review here: "he seemed like SUCH a loser, .... but unable to get a grip and move on. I know, I know, very unsympathetic - but if you are going to have a loser as your main character you had better have luminous writing or a mega-compelling story - and while this was an ok read it had neither ."
I couldn't have found better words to express what I think.
And I am done with stories that are so un-believable. I've watched too many tv crime shows to not believe that kind of fairy tale which Douglas Kennedy wants me to feed this time.
I think I'm done with Douglas Kennedy. And very sorry to be that because I liked some his previous books very much.
Sorry for my language, but I am really upset just now.
As Alex Rogers put it in his review here: "he seemed like SUCH a loser, .... but unable to get a grip and move on. I know, I know, very unsympathetic - but if you are going to have a loser as your main character you had better have luminous writing or a mega-compelling story - and while this was an ok read it had neither ."
I couldn't have found better words to express what I think.
And I am done with stories that are so un-believable. I've watched too many tv crime shows to not believe that kind of fairy tale which Douglas Kennedy wants me to feed this time.
I think I'm done with Douglas Kennedy. And very sorry to be that because I liked some his previous books very much.
Sorry for my language, but I am really upset just now.
Read
July 9, 2021Another page turner from Douglas Kennedy - one of my 'go to' authors insofar that I simply buy without checking the storyline. He never disappoints to deliver a good read. Afraid of the Light had me a page 5. I've devoured it, but then DK is responsible for many nights of reading into the wee small hours. Here, he's tackled serious moral, headline raising issues (that everyone has a view on), cleverly woven into a pacey, unpredictable narrative. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
January 19, 2022
An uber driver picks up a university professor going to an abortion clinic & gets embroiled in a deadly war between pro and anti abolitionists. Interesting discussions on the issue but too much coincidence for my liking.
March 27, 2023
This was so disappointing. Is it really a Douglas Kennedy novel at all? I did not recognise his writing, which was as poor as the story and the main character. Part social book, part thriller, the book is a ruthless portrait of the USA today but ultimately reads like a half-baked novel.
October 10, 2021
A fierce tale of American lunacy, hypocrisy and blind faith, read in one sitting. Douglas Kennedy tells it brilliantly- it works.
January 10, 2025
Setting: Los Angeles, USA; modern day.
Nearing his 60th birthday, Brendan is an Uber driver - the only job he could easily get having been made redundant from his sales director job at a large electrical company. Now, he drives people across the city of Los Angeles and its surrounding suburbs, meeting many nice and several obnoxious people. One day he collects Elise, a professor at UCLA but also volunteering as a doula at a chain of abortion clinics in the city. Taking Elise to her destination at one such clinic, Brendan decides to have his lunch at a nearby snack bar - and witnesses a catastrophic attack on the clinic. He is then drawn into helping Elise by ferrying her around over the next couple of weeks, putting Brendan into conflict with pro-life, anti-abortion groups who are willing to use any means to stop women obtaining legal abortions. The main problem for Brendan is that his wife Agnieska is a leading light in the pro-life organisation....
I generally enjoy books by this author and this one was no exception. Brendan was a somewhat meek and self-deprecating character, easily led by others, and some of his actions led me to want to give him a good shake or a slap - but he was undoubtedly a good person. His involvement with Elise caused him a lot of professional and domestic turbulence, yet he was reluctant to accept any reward for his good deeds, which I found quite frustrating. Nevertheless, I was totally engrossed by the story and the characters and would possibly have given it 5 stars but for a fairly ambiguous and somewhat weak ending, which almost showed scope for a further book but I don't think there is one, which is a shame - 9/10.
Nearing his 60th birthday, Brendan is an Uber driver - the only job he could easily get having been made redundant from his sales director job at a large electrical company. Now, he drives people across the city of Los Angeles and its surrounding suburbs, meeting many nice and several obnoxious people. One day he collects Elise, a professor at UCLA but also volunteering as a doula at a chain of abortion clinics in the city. Taking Elise to her destination at one such clinic, Brendan decides to have his lunch at a nearby snack bar - and witnesses a catastrophic attack on the clinic. He is then drawn into helping Elise by ferrying her around over the next couple of weeks, putting Brendan into conflict with pro-life, anti-abortion groups who are willing to use any means to stop women obtaining legal abortions. The main problem for Brendan is that his wife Agnieska is a leading light in the pro-life organisation....
