Latest news with #Playworld
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Review of Playworld by Adam Ross
The very opening of Adam Ross's novel Playworld seduces you fatefully: 'In the fall of 1980, when I was fourteen, a friend of my parents named Naomi Shah fell in love with me. She was thirty-six, a mother of two, and married to a wealthy man. Like so many things that happened to me that year, it didn't seem strange at the time.' Just as biting is the mother's response that comes after 20 years: 'Two decades later, when I finally told my mother — we were on Long Island, taking a walk on the beach — she stopped, stunned, and said, 'But she was such an ugly woman.'' The narrator is unruffled: 'The remark wasn't as petty as it sounds. If I was aware of it then, it neither repulsed me not affected my feelings for Naomi. It was just a thing that I took for granted, like the color of her hair.' But the body that is laid bare and put to auction through the novel is not that of Naomi, but of the actor as a figure of precarity. It is the male actor, boy to man, who vends his ware, voice or smile or role, to get bread, school, and sex. That sounds more brutally vulgar than the complex narratives that make up this 500-page novel, but somewhere deep down, this is its truth. Deceit and shame The gossip, manners and role-play from the world of performance are what get Griffin, the boy-narrator, the erotic attention of his older lover for the first time when they are alone in a room in a party. As she doubles over in laughter at his anecdotes from theatre, he renews her amusement by mimicking her: 'She had the classic up-Island accent, one I could mimic on command: 'A vawhdville act, this kid is,' I said, imitating her, 'a regular prawdigy'.' Griffin is fated to perform — for attention and a living — as that is his family inheritance and the life to which his boyhood is shackled. While he gets Naomi's interest, his father Shel revels in the attention of her rich husband, Sam. As Sam takes out Shel and his two sons, Griffin and Oren, for a spin in his oyster-gray Bentley, Shel fiddles with the car radio to bring it to the station that belts out a beer commercial in his voice. Sam is delighted to hear Shel's voice, but Shel shrugs and acts cool, secretly delighted by the rich man's appreciation. But nothing his hidden from his sons, who are mortified by the games played by their father. The vulnerability of the actor, at once comic and tragic, animates this novel and hits me hard because of dark reasons of my own. Griffin's fate threatens to invoke my own childhood — my mother, who died young, was a theatre actress in a society that was suspicious of women who performed. But unlike Griffin in Broadway-loving New York, my line between art and life was both shape-shifting and dangerous in Calcutta, and the child-memory of the reality on and off-stage drove me to write my second novel, The Firebird (2015), from the wings and the greenrooms of theatre. Damning reality Griffin's vulnerability, shared with the farcical vulnerability of his father, binds me in primitive glue. But the actor's performance makes a gallery of society at large, and Playworld never lets us forget that. Much later in the novel, when Griffin is out for dinner with a girl he wants to date, along with her father, Dr. West, a pompous English teacher, and his much younger girlfriend, he suffers through West's lecture on Shakespeare's As You Like It, and on his abject failure to get 'even a rudimentary grasp of the play's rhetorical architecture'. Is that lack of 'understanding' a damning reality for the actor, or is it his great redemption? That it leaves this question unanswered is the generous enigma of Ross's beautiful novel. By performing his role, in his innocence of any critical understanding of the play, Griffin embodies the visceral internalisation of character that shapes the actor. But it also keeps the figure of the actor — including Griffin who pays for school with his theatrical income, and his father whose career is forever defined by what he failed to become — in the margins of a ruthlessly oligarchic society where rich people like Sam Shah have the last laugh. Their triumphal moment is the delight they take in the anti-labour politics and tax cuts for the wealthy by an incumbent Republican government, which feels eerily resonant today. The reviewer is the author of five novels, most recently, 'The Remains of the Body' (2024). Playworld Adam Ross Knopf ₹944 (ebook)
New York Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Book Club: Let's Talk About Adam Ross's ‘Playworld'
