Hes a middleaged escapee from a disastrous marriage, a ruined career, and various massive failures in adulting. A clear, supremely readable parable of america in the global economy that is haunting, beautifully shaped, and sad. In a rising saudi arabian city, far from weary, recessionscarred america, a struggling businessman pursues a lastditch attempt to stave off foreclosure, pay. In a rising saudi arabian city, far from weary, recessionscarred america, a struggling. In a hologram for the king, eggers inserts himself into the psyche of alan clay, a latterday willy loman, a longtime salesman for the late lamented schwinn bicycle company who has been retained by an ibmlike global firm to sell a huge package of it services to the octogenarian king abdullah of saudi arabia. A hologram for the king, by dave eggers the new york times. This is a story of a guy trying to make his success materializebut, like a hologram, it never really becomes something tangible.
Talking with dave eggers about a hologram for the king. Just like the elusive king abdullah, theres always a sense that the moral police are just a hairs breadth away, waiting for someone to think the society is more open than it really is. The problem with book tofilm translations a hologram for the king is based upon dave eggers 2012 book of the same name, and boy does it feel that way. The arrival of king abdullah is a study in total anticlimax. Dave eggers is the bestselling author of seven books including a hologram for the king, a finalist for the national book award. In six centuries, the mona lisa hasnt gotten as much praise as hologram received in 2012.
A hologram for the king is a 2016 comedydrama film directed, written and coscored by tom tykwer, based on the 2012 novel of the same name written by dave eggers, and starring tom hanks as a washedup corporate salesman, who goes to saudi arabia to propose a business deal. A national book award finalist, a new york times bestseller and one of the most highlyacclaimed books of the year, a hologram for the king is a sprawling novel about the decline of american industry from one of the most important, sociallyaware novelists of our time. San francisco chronicle a clear, supremely readable parable of america in the global economy that is haunting, beautifully shaped, and sad. A hologram for the king features tykwers known style of repetition and alternative music choices, and is a sad misfire. With hints of parable, eggers explores a modernday quandary in both national and personal identity explored through midlife crisis and cultural clashes. There is also no complexity of plot in a hologram for the king. A hologram for the king 2016 a hologram for the king. In a hologram for the king a kind of death of a globalized salesman, alight with all of arthur millers compassion and humanism eggers at once pushes that project forward and, characteristically, gives us an entirely different and unexpected story. A hologram for the king takes tom hanks on a frustrating. A hologram for the king is, among other things, an anguished investigation into how and where american selfconfidence got lost and in the central word another lonely expat uses for alan. Jun 04, 20 a hologram for the king moves forwarda momentum of melancholy and possibility, driven by the meditations and memories of its oncenoble american salesman hero.
It was adapted as a film of the same name, released in 2016 and starring tom hanks and sarita choudhury. A hologram for the king is a 2016 comedydrama film directed, written and coscored by tom tykwer, based on the 2012 novel of the same name written by dave e. I very much enjoyed the circle eggers satire on our obsession with technology and connectivity and a hologram for the king, set in the ghostly king abdullah economic city in the middle of the saudi arabian desert, is just as good. The a hologram for the king community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. A hologram for the king by dave eggers book summary.
Click on below buttons to start download a hologram for the king by dave eggers pdf epub without registration. A hologram for the king is a novel by dave eggers, published in 2012. In a rising saudi arabian city, far from weary, recessionscarred america, a struggling businessman pursues a lastditch attempt to stave off foreclosure, pay his daughters college tuition, and finally do. This is free download a hologram for the king by dave eggers complete book soft copy. Alan clay, the main character of the book hologram for the king, is the one from that unfortunate crowd. Books similar to a hologram for the king goodreads. Find books like a hologram for the king from the worlds largest community of readers. The story never goes anywhere and then ends abruptly with more dissapointment. A hologram for the king kindle edition by eggers, dave. A hologram for the king tells of alan clay, who travels to king. A hologram for the king by dave eggers book resume. San jose mercury news hologram has at its center a sort of moral vision quest. To purchase a hologram for the king, please visit our store.
Jul 22, 2012 a hologram for the king is, among other things, an anguished investigation into how and where american selfconfidence got lost and in the central word another lonely expat uses for alan. Dave eggers new novel hits you with prose as stark and as luminous as its saudi arabian setting. After reliants stunning defeat, alan realizes that he cant go back to his ruined life in the u. Alan never gets the chance to give his spiel or work his sales magic on him. If youve seen the trailer for the film adaptation of a hologram for the king, you might think that this book is going to be a lifeaffirming laugh riot. Alan and his team are initially anxious to deliver their presentation to the kingwhich features a remote speaker appearing via hologrambut they soon learn the country. The novel is paradoxically suspenseful, but its also rich in character and in eggerss evocative writing about place a hologram for the king, as far from home as it might seem, is an acute slice of american life. Jan 30, 20 a hologram for the king treads lightly and elegantly, considering its weighty subject matter. An excerpt from dave eggerss a hologram for the king.
In october 2012, the novel was announced as a finalist for the national book award. Im discovering i have a soft spot for dave eggers and his ingenious way of writing about modern life. A hologram for the king this book was really a disappointment. A hologram for the king by dave eggers book summary trips. Alan clay is a 50something american salesperson for an information technology company angling for a contract to wire king abdullah economic city, a saudi commerce hub. A hologram for the king is a 2012 american novel written by dave eggers. Dec 11, 2019 pdf epub a hologram for the king download.
