The Unnamed

By: Joshua Ferris

Narrated by: Joshua Ferris

The Unnamed is a dazzling novel about a marriage, family, and the unseen forces of nature and desire that seem to threaten them both.

He was going to lose the house and everything in it.

The rare pleasure of a bath, the copper pots hanging above the kitchen island, his family-again he would lose his family. He stood inside the house and took stock. Everything in it had been taken for granted. How had that happened again? He had promised himself not to take anything for granted and now he couldn't recall the moment that promise had given way to the everyday.

Tim Farnsworth is a handsome, healthy man, aging with the grace of a matinee idol. His wife Jane still loves him, and for all its quiet trials, their marriage is still stronger than most. Despite long hours at the office, he remains passionate about his work, and his partnership at a prestigious Manhattan law firm means that the work he does is important. And, even as his daughter Becka retreats behind her guitar, her dreadlocks and her puppy fat, he offers her every one of a father's honest lies about her being the most beautiful girl in the world.

He loves his wife, his family, his work, his home. He loves his kitchen. And then one day he stands up and walks out. And keeps walking.

The Unnamed is a heartbreaking story of a life taken for granted -- and what happens when that life is abruptly and irrevocably taken away.©2010 Joshua Ferris ; (P)2010 Hachette

Critic reviews

"It's something to behold, this book...a breathtaking debut."—Ain't It Cool News

I liked it.

That really was about the saddest thing, but beautifully written and well read by the author. Well worth my time.

Haunting,disturbing and beautiful

Joshua Ferris does a stellar job narrating his own work. At once deeply disturbing and frightening yet beautifully wrought tale. In no way does JF "preach" but you cannot help coming away with a new found empathy for mentally ill as well as homeless people and their families. I look forward to more of JF's narrations.

Lyrical and Thoughtful

The author is an apt narrator for this novel, and his voice seemed perfectly suited to describe the experience of the main character. There is an easy flow to the narration that is nice to listen to. This novel explores illness and its effects on the arc of the characters' lives. While the actual illness suffered by the main character is a fictional, improbable one, the way in which his work, family and self must adapt is thought-provoking. Anyone who has dealt with chronic illness will find threads to identify with here, but there is much in this book about the human condition in general. A little slow to start - I enjoyed the second half more.

Lose the “mood” music

Seriously, we don’t need manipulative musical interludes to tell us how to feel. Particularly as the final sentences of the novel are read. Who made that decision, do they enjoy reading books, and do they still have a job? Worst decision ever.

Thought provoking, beautifully written, well read

Ferris' book lays deep tracks into issues like mental illness, marriage, family, career--all while telling a (usually) compelling story. The book is very well written--almost sparse--and even though read by author, he does a great job. The book stumbles in a few places, where author resorts to writing tricks to keep the book moving along, and the storyline is a bit predictable, but it's a good read. My only other complaint is stupid, too-long music interludes between chapters, but minor issue.