The book opens with a bang: 'In the fall of 1980, when I was 14, a friend of my parents named Naomi Shah fell in love with me. She was 36, a mother of two, and married to a wealthy man. Like so many things that happened to me that year, it didn't seem strange at the time.' Set in New York in the 1980s, Adam Ross's new novel, 'Playworld,' tells the story of a young actor named Griffin as he navigates the chaos of the city, of his family and of being a teenager, and the dangers that swirl around each. Griffin works as a child-star on a hit TV show, but the job distracts from both his school work and his true passion: wrestling. The sport comes with its own agonies; the team's coach sexually abuses several of the young wrestlers, including Griffin. It's all a lot to deal with, especially for a kid, and the only one who seems to listen to him is Naomi, the very person he should avoid. If this makes the book sound dour, it's not. Although 'Playworld' grapples with bleak material, it sparkles with Ross's vivid eye and sardonic sense of humor. The result is a dark, off-kilter bildungsroman about one overextended teenager trying to figure himself out while being failed, continually, by every adult around him. On this week's episode, the Book Club host MJ Franklin discusses 'Playworld' with his colleagues Dave Kim and Sadie Stein. You can follow along, and add your own comments to the discussion here. Here are the books discussed in this week's episode: We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review's podcast in general. You can send them to books@
New York Times
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Book Club: Read ‘Playworld,' by Adam Ross, With the Book Review
The book opens with a bang: 'In the fall of 1980, when I was 14, a friend of my parents named Naomi Shah fell in love with me. She was 36, a mother of two, and married to a wealthy man. Like so many things that happened to me that year, it didn't seem strange at the time.' Set in New York in the 1980s, Adam Ross's new novel, 'Playworld,' tells the story of a young actor named Griffin as he navigates the chaos of the city, of his family and of being a teenager, and the dangers that swirl around each. His father is a struggling actor and his mother is a former dancer. The family is floundering financially, in part because of a devastating fire that Griffin accidentally started when he was 6 — a blaze that destroyed their home and all of their material possessions. To help make ends meet, Griffin works as a child-star on a hit TV show, but the job distracts from both his school work and his true passion: wrestling. The sport, too, comes with its own agonies; the team's coach sexually abuses several of the young wrestlers, including Griffin. It's all a lot to deal with, especially for a kid, and the only one who seems to listen to him is Naomi, the very person he should avoid. If this makes the book sound dour, it's not. Although 'Playworld' grapples with bleak material, it sparkles with Ross's vivid eye and sardonic sense of humor. Take, for instance, Griffin's mother's response to finding out, decades later, about his relationship with Naomi: 'But she was such an ugly woman.' The result is a dark, off-kilter bildungsroman about one overextended teenager trying to figure himself out while being failed, continually, by every adult around him. In April, the Book Review Book Club will read and discuss 'Playworld,' by Adam Ross. We'll be chatting about the book on the Book Review podcast that airs on April 25, and we'd love for you to join the conversation. Share your thoughts about the novel in the comments section of this article by April 17, and we may mention your observations in the episode. Here's some related reading to get you started: We can't wait to discuss the book with you. In the meantime, happy reading!
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Book excerpt: "Playworld" by Adam Ross
We may receive an affiliate commission from anything you buy from this article. Adam Ross, the acclaimed author of "Mr. Peanut," returns with "Playworld" (Knopf), a novel dipped in nostalgia and flecked with love and sorrow, about a child actor coming of age as the object of attraction for an older woman. Read an excerpt below. "Playworld" by Adam Ross Prefer to listen? Audible has a 30-day free trial available right now. Prologue In the fall of 1980, when I was fourteen, a friend of my parents named Naomi Shah fell in love with me. She was thirty-six, a mother of two, and married to a wealthy man. Like so many things that happened to me that year, it didn't seem strange at the time. Two decades later, when I finally told my mother—we were on Long Island, taking a walk on the beach—she stopped, stunned, and said, "But she was such an ugly woman." The remark wasn't as petty as it sounds. If I was aware of it then, it neither repulsed me nor affected my feelings for Naomi. It was just a thing I took for granted, like the color of her hair. Wiry and ashen, it had the shading but not the shimmer of pigeon feathers. Naomi kept it long, so that it fell past her shoulders. I knew it by touch, for my face was often buried in it. Only later did I wonder if she considered herself unattractive, because she always wore sunglasses, as if to hide her face, large gold frames with blue-tinted prescription lenses. When we were driving together, which was often that year, she'd allow these to slide down her nose and then look at me over their bridge. She might've considered this pose winning, but it was more likely to see me better. Her mouth often hung slightly open. Her lower teeth were uneven, and her tongue, which pressed against them, always tasted of coffee. Naomi's car was a silver Mercedes sedan—300sd along with turbo diesel nickel-plated on the back—that made a deep hum when she drove. The interior, enormous in my mind's eye, was tricked out with glossy wood paneling and white leather, back seat so wide and legroom so ample they made the driver appear to be far away. It was in this car that Naomi and I talked most often. We'd park, and then she'd lean across the