The Mutual Friend
(Sprache: Englisch)
"This is a rare thing: an original, intelligent novel that s not just a perfect summer beach read, but one that deserves serious awards consideration as well. Put down your phone and pick it up A major accomplishment.
Kirkus (starred)
From the...
Kirkus (starred)
From the...
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"This is a rare thing: an original, intelligent novel that s not just a perfect summer beach read, but one that deserves serious awards consideration as well. Put down your phone and pick it up A major accomplishment. Kirkus (starred)
From the co-creator of How I Met Your Mother, a hilarious and thought-provoking debut novel set in New York City, following a sprawling cast of characters as they navigate life, love, loss, ambition, and spirituality without ever looking up from their phones.
It s the summer of 2015, and Alice Quick needs to get to work. She s twenty-eight years old, grieving her mother, barely scraping by as a nanny, and freshly kicked out of her apartment. If she can just get her act together and sign up for the MCAT, she can start chasing her dream of becoming a doctor . . . but in the Age of Distraction, the distractions are so distracting. There s her tech millionaire brother s religious awakening. His picture-perfect wife s emotional breakdown. Her chaotic new roommate s thirst for adventure. And, of course, there s the biggest distraction of all: Love.
From within the story of one summer in one woman s life, an epic tale is unearthed, spanning continents and featuring a tapestry of characters tied to one another by threads both seen and unseen. Filled with all the warmth, humor, and heart that gained How I Met Your Mother its cult following, The Mutual Friend captures in sparkling detail the chaos of contemporary life, a life lived simultaneously in two different worlds the physical one and the one behind our screens and reveals how connected we all truly are.
Lese-Probe zu „The Mutual Friend “
CHAPTER ONEConstellations
What did the Buddhist monk say to the hot dog vendor?
This is the problem with telling yourself jokes: Nothing's funny when you know the punch line. And I know the punch line because I know all the punch lines because I know all. I know all. I see all. These are the facts, and the facts make me all. Make me the storyteller. Make me the listener. Make me the campfire. Make me the stars.
On a June day in the high fever of this century's messy teenage years, a man died in Central Park. He was walking to work, earbuds in, ambling through a shuffle of his entire music library, when he came to the bike path, which wasn't so much a path as a ribbon of black pavement winding through the greenery. He looked both ways and, seeing no one coming, started across, but then, halfway to the other side, a breeze reminded him his hair was getting a little long, so he stopped, right in the middle of the road, and opened the to-do list on his phone. He looked down into his hand, his thumb going doot doot doot, and somewhere between the fifth and sixth doot, a blue ten-speed bicycle came coursing around the blind and practically sliced the poor fellow in half.
People ran over to help, but there was nothing they could do. The man's earbuds were still in, and as it all began to slip, the song ended and into the shuffle he went. Celestial strings lifted him, pulling him into the sky as Nat King Cole sang "Stardust" through a microphone in 1957 into the man's ears in 2015. The man didn't want this song, and his last impulse was to skip ahead but then he skipped ahead himself, from this world into the next, and the song went on, and "Haircu" is still on his to-do list.
"I don't want to say it was the guy's fault," said Kervis later that day as he loomed over Roxy's cubicle in the City Hall press office, "but he was
... mehr
playing on his phone in the middle of the bike path. I mean, it's sad, but dude, come on."
Roxy agreed it was sad.
"Second one this year. And it's only June," he continued. "We'll probably have to close the bike lanes. And yes, I'm sure we'll get complaints from the Pedalers' Alliance. But if people keep getting run over by bicycles, what can those guys do really, you know?"
Roxy shrugged, not knowing what those guys could do really.
"Anyway," he said. "I was thinking maybe we could have, like, a citywide campaign to get pedestrians to look up from their phones. Like 'Heads Up New York.' Or 'Look Up New York.' Or 'Look Around New York.' Something like that."
Roxy said one of those was perfect.
"Which one?" he asked. "Roxy?"
Roxy looked up from her phone. "Yes, Kervis?"
"Which one was perfect?"
"Um," she replied. "Say them again?"
He did.
"Middle one, definitely."
It bothered Kervis that his assistant Roxy's opinion mattered so much to him. It also bothered him that she wasn't actually his assistant. She was below him in the chain of command, and he could tell her to do stuff, but she wasn't exclusively his, and this bothered him. It also bothered him that she was bad at her job. She never paid attention, didn't seem to care about the work, probably didn't even vote for the mayor, and dressed unprofessionally. Today's overalls were no exception. She was a bad hire, and this also bothered Kervis because he was the one who'd hired her. And most of all it bothered him that she was pretty. Getting prettier every day, in fact. The overalls had something to do with it.
