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| Plot Summary of A Testament to Grace |
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"This debut novel of short story writer Kaufman shows his command of language and characterization, but the reader is warned that the book has a few intense scenes of graphic sex and some torture, so you may not want to purchase it as a Xmas stocking stuffer. Kaufman's gift comes from taking two basically unlikeable characters, college lecturer Nicholas and his manipulative and voracious wife Constance, and weaving a tale of possession, power and madness around them. Despite Nicholas' endless often tedious observations of himself and life around him (in what is basically a diary format), Nicholas and Constance remain inscrutable and shadowy figures on the stage of their own lives. From a life of drug trafficking, sexual conquests along the lines of Dangerous Liasons, to the world of television soaps and eventually porno films, these two scheme, counterscheme, parry and thrust at each other, bound together by a deeper, if somewhat sicker, type of love. The title character of Grace, to whom the diary is written, is almost secondary to the action and I found myself wondering if she really existed or was merely Nicholas' device for exposing himself. If you liked "Vox" and are a fan of Nabokov, you may enjoy this journey to the underbelly of love. "
Lisa Lyons, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of A Testament to Grace |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- depressed
Time/era of story
- 1980's-1999
Romance/Romance Problems
Yes
Kind of romance:
- playing footsy while inconveniently married
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Taboo sex story?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- teacher
Age:
- 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- actor/actress/producer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a substantial amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 3 ()
United States
Yes
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- very explicit references to deaths and torture
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- actual description of hetero sex
Lot of foul language?
Yes
Unusual Style:
- a lot of flashback and forwards
- a lot of stream of consciousness
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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