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    The Double Bind: A Novel
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    The Double Bind: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Double Bind: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Double Bind: A Novel

    Written by Chris Bohjalian

    Narrated by Susan Denaker

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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 Twenties and the twenty-first 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.


    From the Compact Disc edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateFeb 13, 2007
    ISBN9781415935804
    Unavailable
    The Double Bind: A Novel
    Author

    Chris Bohjalian

    Chris Bohjalian is the author of twelve novels, including the New York Times bestsellers, Secrets of Eden, The Double Bind, Skeletons at the Feast, and Midwives.  His work has been translated into twenty-six languages.  He lives in Vermont with his wife and daughter.   Visit him at www.chrisbohjalian.com or www.facebook.com .

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    Reviews for The Double Bind

    3.5/5

    1,009 ratings112 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This is a beautifully written, layered novel that touches on a number of important social issues homelessness, mental illness and violent sexual crimes.

      This is the sort of book that does not leave you after the last page is read. It lingers. It evokes new thoughts and new realizations.

      I love Bohjalian's storytelling!
    • 5/5
      Quite a twist and a shock! Loved it!
    • 4/5
      I loved the concept of bringing to life the characters from The Great Gatsby but something did not feel right about this book and it took me several weeks to finish with reading Catcher in the Rye Again after viewing the Rebel in the Rye. When the book came to it's clever conclusion you had been given enough clues thru out the final chapters to realize why the protagonist was "off". Really enjoy this author and have another book of his in pile to read.
    • 3/5
      i actually thought this book was kind of blah and i didn't care for the ending, although i love the author.
    • 5/5
      A totally unexpected story!
    • 4/5
      Found this book at the local thrift store. A buck well spent. THE DOUBLE BIND takes its title from social scientist -"Gregory Bateson's theory that a particular brand of bad parenting could inadvertently spawn schizophrenia. Essentially, it meant consistently offering a child a series of contradictory messages: telling him you loved him while turning away in disgust ... [until] a child would realize that he couldn't possibly win in the real world, and as a coping mechanism would develop an unreal world of his own."Because this is very much a story about mental illness, schizophrenia in particular. It also deals with the long-lasting effects of sexual assault, and how it can ruin a life. I find it an interesting coincidence that I am also currently sampling a non-fiction book by David J. Morris called THE EVIL HOURS: A BIOGRAPHY OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. And yes, sexual assault and rape can result in PTSD.Bohjalian seems to employ an interesting literary conceit throughout his story, namely that THE GREAT GATSBY was not a novel. Indeed, you are invited to believe that Jay Gatsby, the Buchanans and other characters from Fitzgerald's famous novel were real people, that it was a true story. I found it particularly off-putting, annoying even, until I learned why he was doing it. In fact, I nearly quit reading the book, finding it just a bit tedious and reaching too far into the realm of fantasy for my taste. But I stuck with it, and am glad I did. Because Bohjalian's central character, Lauren Estabrook, was a pretty fascinating one: a social worker at a homeless shelter in Burlington, Vermont, who had been brutally assaulted several years before. She is described as "fragile." Other characters are equally interesting - her roommate, her much older lover (the latest of several older men). No question, Bohjalian knows how to create compelling characters. But for me, the first half of the book - nearly 200 pages - seemed to drag. But then the pace picked up exponentially and I could not turn pages fast enough, as Lauren desperately tried to unravel the secrets of a portfolio of old photos left behind by an old man who had once been a client at the homeless shelter, to know how he may have been connected to the Buchanans of THE GREAT GATSBY.To say more would be too close to spoiling the book. But it's a good one, trust me. And, upon finishing this book, you might be motivated to dust off your old college copy of GATSBY and try it again. Couldn't hurt. Very highly recommended.- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER
    • 4/5
      Laurel is a young woman who works at a homeless shelter. She discovers that one of the previous residents has passed away and left behind a box of photographs. She is fascinated by both the style and subject matter of the photos--some appear to be of celebrities, and some remind her of where she grew up. Then she sees a photo of a young woman on a bicycle and her heart stops. A few years prior, while Laurel was in college, she was riding her bike in the woods when she was attacked by two men in a van. She does not like to think about that incident, but the photographs bring it all back. Who was this man and why did he have these photographs? As Laurel tries to answer these questions she digs into mysteries that are decades old, mysteries that involve the inner workings of the human mind and heart as much as they do fact.Our book discussion group had a good time with this one, the issues involved and the connections between it and The Great Gatsby make for good conversation starters. It's fascinating the the character of the homeless man who was a photographer is based on a true life story and that the photographs between the chapters were taken by the man who inspired that character. It certainly causes the reader to think about how homeless people are treated and the complexities involved that can cause someone to end up on the streets. And of course the traumatic attack that Laurel suffers and the ways that she copes with it bring up issues of mental illness and society's response to it. I would definitely suggest this for book discussion groups and also anyone who would enjoy a book that explores the inner workings of the mind and social issues.
    • 3/5
      Psychological thrillers aren't really my cup of tea, but I read this upon recommendation of a friend. Can't say that it won me over to the psychological thriller fan club, but I will admit it was an interesting and fun read. It is very readable and in places is a real page turner, but it's not great literature even though it is based on "The Great Gatsby."I would recommend finding an Internet summary of "Gatsby" if it has been a while since you have read it (or if you somehow missed this in your past). I don't see how the book can be at all satisfying without having a knowledge of the Gatsby story.I consider this a well-written "beach read" -- get it from the library; it's definitely not one that you would reread because once you know the ending, you've got the story.
    • 4/5
      This book is an unusual combination of literary fiction and psychological thriller. Set in beautiful Burlington, Vermont, the story revolves around Laurel Estabrook, a UVM student who is attacked while bicycling on a remote country road. After graduating, she finds a career in Burlington as a social worker in a homeless shelter. When a former client dies leaving a legacy of beautiful photographs chronicling his life, Laurel starts to investigate his past.

