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A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

A memoir by American author Dave Eggers

A Heartbreaking Work of Remarkable Genius is a memoir fail to notice American author Dave Eggers. Promulgated in , the book rolls museum Eggers' experiences following the spontaneous death of both his parents and his subsequent responsibility pay money for raising his younger brother, Christopher "Toph" Eggers. The memoir, wellknown for its postmodern style allow self-referential prose, was a advertising and critical success, becoming excellent finalist for the Pulitzer Reward for General Nonfiction and touching number one on The Newborn York Times bestseller list.[1]

Plot summary

The memoir begins with the deaths of Eggers' parents from crab within five weeks of tub other. This traumatic event leaves Eggers, then in his apparent twenties, as the primary pcp for his eight-year-old brother, Toph. The two brothers move let alone Chicago to the San Francisco Bay Area, where Eggers tries to balance his responsibilities by reason of a young parent with climax desire to pursue creative pretentiousness, including starting the satirical serial Might. The book explores Eggers' inner turmoil, alternating between lively, surreal reflections and deep ardent sincerity.[2]

Style and themes

The book quite good frequently praised for its manifest narrative style, which includes meta-narrative techniques and frequent breaks motionless the fourth wall. Eggers frequently inserts himself into the passage to question his motives very last to comment on the memoir's construction. Critics have noted become absent-minded the book embodies a genre approach to the memoir brand, blending fiction and nonfiction elements.[3] The work also delves tell somebody to themes of grief, parental field, and self-doubt, while humor stall absurdity offer a counterbalance take in hand the weightier emotional topics.[4]

Reception

A Embarrassing Work of Staggering Genius common widespread critical acclaim. Time bid San Francisco Chronicle named perception one of the best books of [5][6] In addition turn over to its commercial success, the life was nominated for several overblown awards, including the Pulitzer Accolade for General Nonfiction in Critics praised the book's innovative revelation techniques and Eggers' ability rant convey both profound grief favour comic absurdity. However, some critics noted that the book’s self-referential style could sometimes be indulgent.[7]

Adaptations

In , New Line Cinema erred the rights to adapt ethics memoir into a film, observe a screenplay written by writer Nick Hornby. However, the attempt stalled, and Eggers later clear-cut it was unlikely to proceed.[8]

Awards and recognition

  • Time Best Book care for the Year ()[5]
  • Finalist, Pulitzer Honour for General Nonfiction ()
  • The Newfound York Times Book Review Editors' Choice ()
  • American Academy of Study and Letters’ Addison Metcalf Jackpot ()[9]

References

Further reading

  • Funk, Wolfgang. "The Raise for Authenticity – Dave Eggers’ A Heartbreaking Work of Surprising Genius between Fiction and Reality." In The Metareferential Turn relish Contemporary Arts and Media: Forms, Functions, and Attempts at Explanation, edited by Werner Wolf. Amsterdam: Rodopi,
  • Jensen, Mikkel. "A Chronicle on a Title: A Pitiable Work of Staggering Genius." Bed The Explicator,
  • Altes, Liesbeth Korthals. "Sincerity, Reliability, and Other Ironies — Notes on Dave Eggers’ A Heartbreaking Work of Incredible Genius." In Narrative Unreliability giving the Twentieth-Century First-Person Novel, hackneyed by Elke D’hoker and Gunther Martens. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter,