The Double Bind

A Novel

By: Chris Bohjalian

Narrated by: Susan Denaker

Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

As the New York Times has said, “Few writers can manipulate a plot with [Chris] Bohjalian’s grace and power.” Now he is back with an ambitious new novel that travels between Jay Gatsby’s Long Island and rural New England, between the Roaring 20s and the 21st century.

When college sophomore Laurel Estabrook is attacked while riding her bicycle through Vermont’s back roads, her life is forever changed. Formerly outgoing, Laurel withdraws into her photography and begins to work at a homeless shelter. There she meets Bobbie Crocker, a man with a history of mental illness and a box of photographs that he won’t let anyone see. When Bobbie dies suddenly, Laurel discovers that before he was homeless, Bobbie Crocker was a successful photographer.

As Laurel’s fascination with Bobbie’s former life begins to merge into obsession, she becomes convinced that some of his photographs reveal a deeply hidden, dark family secret and falls into into a cat-and-mouse game with pursuers who claim they want to save her.

In this spellbinding literary thriller, rich with complex and compelling characters Chris Bohjalian takes listeners on his most intriguing, most haunting, and most unforgettable journey yet.

©2007 Chris Bohjalian (P)2007 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"Laurel Estabrook, a young social worker living in Vermont, becomes obsessed with a box of photographs that belonged to a deceased homeless man, Bobbie Crocker. An amateur photographer herself, Laurel wonders how someone as destitute as Crocker came to possess such high-quality photos, many of them featuring famous people and, bizarrely, Laurel's childhood town. As she devotes more and more time to researching Crocker's past, her friends and family become concerned for her mental well-being. Six years previously, Laurel was attacked by two men in the woods while riding her bike, and though she recovered enough to finish college and get a job, she remains fragile. Bohjalian, whose Midwives was an Oprah Book Club selection, adds original and creative elements to this tale by blending the story of The Great Gatsby with Laurel's story and including photographs by a real-life homeless man named Bob Campbell. Far from being simply a mystery story, this is a complex exploration of the human psyche and its efforts to heal and survive in whatever manner possible. Recommended for all fiction collections. (Library Journal, starred review)

"This elegantly crafted tale is well worth delving into." (Booklist)

"A tricky and intriguing premise." (Publishers Weekly)

Ugh

I had no trouble with the narrator, and thought the story was just fine. I was curious about how things would play out, as the author had painted himself into a number of corners, and, no doubt, would come up with some clever explanation for things that appeared to have happened.

Those that gave up on the book partway cheated themselves. They thought they were reading a bad book. Had they continued on to the end, though, they could have truly appreciated just what a horrible book this was.

When a reader expends a certain amount of time reading (or listening to) a story, the author should at least show a little respect for the reader. This author failed at that.

Narrator misfit

I was so annoyed with the narrator that I could not bear to go on. The story was lost on me due to the very slow, languid, almost condensing tone of voice of the narrator. I will note her name.

No!

illogical and poorly executed fantasy. The author intentionally the reader. Don't waste your time and money on it.

the double bind

this is a very self centered book...lots of politically correct judgements (eg he is a vegetarian, therefore a good and thoughtful person). fairly predictable and boring...ie I did not find it interesting or stimulating. if it is true, I am very very sorry that she had to go through this event and it is nice that she funneled her energies to help others. that is noble

What a huge letdown

I read this book believing it was a mystery. I was mistaken. Really horrible end

katie

I have read two of his other books which were quite dissimilar and very good - Skeletons at the Feast and Midwives. This book was many steps down in every way - plot lines that went nowhere, flimsy charactors. I am not even done quite yet, and I will finish, but I can't even believe it was written by the same guy. His publishers must have been hounding him to finish something. The homeless angle was lame.

very bad

Poorly read, I will keep the readers name so as not to get another book read by her. Very boring, but I don't know if that to is the readers fault. Didn't finish just to boring.

Terrible

I have enjoyed other Chris Bohjalian books, but this was awful. It should have been a short story, if it was going to be anything. This went on and on for hours and didn’t go anywhere until the end which was anticlimactic and sad. It’s simply not worth the time.

Didn't bother to finish

I lost interest halfway through. The story doesn't build enough momentum to carry through to the end. It meanders and does nothing to heighten the mystery. Also, I wanted to slap the main character by the midpoint of the story.