After all, the trailer suggests a plot about lovable tom hanks making his way through the desert, having hilarious cultural misunderstandings, and finding. A hologram for the king hardcover longfellow books. The question and answer section for a hologram for the king is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. Sidse babett knudsen, tom skerritt and sarita choudhury also star in. Hoping to make the money to pay for his daughters college tuition, hanks alan clay is now trying to sell a hologram contract to the king of saudi arabia, who wants to build a city in the middle of the desert that will populate 1. A hologram for the king summary how alan failed to get his groove back. A hologram for the king is a novel by dave eggers that involves the attempts of american businessman alan clay to stabilize his finances, find happiness in life, and ensure his daughter has funds to continue her college education. A hologram for the king is an outstanding achievement in eggers already impressive career, and an essential read. With tom hanks, omar elba, sarita choudhury, ben whishaw. A hologram for the king amiably ambles through a narrative desert, saved by an oasis of a performance from the everdependable tom hanks. Zeitoun, winner of the american book award and dayton literary peace prize. After all, the trailer suggests a plot about lovable tom hanks making his way through the desert, having hilarious cultural misunderstandings, and finding love. A hologram for the king is a 2016 comedydrama film directed, written and coscored by tom tykwer, based on the 2012 novel of the same name written by dave eggers, and starring tom hanks as a washedup corporate salesman, who goes to saudi arabia to propose a business deal sidse babett knudsen, tom skerritt and sarita choudhury also star in this international.
In a hologram for the king, eggers inserts himself into the psyche of alan clay, a latterday willy dave eggers is a phenomenon. Feb 04, 20 eggerss new book, a hologram for the king, is a novel, but the evidence of a decades focus on realworld events runs through it like letters through a stick of rock. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of a hologram for the king by dave eggers. The problem with booktofilm translations a hologram for the king is based upon dave eggers 2012 book of the same name, and boy does it feel that way. Eggerss spare prose is a pleasure, and a hologram for the king proves to be a deft blend of surreal adventure, absurd comedy and pointed observations. If you are still wondering how to get free pdf epub of book a hologram for the king by dave eggers. Apr 23, 2016 a hologram for the king, adapted by director tom tykwer from dave eggers 2012 novel, follows alan to saudi arabia, where hes the lead salesman on a team hawking a new holographic telepresence. A failed american sales rep looks to recoup his losses by traveling to saudi arabia and selling his companys product to a wealthy monarch.
In a hologram for the king, dave eggers takes us around the world to show how one man fights to hold himself and his splintering family together in the face of the global economys galeforce winds. A hologram for the king fulldescription in a rising saudi arabian city, far from weary, recessionscarred america, a struggling businessman named alan clay pursues a lastditch attempt to stave off foreclosure, pay his daughters college tuition, and finally do something great. The only dave eggers to be located in hologram is contained, unexperimentally, in the wry and unabashedly empathetic voice of the omniscient narrator. A hologram for the king takes us around the world to show how one man fights to hold himself and his splintering family together in the face of the global economys galeforce winds. We dont know when or if this item will be back in stock. A hologram for the king is a national book award finalist in celebration of the todays announcement, we offer an excerpt from the book. A hologram for the king is an outstanding achievement in eggerss already impressive career, and an essential read. The red sea lay beyond, inert, the whole thing doomed. This taut, richly layered, and elegiac novel is a powerful evocation of our contemporary moment and a moving story of how we got here. Find this book on abebooks, an amazon company, offers millions of new, used, and outofprint books. Jun 19, 2012 mcsweeneys is publishing the hardback edition of a hologram for the king, and in your acknowledgments, you thank the entire staff at the thomsonshore printers in dexter, michigan. The main characters life story is filled with sadness and disappointments. The reliant crew nails the holographic presentation, but the king merely claps politely and leaves. Not only is the king himself supersymbolic check out our symbols analysis for more but also the hologram that alan is trying to present is as illusive as his dreams.
A hologram for the king moves forwarda momentum of melancholy and possibility, driven by the meditations and memories of its oncenoble american salesman hero. The philadelphia inquirer eggerss spare prose is a pleasure, and a hologram for the king proves to be a deft blend of surreal adventure, absurd comedy and pointed. So hes heading to king abdullah economic city kaecpronounced cake in saudi arabia to help reliant corp. Goodreads members who liked a hologram for the king also liked. A hologram for the king and millions of other books are available for instant access.
This taut, richly layered, and elegiac novel is a powerful evocation of our contemporary momentand a moving story of how we got here. A hologram for the king amiably ambles through a narrative desert, saved by an oasis of a performance from the. Author of 17 books and two screenplays, including fiction, nonfiction, and a memoir, several of them bestsellers. Oct 10, 2012 a hologram for the king is a national book award finalist in celebration of the todays announcement, we offer an excerpt from the book. Alan clay, a 46 years old american sales man reaches jeddah in saudi arabia to peddle a holographic teleconference system to king abdullahs newly planned yet to be constructed economic city in the middle of a deserted land. Colette bancroft, tampa bay times dave eggers is a prince among men when it comes to writing deeply felt, socially conscious. He is out of motiviation and overall, just a deflated person. A hologram for the king treads lightly and elegantly, considering its weighty subject matter. A hologram for the king npr coverage of a hologram for the king by dave eggers.
904 254 1019 1567 1461 103 1019 962 1193 1442 566 894 40 893 632 33 1477 190 1194 528 540 777 281 1572 1515 1224 1158 654 36 67 124 160 650 1191 31 126 1365 1473 545 198 1399 1066 213 483 514 964 504