I generally enjoy books by this author and this one was no exception. Brendan was a somewhat meek and self-deprecating character, easily led by others, and some of his actions led me to want to give him a good shake or a slap - but he was undoubtedly a good person. His involvement with Elise caused him a lot of professional and domestic turbulence, yet he was reluctant to accept any reward for his good deeds, which I found quite frustrating. Nevertheless, I was totally engrossed by the story and the characters and would possibly have given it 5 stars but for a fairly ambiguous and somewhat weak ending, which almost showed scope for a further book but I don't think there is one, which is a shame - 9/10.
January 3, 2022
I haven't picked up a Douglas Kennedy book on ages. I then realise he has written 3 since then. This one was completely different from his usual style in that he wrote completely from the male protagonist's perspective. Thoroughly enjoyed it and on a subject (pro-life/anti-abortionists) I am not acquainted with. I look forward to delving into more his books again.
July 21, 2023
Ce petit roman de Douglas Kennedy est assez efficace pour brosser un tableau de cette situation de fracture qui divise les États Unis d'Amérique concernant l'avortement.
Brendan est un chauffeur Uber, qui représente plutôt bien le cliché habituel du chauffeur Uber, la cinquantaine bien entamée, en surpoids, qui a perdu son boulot et qui faute d'autres opportunités et pour payer ses factures se retrouve à conduire jusqu'à 12 heures par jour pour Uber.
Il fait la rencontre d'Elise lors une course qui va les lier au-delà de l'habituelle relation chauffeur -client. Alors que leurs mondes sont complètement opposés . L'un vit au côté d'une épouse catholique très dévote et qui a fait de la cause pro-life et anti avortement le but de sa vie. L'autre, au contraire, a choisi d'accompagner celles qui ont décidé d'avorter.
S'ensuit une succession d'événements, improbables certes, mais qui font du roman une sorte de thriller .
Le sujet est très intéressant, surtout après des développements récents qui ont rendu l'avortement impossible dans plusieurs états américains. C'est aussi intéressant de voir ces deux visions de l'Amérique. Même si Kennedy est clairement pro avortement et que du coup il caricature ouvertement le camp opposé en le présentant comme une bande d'aigris, extrémistes et dangereux.
Mais malgré le sujet brûlant, l'écriture est plutôt plate. Ce qui aurait pû être un chef-d'œuvre n'est finalement qu'un bon petit roman intéressant certes, instructif et plutôt distrayant mais sans plus.
Brendan est un chauffeur Uber, qui représente plutôt bien le cliché habituel du chauffeur Uber, la cinquantaine bien entamée, en surpoids, qui a perdu son boulot et qui faute d'autres opportunités et pour payer ses factures se retrouve à conduire jusqu'à 12 heures par jour pour Uber.
Il fait la rencontre d'Elise lors une course qui va les lier au-delà de l'habituelle relation chauffeur -client. Alors que leurs mondes sont complètement opposés . L'un vit au côté d'une épouse catholique très dévote et qui a fait de la cause pro-life et anti avortement le but de sa vie. L'autre, au contraire, a choisi d'accompagner celles qui ont décidé d'avorter.
S'ensuit une succession d'événements, improbables certes, mais qui font du roman une sorte de thriller .
Le sujet est très intéressant, surtout après des développements récents qui ont rendu l'avortement impossible dans plusieurs états américains. C'est aussi intéressant de voir ces deux visions de l'Amérique. Même si Kennedy est clairement pro avortement et que du coup il caricature ouvertement le camp opposé en le présentant comme une bande d'aigris, extrémistes et dangereux.
Mais malgré le sujet brûlant, l'écriture est plutôt plate. Ce qui aurait pû être un chef-d'œuvre n'est finalement qu'un bon petit roman intéressant certes, instructif et plutôt distrayant mais sans plus.
November 19, 2023
Et voilà, c'est la déception
Je pense avoir aimé tous les Douglas Kennedy (à part Mirage, mais je n'en garde aucun souvenir ), mais là, c'est la douche froide.
C'est trop. Tout va trop vite, la psychologie des personnage est trop survolée, tout est trop dans le cliché, il y a même trop de personnages à mon goût.
