The Lonely Polygamist: A Novel

The Lonely Polygamist: A Novel

by Brady Udall (Author)

Synopsis

Golden Richards, husband to four wives, father to twenty-eight children, is having the mother of all midlife crises. His construction business is failing, his family has grown into an overpopulated mini-dukedom beset with insurrection and rivalry, and he is done in with grief: due to the accidental death of a daughter and the stillbirth of a son, he has come to doubt the capacity of his own heart. Brady Udall, one of our finest American fiction writers, tells a tragicomic story of a deeply faithful man who, crippled by grief and the demands of work and family, becomes entangled in an affair that threatens to destroy his family's future. Like John Irving and Richard Yates, Udall creates characters that engage us to the fullest as they grapple with the nature of need, love, and belonging.

Beautifully written, keenly observed, and ultimately redemptive, The Lonely Polygamist is an unforgettable story of an American family-with its inevitable dysfunctionality, heartbreak, and comedy-pushed to its outer limits.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 624
Edition: Reprint
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Co.
Published: 26 Aug 2011

ISBN 10: 0393339718
ISBN 13: 9780393339710

Media Reviews
Funny [and] moving, [The Lonely Polygamist] is ambitious and it is tender about man's endless absurdities and failings. -- Eric Weinberger - The New York Times Book Review
A riveting emotional tornado of a novel. -- Entertainment Weekly
The novelist's affection for his protagonist and sensitivity to his domestic despair yields characters and scenes that are precise and unfailingly rewarding. [Udall] has that gift for writing sinuous and convincing sentences that convey his affection without compromising clarity or truth. -- Alan Cheuse - All Things Considered, NPR
A wry, sympathetic portrait of a spectacularly dysfunctional family. -- The New Yorker
There's something cinematic about the way Udall presents this tale, with at least a handful of dramatic scenes that seem to beg for a big-screen treatment. Furthermore, Udall's poetic rendering of the Southwestern landscape brings to mind the lingering, panoramic shots of films like Brokeback Mountain and A River Runs Through It. But most of all it's Golden, Rusty and the novel's other complex characters that make The Lonely Polygamist a potential classic. They remain with the reader after the last page is turned. -- San Francisco Chronicle
An audacious and frequently funny new novel. -- Wendy Smith - Washington Post
A profoundly satisfying read, written with a ferocious verve and authenticity. -- Cleveland Plain Dealer
An absorbing, moving entertaining novel that will transport the reader into Golden's chaotic world. -- Dallas Morning News
[A] compelling, rollicking story. -- Salt Lake Tribune
What is so great about this unflinching, superbly crafted, big hearted novel is the way it makes us recognize the polygamist(and sister wife) in all of us. Golden Richards' struggles and desires are no different from ours, he just has them in multiples of four. His story not only demystifies and humanizes polygamist culture, it takes a dramatic stand on behalf of families everywhere-from the most conservative to the most alternative-and suggests a way to foreground, amidst all our failings, the rare moment of success. -- Pam Houston, author of Cowboys Are My Weakness
The Lonely Polygamist cracks open the door to plural marriage and lets in the light. Brady Udall explores the Richards family with the greatest care and humor, building memorable characters that readers will immediately love. Funny and wise, The Lonely Polygamist stands with other great family novels such as The Corrections and Middlesex, and sets Udall on the top shelf of America's writers. -- Hannah Tinti, author of The Good Thief and Animal Crackers
This is big-hearted American storytelling, the best new book I've read in years. -- Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of American Salvage
Author Bio
Brady Udall is the author of The Lonely Polygamist, a New York Times bestseller, and Letting Loose the Hounds. He teaches at Boise State University and lives in Boise, Idaho, with his wife and children.