The Testing of Luther Albright MacKenzie Bezos Brian Sutherland 9781480569157 Books
Download As PDF : The Testing of Luther Albright MacKenzie Bezos Brian Sutherland 9781480569157 Books
Luther Albright is a devoted father and a designer of dams, a self-controlled man who believes he can engineer happiness for his family by sheltering them from his own emotions. But when an earthquake shakes his Sacramento home, the world Luther has constructed with such care begins to tilt his son's behavior becomes increasingly bizarre and threatening, his loving wife seems to grow distant, the house he built with his own hands shows its first signs of decay, and a dam of his design comes under investigation for structural flaws exposed by the tremors. Nightmarish connections begin to whisper at Luther from the most innocent of places as debut novelist MacKenzie Bezos tightens her net of psychological suspense around the listener with bravura skill. This is a harrowing portrait of an ordinary man who finds himself tested and strives not to be found wanting.
The Testing of Luther Albright MacKenzie Bezos Brian Sutherland 9781480569157 Books
In her intriguing debut novel, "The Testing of Luther Albright," MacKenzie Bezos tackles the question of what makes a man an effective father. Her protagonist is a good man, on the surface a dutiful provider, honorable husband and competent companion to his son. Yet, Luther Albright is as brittle as a withered autumnal leaf; in his quest to never burden his family with his private emotional turmoil, he shuts himself off from them. His acts of spiritual isolation and compulsive refusal to open his heart to those he loves result in a predictable disaster. Indeed, in the very first sentence of the novel, Bezos informs us that Luther "lost" his wife and son in the span of one year, after failing "nine separate tests" of character.The central irony of the novel is that Luther's sincere efforts to protect his family from pain result in silent suffering, deepening resignation and simmering resentment. Discouraged by the "unfathomable Rube Goldberg workings that controlled my mind and heart," Luther steadfastly refuses to share his own broken heart, the result of unresolved ambivalence over his own childhood relationship with his father. Rather than confront his own pain and share his anguish with his wife, Luther resolves to assiduously maintain his meticulously-constructed home. As a craftsman, Luther is without peer; as a husband and father, he fails terribly.
Repressed and vigilant about any show of emotion, Luther cannot find a means to share himself with his son. Whether it be home repair or instructions about shaving, Luther awkwardly flails about in trying to connect with his son. Direct, honest, authentic talk never is a possibility. Consequently, the son quietly rebels; even Elliot's gentle acts of rebellion are cries for recognition, pleas for connection. Out of fear that he may utter the wrong phrase or offer improper advice, Luther selects the worst of all avenues to approach his son: a prim and distant affection, which his son interprets as rejection and repudiation. A brash and boorish co-worker even provides a better, if rough-hewn, role model as a husband.
Bezos' style could stand some refining. She tends to slight her secondary characters, especially wife Liz and son Elliot, never permitting us the chance to understand the world from their point of view. As well, by the end of the novel, the author has thoroughly mined every conceivable angle by which we may judge Luther. A more trim, compact novel would have achieved the same end.
The sadness that suffuses "The Testing of Luther Albright" reminds us that emotional risk taking is far superior to buttoned-down, flat affect. Children need genuine parents, parents who are courageous enough to share their flaws, as well as their virtues, with their offspring.
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Tags : The Testing of Luther Albright [MacKenzie Bezos, Brian Sutherland] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Luther Albright is a devoted father and a designer of dams, a self-controlled man who believes he can engineer happiness for his family by sheltering them from his own emotions. But when an earthquake shakes his Sacramento home,MacKenzie Bezos, Brian Sutherland,The Testing of Luther Albright,Brilliance Audio,1480569151,Fiction,Fiction Literary,Literary,Unabridged Audio - FictionGeneral
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The Testing of Luther Albright MacKenzie Bezos Brian Sutherland 9781480569157 Books Reviews
This is a beautifully written and engaging book. The central character/narrator is a compelling and in many ways poignant figure. This is a story told from inside much as we see our own lives.
first of all, this is not a boring book. the narrator, luther albright, writes with such a sense of impending doom that it seems certain his life will come crashing around him at any moment.
it was very hard for me to relate to luther. he never says what's on his mind, and he constantly struggles to avoid showing any reaction to his son, elliott's, increasingly destructive "tests." the more successful he becomes at hiding his feelings, the more he pushes his family further away.
luther's family life is full of missed opportunities and regrets. if only he had told elliott that his shaved head embarrassed him; if only he had been honest with elliott about what his grandfather was really like and how he struggled to be a different kind of father. luther's wife and son give him chance after chance to be emotionally intimate with them, but his caution prevents him from doing this.
i'm not sure how mackenzie bezos managed to dig so deeply into such a flawed character. i kept asking myself whether she liked luther albright or whether his tale is a warning to the reader.