Tout est vraiment très cliché et très dans l'extrême. Le chauffeur Uber qui avait un super poste et qui s'est fait virer, la femme qui perd 2 enfants et se perd dans la religion, la gamine qui tombe enceinte du grand méchant (c'est vachement pratique pour l'histoire quand même !), la jeune femme pleine d'idéologie qui ne veux rien entendre...
Pleins "d'événements" sont courus d'avance dans cette histoire de religieu mi mafieu, mi pretre. J'ai bien compri que l'auteur voulait mettre la lumière sur le combat entre pro IVG et pro vie. Mais il n'y a aucune nuances, tous les personnages et les actions sont dans l'extrême.
Je ne reconnais pas du tout l'écriture de Douglas Kennedy, moi qui m'était plongée sans retenue dans "le désarroi de Ned Allen" ou "Les charmes discrets de la vie conjugale".
Je pense avoir aimé tous les Douglas Kennedy (à part Mirage, mais je n'en garde aucun souvenir ), mais là, c'est la douche froide.
C'est trop. Tout va trop vite, la psychologie des personnage est trop survolée, tout est trop dans le cliché, il y a même trop de personnages à mon goût.
Tout est vraiment très cliché et très dans l'extrême. Le chauffeur Uber qui avait un super poste et qui s'est fait virer, la femme qui perd 2 enfants et se perd dans la religion, la gamine qui tombe enceinte du grand méchant (c'est vachement pratique pour l'histoire quand même !), la jeune femme pleine d'idéologie qui ne veux rien entendre...
Pleins "d'événements" sont courus d'avance dans cette histoire de religieu mi mafieu, mi pretre. J'ai bien compri que l'auteur voulait mettre la lumière sur le combat entre pro IVG et pro vie. Mais il n'y a aucune nuances, tous les personnages et les actions sont dans l'extrême.
Je ne reconnais pas du tout l'écriture de Douglas Kennedy, moi qui m'était plongée sans retenue dans "le désarroi de Ned Allen" ou "Les charmes discrets de la vie conjugale".
January 14, 2022
Hmm, it was ok - quite a good story, picking a careful line through that most emotive of American topics, the abortion debate, through the eyes of a middle aged battler driving an Uber. I didn't particularly like him as a character, he seemed like SUCH a loser, ground down (quite understandably) by modern corporate greed, disposable jobs, political and religious lunacy etc - but unable to get a grip and move on. I know, I know, very unsympathetic - but if you are going to have a loser as your main character you had better have luminous writing or a mega-compelling story - and while this was an ok read it had neither .
July 19, 2022
Excellent roman de Douglas Kennedy, qui porte sur la question de l’avortement dans un pays où règnent l’argent et la peur. Sujet troublant, écriture enlevante, suspens efficace: le plus récent de Douglas Kennedy frappe fort.
January 1, 2024
DNF à 65%
Les personnages sont d’un ennui mortel et l’histoire tout autant. T’as l’impression que rien avance mais tout se bouscule en même temps. Et le chauffeur ? Je sais qu’il est censé être un loser mais il était tout simplement plate. Je sais même pas quoi dire d’autre…
Les personnages sont d’un ennui mortel et l’histoire tout autant. T’as l’impression que rien avance mais tout se bouscule en même temps. Et le chauffeur ? Je sais qu’il est censé être un loser mais il était tout simplement plate. Je sais même pas quoi dire d’autre…
October 8, 2021
Social thriller set mainly in LOS ANGELES
You Tube review: https://youtu.be/i1cF7U9y7hw
The author has chosen a sensitive topic to be at the heart of his latest novel, set on the roads criss crossing the city of Los Angeles and into the wider state of California.
Brendan lost his job and is now driving an Uber taxi. As a reader, you get to find out a lot about the pretty joyless occupation, the disrespect, the charges levied by the company and the stress of earning pretty much a pittance, despised by many clients who grace the back seat of his car. It is sobering to learn of their plight.
At home his wife is a fervent anti abortion activist. His friend and Catholic priest, Todor, espouses her thinking. Brendan is out on a limb, together with his daughter Klara, and both support a woman’s right to choose. He struggles, however, to counter the strident beliefs of Todor and his wife Agnieska and you can tell that the depiction of entrenched black and white thinking and behaviour comes from the author’s personal experience. The lines are tautly drawn.
