Kristopher Jansma Bücher

Ein geistreiches Vexierspiel, ein großer Lesespaß und die Entdeckung eines fulminanten neuen Erzählers: Gebeutelt von künstlerischen und amourösen Versagensängsten macht sich der angehende Schriftsteller Walter Hartwright alias Pinkerton auf eine Reise um die Welt und zu sich selbst. Alles begann mit einer goldenen Armbanduhr … Mit einem Augenzwinkern nimmt uns der Ich-Erzähler mit auf eine Reise um die Welt, die in seiner Kindheit beginnt in der Provinzstadt Raleigh (wo er in einem Wiener Kaffeehaus „Ludwig’s Coffeeshop“ jobbt) und über New York City schließlich nach, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Island und wieder zurück führt. Mit von der Partie: der beste Freund und Alter Ego des Erzählers, der sehr talentierte, aber von Selbstzweifeln geplagte Schriftsteller Julian McGann, und die schöne Schauspielerin Evelyn Demont, die Frau, die beide lieben … In der selbstironischen Schilderung der Nöte des Autors, der Grenzen des Erzählens, der Eifersüchteleien unter Schriftstellern, des Größenwahns und der Versagensängste erinnert das Buch an die besten seiner Art.

An elderly woman's reflections on her family's survival during the Nazi occupation of Holland reveal long-buried secrets that affect her descendants. Mieke Geborn's quiet life in New Jersey is disrupted when her grandson Will and his wife visit, prompting him to seek answers about their family history. As Mieke recounts her childhood experiences during the brutal Hunger Winter, the narrative unfolds across the landscapes of war-torn Europe, intertwining themes of survival, resilience, and the lingering impacts of trauma across generations.

Focusing on the discarded drafts and uncompleted works of renowned authors, this book challenges the notion of the solitary creative genius. It highlights the setbacks and failures that many writers face, providing valuable insights and lessons for aspiring authors. Through these examples, the narrative encourages a more realistic understanding of the writing process, emphasizing resilience and the importance of learning from one's missteps.

"Stunning . . . A beautiful, sprawling, and generous book. Jansma is a brilliantly talented writer, but he also has a unique insight into what friends mean to one another, and what it means to be part of a city in which you never quite belong, but can't quite bring yourself to leave. It's a heartfelt novel, tender and painful and cathartic all at once, and even if the characters belong to New York, the story belongs to us all." --NPR December, 2008. A heavy snowstorm is blowing through Manhattan and the economy is on the brink of collapse, but none of that matters to a handful of guests at a posh holiday party. Five years after their college graduation, the fiercely devoted friends at the heart of this richly absorbing novel remain as inseparable as ever: editor and social butterfly Sara Sherman, her troubled astronomer boyfriend George Murphy, loudmouth poet Jacob Blaumann, classics major turned investment banker William Cho, and Irene Richmond, an enchanting artist with an inscrutable past. Amid cheerful revelry and free-flowing champagne, the friends toast themselves and the new year ahead--a year that holds many surprises in store. They must navigate ever-shifting relationships with the city and with one another, determined to push onward in pursuit of their precarious dreams. And when a devastating blow brings their momentum to a halt, the group is forced to reexamine their aspirations and chart new paths through unexpected losses. Kristopher Jansma's award-winning debut novel, The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards, was praised for its "wry humor" and "charmingly unreliable narrator" in The New Yorker and hailed as "F. Scott Fitzgerald meets Wes Anderson" by The Village Voice . In Why We Came to the City , Jansma offers an unforgettable exploration of friendships forged in the fires of ambition, passion, hope, and love. This glittering story of a generation coming of age is a sweeping, poignant triumph. From the Hardcover edition.

Irene, Jacob, William, George et Sara, inséparables depuis l’université, viennent de s’installer à New York. Ils ont vingt-cinq ans, sillonnent la ville, naviguent entre fêtes et premiers jobs. Mais la maladie d’Irene bouleverse tout et donne une direction nouvelle à leur existence. Avec New York Odyssée, Kristopher Jansma signe un magistral portrait de groupe avant de basculer vers le drame intime de chacun. Un roman ironique, juste et sensible sur le deuil et l’amitié. Un roman aux accents fitzgeraldiens. Éric Neuhoff, Le Figaro. Une immersion totale parmi une bande de joyeux drilles. Brillant conteur, Jansma peint leurs frasques, leurs amours, leurs désillusions. Après l’ivresse, il faut parfois déchanter et affronter une réalité implacable. Ce que le lecteur, ébloui par tant de grâce, fait à son tour. Alexandre Fillon, Lire.