This is a well-crafted, thoughtful story about a repressed person. McKenzie knows her character well even though his future is rather bleak.
Good writer - could make anything sound interesting. I like her writing, but the story was a bit uninteresting. Luther was so - too - introspective. I'm disappointed if the main character seems too good to be true.
This is a beautifully crafted psychological study in which everything in the external world correlates with cracks and stresses in the protagonist's mind. Is the dam he designed defective? Did he err when installing the plumbing in his house? For a controlling person like Luther Albright, these issues are symbolic of flaws in his relationships, or in his perceptions of them. Tension builds slowly, and the inner demons begin to emerge like cracks in a damn, or in the living room plaster. A great first novel!
In "The Testing of Luther Albright," MacKenzie Bezos draws you into the intimacy of Luther Albright's mind. We hear his every thought and experience every nuance. The writing is personal and inviting all while it is occasionally especially revealing. This is a meticulously researched novel with a distinct male voice. MacKenzie Bezos has successfully stepped into Luther Albright's world and writes with a keen sense of observation. She skillfully weaves a subtle suspense into the story and this keeps you reading right to the last page. The story is captivating and has interesting twists and turns that surprise and at times inspires laughter. This is one of the most insightful novels I've ever read and the ending was not what I expected.
~The Rebecca Review
As a parent, I was deeply drawn to Luther's narrative. Like so many of us, Luther struggles to overcome the influence of his father as he navigates everyday life with his wife and son. There is a constant and palpable sense of foreboding - a testament to Mackenzie's excellent prose. Long after you've finished this story, you may discover a need to re-consider how you communicate with your closest family.
In her intriguing debut novel, "The Testing of Luther Albright," MacKenzie Bezos tackles the question of what makes a man an effective father. Her protagonist is a good man, on the surface a dutiful provider, honorable husband and competent companion to his son. Yet, Luther Albright is as brittle as a withered autumnal leaf; in his quest to never burden his family with his private emotional turmoil, he shuts himself off from them. His acts of spiritual isolation and compulsive refusal to open his heart to those he loves result in a predictable disaster. Indeed, in the very first sentence of the novel, Bezos informs us that Luther "lost" his wife and son in the span of one year, after failing "nine separate tests" of character.
The central irony of the novel is that Luther's sincere efforts to protect his family from pain result in silent suffering, deepening resignation and simmering resentment. Discouraged by the "unfathomable Rube Goldberg workings that controlled my mind and heart," Luther steadfastly refuses to share his own broken heart, the result of unresolved ambivalence over his own childhood relationship with his father. Rather than confront his own pain and share his anguish with his wife, Luther resolves to assiduously maintain his meticulously-constructed home. As a craftsman, Luther is without peer; as a husband and father, he fails terribly.
Repressed and vigilant about any show of emotion, Luther cannot find a means to share himself with his son. Whether it be home repair or instructions about shaving, Luther awkwardly flails about in trying to connect with his son. Direct, honest, authentic talk never is a possibility. Consequently, the son quietly rebels; even Elliot's gentle acts of rebellion are cries for recognition, pleas for connection. Out of fear that he may utter the wrong phrase or offer improper advice, Luther selects the worst of all avenues to approach his son a prim and distant affection, which his son interprets as rejection and repudiation. A brash and boorish co-worker even provides a better, if rough-hewn, role model as a husband.
Bezos' style could stand some refining. She tends to slight her secondary characters, especially wife Liz and son Elliot, never permitting us the chance to understand the world from their point of view. As well, by the end of the novel, the author has thoroughly mined every conceivable angle by which we may judge Luther. A more trim, compact novel would have achieved the same end.
The sadness that suffuses "The Testing of Luther Albright" reminds us that emotional risk taking is far superior to buttoned-down, flat affect. Children need genuine parents, parents who are courageous enough to share their flaws, as well as their virtues, with their offspring.
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