"Anyhoo," he said, "I should get down there. Sounds like the big guy's in a mood. This might go late. Are you okay sticking around?"
She was. Kervis left, and for forty-five minute
Roxy agreed it was sad.
"Second one this year. And it's only June," he continued. "We'll probably have to close the bike lanes. And yes, I'm sure we'll get complaints from the Pedalers' Alliance. But if people keep getting run over by bicycles, what can those guys do really, you know?"
Roxy shrugged, not knowing what those guys could do really.
"Anyway," he said. "I was thinking maybe we could have, like, a citywide campaign to get pedestrians to look up from their phones. Like 'Heads Up New York.' Or 'Look Up New York.' Or 'Look Around New York.' Something like that."
Roxy said one of those was perfect.
"Which one?" he asked. "Roxy?"
Roxy looked up from her phone. "Yes, Kervis?"
"Which one was perfect?"
"Um," she replied. "Say them again?"
He did.
"Middle one, definitely."
It bothered Kervis that his assistant Roxy's opinion mattered so much to him. It also bothered him that she wasn't actually his assistant. She was below him in the chain of command, and he could tell her to do stuff, but she wasn't exclusively his, and this bothered him. It also bothered him that she was bad at her job. She never paid attention, didn't seem to care about the work, probably didn't even vote for the mayor, and dressed unprofessionally. Today's overalls were no exception. She was a bad hire, and this also bothered Kervis because he was the one who'd hired her. And most of all it bothered him that she was pretty. Getting prettier every day, in fact. The overalls had something to do with it.
"Anyhoo," he said, "I should get down there. Sounds like the big guy's in a mood. This might go late. Are you okay sticking around?"
She was. Kervis left, and for forty-five minute
... weniger
Autoren-Porträt von Carter Bays
Carter Bays is the co-creator of the Emmy-winning series How I Met Your Mother. He lives in California with his wife and three children. The Mutual Friend is his first novel.
Bibliographische Angaben
- Autor: Carter Bays
- 2022, Internationale Ausgabe, 480 Seiten, Maße: 18,3 x 22,8 cm, Kartoniert (TB), Englisch
- Verlag: Penguin Random House
- ISBN-10: 0593472004
- ISBN-13: 9780593472002
- Erscheinungsdatum: 31.05.2022
Sprache:
Englisch
Pressezitat
A whip-smart comedy of manners for the era of buzzing gadgets. The Washington Post
"Carter Bays is best known for the long-running sitcom How I Met Your Mother. His debut novel The Mutual Friend is like a sophisticated literary version, centering on a New York City-based ensemble with plenty to say about the discontents of modern life and the difficulty of connection."
NPR
An ecstatic debut. . . . A modern epic brimming with charm; it romps between multiple concurrent storylines, but everything coalesces masterfully as all the scattered puzzle pieces fit together.
BuzzFeed
The co-creator of How I Met Your Mother delivers delightful, un-put-downable and legen wait for it! dary love stories in his debut novel.
E! News, "15 Books to Add to Your Beach Bag This June"
Funny, sad, and deeply wise, this one-of-a-kind book will renew your faith in humanity and make you really want to put down your phone.
Real Simple
"The Mutual Friend is GREAT. Carter Bays is one of the funniest people I know. More importantly though, he always finds the heart and truth in all of his humor. I just loved it. Put down the phones. Unless you re reading The Mutual Friend on it."
Jason Segel
"I love this love story! The dialogue is so good, also it's very funny. What more could I want?"
Mindy Kaling
"This is a rare thing: an original, intelligent novel that s not just a perfect summer beach read, but one that deserves serious awards consideration as well. Put down your phone and pick it up A major accomplishment.
Kirkus (starred)
"An imaginatively tender and uncannily exact tale of life on the internet. . . . The Mutual Friend is vast in scope, startling in its precise capture of the reality of intertwined digital lives, and satisfies its ambition with an unexpected humanity and vulnerability.
Booklist (starred)
... mehr
The Mutual Friend is a stylized, laugh-out-loud funny social satire with devastating aim. . . . Like The Bonfire of the Vanities for the era of reality TV and social media . . . All told, it s riveting.
BookPage (starred)
"An imaginatively tender and uncannily exact tale of life on the internet. . . . The Mutual Friend is vast in scope, startling in its precise capture of the reality of intertwined digital lives, and satisfies its ambition with an unexpected humanity and vulnerability.
Debutiful
The Mutual Friend is the most extraordinary and beguiling novel I ve read in years. Carter Bays weaves together a huge, eclectic cast of messy, imperfect, and bewitching characters . . . As soon as I put the book down, I wanted to start reading it all over again.