armrest to press her cheek to mine, and I'd sometimes allow her to kiss me. Other times we'd move to the back. Lying there with Naomi, her nose nuzzled to my neck, I'd stare at the ceiling's dotted fabric until the pattern seemed to detach and drift like a starred sky. This car was her prized possession, and like many commuters, she had turned the machine into an extension of her body. Her left thumb lightly hooked the wheel at eight o'clock when traffic was moving, her fingertips sliding to eleven when it was slow. She preferred to sit slightly reclined, her free hand spread on her inner thigh, though after she lost her pinky the following summer, and even after being fitted with a prosthesis, she kept it tucked away. "I was worried you'd think it was disgusting," she said, the digit hidden between the seat and her hip. She'd bought herself a diamond ring to hide the seam, and for the most part the likeness was uncanny, but at certain angles you could tell—the cuticle's line was too smooth, the nail's pale crescent too creamy to match the others. Like my father's fake teeth, which he occasionally left lying around our apartment, I was fascinated by it, though my curiosity wasn't morbid. I was a child actor, you see, a student of all forms of dissembling, and had long ago found my greatest subject to be adults. Excerpted from "Playworld" by Adam Ross. Copyright © 2025 by Adam Ross. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Get the book here: "Playworld" by Adam Ross Buy locally from For more info: "Playworld" by Adam Ross (Knopf), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formatsFollow Adam Ross on Instagram Trump reacts to Republicans who won't vote for Hegseth How much money is a U.S. president's signature worth? New Alvin Ailey exhibit reveals struggle, strength of legendary choreographer
CBS News
26-01-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
The Book Report: Washington Post critic Ron Charles (January 26)
By Washington Post book critic Ron Charles The year is already off to a great start: Adam Ross's terrific new novel, "Playworld," is dipped in nostalgia and flecked with love and sorrow. It's 1980 in New York: Griffin Hurt is a successful teenage actor who just wants to pass his classes, excel on the wrestling team and date a pretty girl, but instead he's got to deal with fame, his parents' ambitions, predatory adults, and his own yearning for authenticity. Drawing on his experiences as a child actor, Ross blends a child's innocence with a man's wry reflection to produce a big, irresistible story. As you forage through this winter's new books, you are not likely to find a more charming novel than "Tartufo." Kira Jane Buxton's story about truffle-mania whisks us away to Italy and serves up one buttery page of comedy after another. At the start, a little Tuscan village is dying, and the new mayor is desperate to attract tourists. As luck would have it, in a nearby forest, a truffle-hunter and his dogs are about to discover the largest truffle in the world. It's a miracle that could bring untold riches and worldwide attention – or unimaginable disaster! Tired of winter? In Alafair Burke's new thriller "The Note," three women who've been friends for years gather for a sun-filled vacation in the Hamptons. One night, on their way to dinner, a couple in a white sedan cuts them off and steals their parking space. Incensed, one of the women leaves a damning note on his windshield. It's just a prank, after all. But the next day, the driver goes missing ... and these three friends get caught up in an investigation that could uncover all manner of deadly secrets. Next month, Bill Gates, the legendary co-founder of Microsoft, will publish his first memoir. In "Source Code: My Beginnings," Gates reportedly looks back at his childhood, his awkward adolescence, and the experiences that led him to the then-burgeoning world of computers. This is a memoir that promises to reveal the formative life of one of the most revolutionary figures alive – a man whose products changed the way we work, and whose philanthropy is now racing to save the world. That's it for the Book Report. For these and other suggestions about what to read this winter, talk with your local bookseller or librarian I'm Ron Charles. Until next time, read on! For more info: Produced by Robin Sanders and Cameron Jimenez. Editor: Libby Fabricatore. For more reading recommendations, check out these previous Book Report features from Ron Charles: The best books of 2024 The Book Report (October 13) The Book Report (July 14) The Book Report (June 2) The Book Report (April 28) The Book Report (March 17) The Book Report (February 18) Ron Charles' favorite novels of 2023 The Book Report (October 22) The Book Report (September 17) The Book Report (August 6) The Book Report (June 4) The Book Report (April 30) The Book Report (March 19) The Book Report (February 12, 2023) The Book Report: Ron Charles' favorite novels of 2022 The Book Report (November 13) The Book Report (Sept. 18) The Book Report (July 10) The Book Report (April 17) The Book Report (March 13) The Book Report (February 6, 2022) The Book Report (November 28) The Book Report (September 26) The Book Report (August 1) The Book Report (June 6) The Book Report (May 9) The Book Report (March 28) The Book Report (February 28) The Book Report (January 31, 2021)
