Bear

A Novel

De: Julia Phillips

Narrado por: Sophie Amoss

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the celebrated author of Disappearing Earth comes a tale of family, obsession, and a mysterious creature in the woods—“a mesmerizing story about hope, sisterhood, and survival with a truly shocking twist at the end” (People, Book of the Week).

NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS’ CHOICE • A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK!

FINALIST FOR THE JOYCE CAROL OATES PRIZE • LONGLISTED FOR THE CAROL SHIELDS PRIZE FOR FICTION • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, Vulture, Chicago Public Library

“Thrilling and propulsive, glorious and terrifying. Julia Phillips is a brilliant writer.”—Ann Patchett

“Beautiful and haunting . . . this is brilliant.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

They were sisters and they would last past the end of time.

Sam and Elena dream of another life. On the island off the coast of Washington where they were born and raised, they and their mother struggle to survive. Sam works on the ferry that delivers wealthy mainlanders to their vacation homes while Elena bartends at the local golf club, but even together they can’t earn enough to get by, stirring their frustration about the limits that shape their existence.

Then one night on the boat, Sam spots a bear swimming the dark waters of the channel. Where is it going? What does it want? When the bear turns up by their home, Sam, terrified, is more convinced than ever that it’s time to leave the island. But Elena responds differently to the massive beast. Enchanted by its presence, she throws into doubt the desire to escape and puts their long-held dream in danger.

A story about the bonds of sisterhood and the mysteries of the animals that live among us—and within us—Bear is a propulsive, mythical, richly imagined novel from one of the most acclaimed young writers in America.

©2024 Julia Phillips (P)2024 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Phillips smartly keeps us guessing whether the fantastical creature ultimately sees Elena as friend or feast…Bear ends with a bang, and with the intriguing notion that sisterhood (or sisters?) may be as unknowable and unpredictable as anything else in nature.”—New York Times Book Review

“Bear may remind readers of Alice Hoffman’s fantasy-flecked novels, and Phillips sprinkles around the fairy dust liberally in some sections. But she’s actually working closer to the realm of Henry James’s ‘Turn of the Screw,’ in which the central character blankets the story with her distorting anxieties.”—The Washington Post

“This mythical novel of obsession, moral reckoning, and aspiration glows with fairy tale magic.”—The Boston Globe

Keep looking for another book

Loved this author’s first book. Ignored the critical reviews on this site but they were right. I stuck it out til the end but it just got worse. Over all, kind of a mess.

Lovely writing. Dreadful Sam.

Phillips creates a character, Sam, and then deconstructs her. The metaphoric bear is jealousy, envy, fear of loss and ultimately a real bear, not anthropomorphic. The book is almost too sorrowful to recommend. Phillips’ books incooorate the natural world as a principal.

Long Trot Down a Single Path

The twist at the end was a nice unexpected turn after chapters and chapters of predictability.

Engaging story of sisters

Enjoyable read about 2 sisters that feel bonded,but also one also finds an indescribable bond with a wandering bear. Quite a story and well read for audible experience.

Story of survival

Loved that it took place in the San Jauns and on the ferry system where I grew up.
Has a lot of sadness and longing. And escape at the end.

A bit far fetched and happily ever after ending felt discordant.

Like descriptions of place. Story and during felt discordant. Icky -not sure why this fell down flat for me but it did

Narration Didn’t Work For Me

As gorgeous as the story is, the uber emotive narration competes with, and even mocks the writing at times.
Many, if not most, listeners seem to enjoy this style . I don’t.

The Bear

I thought the book was slow and overall boring. I did not care for it.

Not A Fairy Tale

the main character is static. her outlook on everyone and everything is bitter throughout the novel. and she remains unlikeabl e until the end. her relationship with her sister is revealed to be one that lacks true intimacy as her sister reveals secrets abd resentments. the bear is not a symbol, but an animal unto which fantasies are projected; the " frame" of the Snow White and Rose Red fairy tale asks more if the story than the sad drudgery of the sister's lives mixed in with a little psychological projection. the writing is clear and a bit lyrical at times but us not rich in imagery, metaphor , or reflection until the last few pages. I understand that these kinds of lives exist, and as a teacher. I would have been empathic to these characters had they been real people; however. I did not feel that I learned or grew or felt transported by this novel at any level. the fairytale conceit could have been made powerful by more magical realism. description of the natural world on San Juan Island. and by more I teresting and reflective characters.

Meh.

I didn’t trust or like the main character, and the storyline was pretty weak. Everything seemed overly dramatic without there being any real drama.