Clare Pooley, New York Times bestselling author of The Authenticity Project
I know it sounds like a bad joke or weird curse to wonder what would happen if Charles Dickens or Bonfire of the Vanities-era Tom Wolfe had Twitter, but the actual, happy result would be The Mutual Friend a novel of New York in a strange time that probes its large and foibled cast with humor, real insight, and sparkling charm.
John Hodgman, author of Vacationland and Medallion Status and host of the Judge John Hodgman podcast
The Mutual Friend is like a 10-course dinner party with your frankest, wittiest friends confiding all their secrets. It has plenty of full-on belly laughs, but also such granular emotional insight and sharp-eyed observations about modern life and love. This novel makes you feel wonderfully seen, at your best and at your worst, by somebody very kind and very, very funny, who points out all the foibles and fractures you thought nobody noticed and let s you know you re not alone.
Elan Mastai, author of All Our Wrong Todays
"The Mutual Friend is a big, heart-squeezing ode to all that matters most, dressed up in the disguise of a fun, juicy ensemble story bubbling over with comically bad dates, career missteps, and awkward adult friendships. You'll laugh; you'll cry; you'll stare out the window and contemplate the meaning of life. I did, anyway."
Mary Laura Philpott, author of I Miss You When I Blink and Bomb Shelter
"A hugely clever and thoroughly entertaining magic trick of a novel that shows the ways in which we re all connected, both virtually and in real life. This book with all its wisdom and humor, its detours and surprises was a total delight. I loved it!"
Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Unsinkable Greta James
Poignant, heartbreaking, and full of hope. This beautifully written book perfectly captures the connections and relationships that shape our lives. I couldn't put it down.
Kate Spencer, author of In a New York Minute
Through his tapestry of characters, Carter Bays beautifully and hilariously captures the connection and isolation at the heart of being a human being, now. This book is like a modern-day War and Peace, without all the boring war parts.
Raphael Bob-Waksberg, author of Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory
A completely unique and addictive read with a captivating cast of characters, The Mutual Friend is a memorable, clever novel about connection and love and all the things that make us human. Charming and unforgettable, this story left an impression on my heart.
Holly Miller, author of The Sight of You
BookPage (starred)
"An imaginatively tender and uncannily exact tale of life on the internet. . . . The Mutual Friend is vast in scope, startling in its precise capture of the reality of intertwined digital lives, and satisfies its ambition with an unexpected humanity and vulnerability.
Debutiful
The Mutual Friend is the most extraordinary and beguiling novel I ve read in years. Carter Bays weaves together a huge, eclectic cast of messy, imperfect, and bewitching characters . . . As soon as I put the book down, I wanted to start reading it all over again.
Clare Pooley, New York Times bestselling author of The Authenticity Project
I know it sounds like a bad joke or weird curse to wonder what would happen if Charles Dickens or Bonfire of the Vanities-era Tom Wolfe had Twitter, but the actual, happy result would be The Mutual Friend a novel of New York in a strange time that probes its large and foibled cast with humor, real insight, and sparkling charm.
John Hodgman, author of Vacationland and Medallion Status and host of the Judge John Hodgman podcast
The Mutual Friend is like a 10-course dinner party with your frankest, wittiest friends confiding all their secrets. It has plenty of full-on belly laughs, but also such granular emotional insight and sharp-eyed observations about modern life and love. This novel makes you feel wonderfully seen, at your best and at your worst, by somebody very kind and very, very funny, who points out all the foibles and fractures you thought nobody noticed and let s you know you re not alone.
Elan Mastai, author of All Our Wrong Todays
"The Mutual Friend is a big, heart-squeezing ode to all that matters most, dressed up in the disguise of a fun, juicy ensemble story bubbling over with comically bad dates, career missteps, and awkward adult friendships. You'll laugh; you'll cry; you'll stare out the window and contemplate the meaning of life. I did, anyway."
Mary Laura Philpott, author of I Miss You When I Blink and Bomb Shelter
"A hugely clever and thoroughly entertaining magic trick of a novel that shows the ways in which we re all connected, both virtually and in real life. This book with all its wisdom and humor, its detours and surprises was a total delight. I loved it!"
Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Unsinkable Greta James
Poignant, heartbreaking, and full of hope. This beautifully written book perfectly captures the connections and relationships that shape our lives. I couldn't put it down.
Kate Spencer, author of In a New York Minute
Through his tapestry of characters, Carter Bays beautifully and hilariously captures the connection and isolation at the heart of being a human being, now. This book is like a modern-day War and Peace, without all the boring war parts.
Raphael Bob-Waksberg, author of Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory
A completely unique and addictive read with a captivating cast of characters, The Mutual Friend is a memorable, clever novel about connection and love and all the things that make us human. Charming and unforgettable, this story left an impression on my heart.
Holly Miller, author of The Sight of You
... weniger
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