Plot Summary:
In the summer of 1975, the rich tycoon Marco Timoleon is preparing for his daughter Sophia's 25th birthday celebration. Ignoring the arriving guests and his estranged second wife, Marco is concerned only with his daughter. Much to Marco's distress, Sophia is pregnant and Marco has secretly planned to "talk" (that's code for "strong-arm") her into having an abortion. He's even flown in his personal doctor and set up an operating room on his private island.
The novel begins on the morning of the party and ends the next day after all the guests have left the island. Mixed throughout the present-day story are chapters from Marco's past: stories of his boyhood in Asia Minor, romances, friendships, world travels, his business savvy and the story of how he transformed himself from a poor, uneducated nobody into a successful and popular billionaire.
About the Author:
Born in Greece in 1967, Panos Karnezis moved to England in 1992 and currently resides in London. His first novel, The Maze (2004), was shortlisted for the 2004 Whitbread First Novel Award. Karnezis put his MA in Creative Writing studies to good use with the publication of numerous well-received short stories. The Birthday Party is his second novel.
What I Liked:
The Birthday Party has a larger-than-life, mythic quality that is entertaining without being campy.
What I Disliked:
Nothing comes to mind. I enjoyed this book.
Bottom Line:
An introspective look at a flamboyant character who discovers that having it all isn't always enough.
Rating: A-
"FANGRRL" is ©2007 by Lisa Ciurro. All graphics, except where otherwise noted, are creations of Nolan B. Canova. All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2007 by Nolan B. Canova.
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