Product Information
An extraordinary fiction debut: a large, stirring novel of suspense that is, at the same time, a work of brilliantly astute social observation.The Emperor of Ocean Parkis set in two privileged worlds: the upper crust African American society of the eastern seaboard-old families who summer on Martha's Vineyard-and the inner circle of an Ivy League law school. It tells the story of a complex family with a single, seductive link to the shadowlands of crime. The Emperor of the title, Judge Oliver Garland, has just died, suddenly. A brilliant legal mind, conservative and famously controversial, Judge Garland made more enemies than friends. Many years before, he'd earned a judge's highest prize: a Supreme Court nomination. But in a scene of bitter humiliation, televised across the country, his nomination collapsed in scandal. The humbling defeat became a private agony, one from which he never recovered. But now the Judge's death raises even more questions-and it seems to be leading to a second, even more terrible scandal. Could Oliver Garland have been murdered? He has left a strange message for his son Talcott, a professor of law at a great university, entrusting him with "the arrangements"-a mysterious puzzle that only Tal can unlock, and only by unearthing the ambiguities of his father's past. When another man is found dead, and then another, Talcott-wry, straight-arrow, almost too self-aware to be a man of action-must risk his career, his marriage, and even his life, following the clues his father left him. Intricate, superbly written, often scathingly funny,The Emperor of Ocean Parkis a triumphant work of fiction, packed with character and incident-a brilliantly crafted tapestry of ambition, family secrets, murder, integrity tested, and justice gone terribly wrong. From the Hardcover edition.Product Identifiers
PublisherRandom House Audio Publishing Group
ISBN-100553713388
ISBN-139780553713381
eBay Product ID (ePID)2183578
Product Key Features
Book TitleEmperor of Ocean Park
TopicGeneral, Mystery & Detective / General
Publication Year2002
LanguageEnglish
GenreFiction
AuthorStephen L. Carter
Dimensions
Item Height1in.
Item Length4.9in.
Item Width5.7in.
Item Weight7.9 Oz
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
Reviews"Among the most remarkable fiction debuts in recent years…[The Emperor of Ocean Park] is full of musing about God, family, chess, the politics of Supreme Court appointments, loyalty, unhappy marriage, the media, depression, race, and academic infighting…[Carter] is a scholar and a lawyerly commentator who has penned a rip-roaring entertainment." Boston Globe "The year's hottest summer read and a surefire bestseller…Carter does for members of the contemporary black upper-class what Henry James did for Washington Square society, taking us into their drawing rooms and laying their motives bare…However The Emperor of Ocean Park is categorized, beach reading doesn't get any better than this." Time Out New York "The Emperor of Ocean Park is a delightful, sprawling, gracefully written, imaginative work, with sharply delineated characters who dwell in a fully realized narrative world…Carter deserves comparison with such successful practitioners of the crime novel as Scott Turow." The New York Review of Books "The Emperor of Ocean Park is an intricately plotted work…a novel that is both thriller and commentary on American racial relations." Dan Cryer, Newsday "[A] complex literary thriller. Carter deftly weaves together several strands, from the relationships of father and sons and husbands and wives to the politics of the Nixon and Reagan eras." Bookpage "The Emperor of Ocean Park is no ordinary fiction debut…Carter has produced a thoroughly original mystery-thriller…that also explores the brave terrains of race, family, power, paranoia, and the law…If I may join the hype, The Emperor of Ocean Park rules." Book Street USA "[A] fiercely intelligent and original work…Carter explores an astounding variety of subjects with the depth and delicacy." The Miami Herald "[The Emperor of Ocean Park] is one of the hottest items of the summer, one of the most discussed books of the year. It provides insight into the world of the African-American haute bourgeoisie…and does so with a sophistication and elegance of language that makes much of it a joy to read." The Globe and Mail "Yes, this combination mystery/social commentary/thoughtful introspection is long. But the characters are masterfully developed, and its gripping story, elegant writing and skillful illumination of a segment of society that has been notably absent from popular fiction more than justify its 657 pages. The Emperor of Ocean Park is an outstanding work of fiction worth every penny…If you read only one book this summer, make sure it's this one." The Sunday Star-Ledger "Stephen L. Carter's debut novel, "The Emperor of Ocean Park," is a marvel: a deeply satisfying thriller that is as careful with character as it is with conspiracy…This is an exhilarating summer read that will be remembered long after the season is over." Contra Costa Times "Poised to become the biggest book of the summer." Entertainment Weekly "This reader hasn't inhaled a novel so rich, rewarding and compelling since Tom Wolfe's A Man in Full. Like Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent it transports the reader into a different world and creates characters that resonate long after you finish it…The mystery aspects had me reading the book at stop signs while driving." Deirdre Donahue, USA Today "More le Carré than Grisham . . . a vivid, tw
Dewey Edition21
Dewey Decimal813/.6
Edition DescriptionAbridged Edition