      This was my bookclub's discussion book for December. Although I often find mysteries are too plot driven and not the best genre for bookclubs - this was a great book to discuss. Make sure everyone finishes the book before you start the discussion...
    • 3/5
      Chris Bohjalian is a very skilled writer of stories that fit, I think, into the "adventure" genre. Actually, "telemovie script" would probably be a better genre description. This book is classic Bohjalian: there's not a whole lot of depth to the characters but they're revealed enough to clearly establish who are the goodies and who are the baddies (with a few characters wearing shades of gray in between) and he is able to manipulate the reader into taking the right side. Don't worry about the believability, the pace of the story is fast enough and there are enough suspenseful sub-plots to keep the reader turning those pages. Further, as always, there's an 'underlying' message which is really up there in neon lights! This is light reading on the whole, with not too much detail of either violence or sex, although both do rate more than a mention. In this book Bohjalian gives a sympathetic but realistic perspective on both homelessness and mental illness, which surely must warrant an extra half-star in any rating.Bohjalian won't win any Pulitzer prizes (and to be fair, he's not really writing in that genre), but he will probably sell a lot more books than some of my favorites: Elizabeth Strout, Marilynne Robinson, and Carol Shields, put together.
    • 4/5
      Read this for book club and loved it. I kept seeing images from the movie Gatsby movie in my head as I read, kind of historical fiction about fiction. I've read his book Midwives and was engrossed in that one too.
    • 4/5
      As usual, Bohjalian keeps you turning the pages. Can't say I was fond of the ending, though.
    • 4/5
      This book completely caught me by surprise. I couldn't put it down... it tells the tale of Laurel, a young woman who was attacked while in college -- an attack that left quite an impression on her. Currently Laurel works for a homeless shelter. When one of her residents dies, her boss gives Laurel (an amateur photographer herself) a box of his photographs. Convinced he was somehow tied to a rich family, quite infamous in Laurel's hometown, she goes on a quest to learn everything she can about the man and his family. The book adds an extra layer as it weaves much The Great Gatsby lore into its own story.
    • 4/5
      3.5 stars

      Holy moly!!!!

      I can't figure out how to write a review of this one without including any spoilers that would ruin reading it.

      I was shocked by the last 3 pages. Shocked. I didn't see it coming.

      Rarely do books surprise me...this one did magnificently & without leaving me frustrated or feeling like the ending was a cop out.

      I have been & will remain a fan of Bohjalian's writing.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book. THIS BOOK IS REALLY HARD TO TALK ABOUT WITHOUT SOME SPOILERAGE - IF YOU HAVENT READ IT I WOULDNT READ ANYTHING ABOUT IT INCLUDING THIS REVIEW UNTIL AFTER I WAS ALL DONE.I loved the concept of this book from the outset. (or at least what I understood the concept to be). It had a definitely a topsy-turvy - which way is up - sort of book. I thought the writing was good and I was gripped pretty much immediately. It had a great sense of suspense and I found myself reaching and reaching for it until I was done. I enjoyed the slow reveal at the end that I think most people probably picked up on. In the final wrap up there was one thing in particular that I was surprised by and have to admit I thought was kind of a weak throw-in. But now that I have finished I am hoping to go read some discussion and see if other people felt the same way.
    • 5/5
      Oh my goodness!!That's about all I can say about this book.Our book club is reading Midwives or Double Bind for the March book and oh my goodness!This is the story of Laurel, a young woman brutally attacked by two men while riding bike in Vermont. She graduates from college as a social worker and begins working at BEDS a homeless shelter/low rent housing facility in Burlington, Vermont, very close to the town of her attack. An older man, Bobbie, dies and in his things is a box of photographs of famous people, houses and a blurry young woman riding a bike on a road in Vermont.So begins Laurel's quest to figure out who Bobbie was, why he ended up homeless and why in the world he had a picture of her...I can't say more - because it is so fragily woven it would unravel in my retelling.Suffice it to say I would strongly recommend this one. It's a typical Bohjalian - a little hard to read - a little wordy - a little plodding at parts - but so worth the end.
    • 4/5
      Very clever plotting. I was completely taken in and surprised at the ending. The use of the Gatsby story was unique; sort of a "spin-off" of Fitzgerald's famous novel but years later. This is my first experience with Mr. Bohjalian's writing, and I am looking forward to reading another book soon.
    • 5/5
      Wow...I got fooled! I thought one thing was happening, and was ready to compliment the author on the use of The Great Gatsby. And then, surprise! it changed. I really enjoyed the book and the characters. Definitely an interesting read, one of those "can't put it down" type of books.
    • 4/5
      Very interesting story of a young woman who becomes obsessed with the photographs taken by a deceased homeless man.
    • 4/5
      It is a great story. Throughout the listening I was very close to Laurel the main character. There was also a slightly risk to get addicted like herself. It was so enthralling that I couldn't stop listening. Meeting with characters from the The Great Gatsby was enjoyable. I'm glad that I knew this story so it was much easier and interesting to understand the context and the follow-up of Laurel's investigation. The story's outcome is absolutely astonishingly. I couldn't have been able to predict it up front.
    • 4/5
      ***1/2 Laurel, a college sophomore, is on a bike ride when attacked by two men. Two male cyclists appear and save her life. She takes a job at a homeless shelter and befriends one of the men the shelter is able to find housing for. When he dies, Laurel learns he left his only known possession to her- a box of photographs he had long referenced but few believed he possessed. A great mystery starts as Laurel does research to credit the man, Bobbie Crocker, as the gifted photographer he was. Slow overall but a very good read!
    • 3/5
      My least favorite Bohjalian novel. Good twist at the end, but took forever to get there.
    • 4/5
      Again, another winner from a great author. The story was very intriguing and the references to Gatsby added so much interest to the story. Midwives is still my fav by him, but this one is fantastic.
    • 3/5
      Meh . . . really enjoyed the Buffalo Soldier, but this one kind of lost me. Yes, there was a twist at the end, but I kept asking myself in the middle of this book "is this really worth finishing?" Passed my "50 page test" in the beginning, but not by much. I don't know . . . I guess I would give one more of his books a try, but wouldn't necessarily recommend this one. No doubt he's a talented writer, but there were some story lines that just didn't come together for me.
    • 3/5
      I didn't enjoy this book as much as Bohjalian's others that I've read. Laurel is a survivor of a traumatic event and goes on to work as a social worker at a shelter for the homeless. When an elderly, mentally ill client dies, leaving behind a box of mysterious photographs, Laurel becomes obsessed with investigating his past, especially his connection to Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby. The book has a wonderful, surprising ending, but the majority of the book is little tedious.
    • 5/5
      I just finished The Double Bind and all I can say is WOW! I didn't see it coming and yet I think I should have! I'm tempted to reread it to see where I missed it! I hate to write any more about this book because I'm afraid I'll give it away. Great books!
    • 4/5
      Fascinating read, with a great twist at the end.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed this book and thought Bonjalian did a great job in writing on mental illness
    • 5/5
      Great twist at the end!
    • 3/5
      If you're a woman and you want to enjoy time alone in or near the woods again, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!