Brendan drops a fare off at a clinic and he witnesses a firebombing of the premises. His latest passenger is a doula for the women who have chosen to undergo a termination and they begin to form a bond. He is assailed from all sides by strong and opposing views but he keeps his eyes firmly on the actual and metaphorical road, keeping his counsel. The character so reminded me of Micah Mortimer, the stoic fussbudget in Anne Tylers’ Baltimore set novel Redhead By The Side Of The Road.
The drudge and status quo of Brendan’s life is about to change.
This novel has a challenging heart, a story written by a firm and capable hand that will leave you pondering some of the big issues of the 21st Century. A little slow at times – the traffic in LA seems to be permanently snarled – it nevertheless delivers on many thought provoking levels.
You Tube review: https://youtu.be/i1cF7U9y7hw
The author has chosen a sensitive topic to be at the heart of his latest novel, set on the roads criss crossing the city of Los Angeles and into the wider state of California.
Brendan lost his job and is now driving an Uber taxi. As a reader, you get to find out a lot about the pretty joyless occupation, the disrespect, the charges levied by the company and the stress of earning pretty much a pittance, despised by many clients who grace the back seat of his car. It is sobering to learn of their plight.
At home his wife is a fervent anti abortion activist. His friend and Catholic priest, Todor, espouses her thinking. Brendan is out on a limb, together with his daughter Klara, and both support a woman’s right to choose. He struggles, however, to counter the strident beliefs of Todor and his wife Agnieska and you can tell that the depiction of entrenched black and white thinking and behaviour comes from the author’s personal experience. The lines are tautly drawn.
Brendan drops a fare off at a clinic and he witnesses a firebombing of the premises. His latest passenger is a doula for the women who have chosen to undergo a termination and they begin to form a bond. He is assailed from all sides by strong and opposing views but he keeps his eyes firmly on the actual and metaphorical road, keeping his counsel. The character so reminded me of Micah Mortimer, the stoic fussbudget in Anne Tylers’ Baltimore set novel Redhead By The Side Of The Road.
The drudge and status quo of Brendan’s life is about to change.
This novel has a challenging heart, a story written by a firm and capable hand that will leave you pondering some of the big issues of the 21st Century. A little slow at times – the traffic in LA seems to be permanently snarled – it nevertheless delivers on many thought provoking levels.
August 16, 2023
On suit ici un cinquantenaire qui a perdu son emploi et qui est désormais obligé de devenir chauffeur UBER pour survivre ; l’occasion pour l’auteur de nous parler de la paupérisation de la classe moyenne américaine. Un jour cet homme va déposer une femme devant une clinique pour femmes, quelques minutes après une bombe explose…. Par la force des choses, Brendan va se retrouver tiraillé entre sa femme pro-life extrémiste et cette femme qui travaille en centre IVG avec laquelle il développe une grande amitié. Un récit qui va glisser de plus en plus vers le noir.
Un beau coup de cœur pour ce roman qui décrypte l’Amérique d’aujourd’hui, avec une thématique sur l’avortement malheureusement beaucoup trop d’actualité, mais aussi la montée des extrémismes, la paupérisation des classes moyennes, les violences faites aux femmes… sans jamais être moralisateur. Un roman qui se passe à Los Angeles, mais sans une scène à Hollywood ou à la plage, loin des clichés, plus près de la « vraie » vie.
La plume de l’auteur est addictive, un véritable roman page-turner et j’ai hâte de découvrir d’autres romans de cet auteur dès que j’en croiserais en bouquinerie.
En bref, un beau coup de coeur, j'aurais juste aimé avoir plus de pages !
Un beau coup de cœur pour ce roman qui décrypte l’Amérique d’aujourd’hui, avec une thématique sur l’avortement malheureusement beaucoup trop d’actualité, mais aussi la montée des extrémismes, la paupérisation des classes moyennes, les violences faites aux femmes… sans jamais être moralisateur. Un roman qui se passe à Los Angeles, mais sans une scène à Hollywood ou à la plage, loin des clichés, plus près de la « vraie » vie.
La plume de l’auteur est addictive, un véritable roman page-turner et j’ai hâte de découvrir d’autres romans de cet auteur dès que j’en croiserais en bouquinerie.
En bref, un beau coup de coeur, j'aurais juste aimé avoir plus de pages !
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