LiteraryPlum’s Rating: Rated R for excessive language and very explicit sexual language and imagery.
Author: Kris D’Agostino
Title: The Antiques
Facts: Published 2017, Scribner, Fiction, Family-Drama, Dysfunctional Family
Star Rating out of 5: 3
Would I Read it Again? No
Another dysfunctional family book. It seems that this is a very prevalent topic lately. I had reviewed The Nest which is about a messed up family and am currently reading another one that looks as though it’s going to lead into a dysfunctional family book as well (it’s called The Past). I suppose family drama is always easy to write about because literally every family will have drama, hence, lots of experience to pour onto the pages!
This book centers around the family of Ana and George. George is a non-religious man, about to die from cancer. He drives his wife Ana crazy, and you meet him for a few chapters in the book. Ana is the opposite of George in that she is quite religious and her religious views are a big part of the story to follow.
They have three children:
Josef-the oldest, supposed favorite child of George. He is divorced with two junior high daughters who live with their mother. Their cause of the divorce is his addiction to sex, and it is his mindset and inner monologue that gives this book a rated R rating. He literally cannot stop thinking about sex, and his constant affairs and kinky needs have destroyed his marriage and basically his own being. He is one of those financial guys in New York, was head of the class, good-looking, social climber…etc.
Armand aka Armie, is the sensitive son, who lives downstairs in his parents’ basement as a recluse. His inability to find his path in life and having failed miserably in investments due to his brother’s false advice, leads Armie to suffer a breakdown of sorts. He spends all of his time making beautiful furniture in the basement wishing he can do something about the woman he is in love with.
Charlie is the daughter who lives cross country in California. She is the personal assistant to the hottest actress of the time, who spends most of her time on the cover of tabloids causing ruckus after ruckus. Charlie’s own marriage is in trouble as their son who obviously has major psychological issues, is causing massive conflict and heartache in their own home.
No surprise here, but George dies, and all of the siblings converge at the house (which is in New York by the way) and all things come to a head. Oh and a major hurricane has just blown through too, thus making several characters’ situations difficult, helping cause the conflict that is needed for the character to reach their momentous, er, moment. In fact, all of the siblings and their mother have to get through not only the funeral, but also: religious decisions, love decisions, marriage decisions, career decisions…oh me oh my!
At the end, several questions are answered, misunderstandings clarified, and most of all peace is sought and taken, all as they share the memory of their father whose presence in the beginning of this book really seemed unnecessary (in my humble opinion).
The book was well-written, seemed ‘realistic’, but I will admit that I found Josef and Charlie really annoying. I didn’t love Armand but I didn’t hate him either. I felt sorry for Ana and thought she was okay. The rest of the surrounding characters were neither here nor there, some really seemed to have no purpose really but to make some kind of fillers for the story.
It wasn’t a total waste of time but nothing I would jump up and down for either. As stated before I’m reading a lot of dysfunctional family stories but I did think this was one more tolerable than The Nest, but again, my humblest of opinions.
I realize my review is kind of choppy but I think that’s because that’s how I felt about this book. Well-written, a seemingly familiar plot, some personable characters, some heinous characters all compiled into one neat package, not super-memorable, but not horrible.
I guess that’s about how I can summarize this book.
Happy Reading!
BOOK-AHOLICS WELCOME! 