|
The Gate House | 
 enlarge | Author: Nelson Demille
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $27.99
Buy New: $13.92
You Save: $14.07 (50%)
New (46) Used (9) Collectible (7) from $13.92
Avg. Customer Rating:  74 reviews
Sales Rank: 60
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 688
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.2 x 2
ISBN: 0446533424
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780446533423
Publication Date: October 28, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille delivers the long-awaited follow-up to his classic novel The Gold Coast.
When John Sutter's aristocratic wife killed her mafia don lover, John left America and set out in his sailboat on a three-year journey around the world, eventually settling in London. Now, ten years later, he has come home to the Gold Coast, that stretch of land on the North Shore of Long Island that once held the greatest concentration of wealth and power in America, to attend the imminent funeral of an old family servant. Taking up temporary residence in the gatehouse of Stanhope Hall, John finds himself living only a quarter of a mile from Susan who has also returned to Long Island. But Susan isn't the only person from John's past who has reemerged: Though Frank Bellarosa, infamous Mafia don and Susan's ex-lover, is long dead, his son, Anthony, is alive and well, and intent on two missions: Drawing John back into the violent world of the Bellarosa family, and exacting revenge on his father's murderer--Susan Sutter. At the same time, John and Susan's mutual attraction resurfaces and old passions begin to reignite, and John finds himself pulled deeper into a familiar web of seduction and betrayal. In THE GATE HOUSE, acclaimed author Nelson Demille brings us back to that fabled spot on the North Shore -- a place where past, present, and future collides with often unexpected results.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 69 more reviews...
 John Sutter, Redux October 28, 2008
28 out of 36 found this review helpful
"What I didn't want at the end of the day were any old regrets. What I really needed now were some new regrets." -- John Sutter, in Nelson DeMille's "The Gate House"
OK, so after your fabulously wealthy Gold Coast society wife murdered her Mafia-boss lover ten years ago, you divorced her and sailed around the world for three years before you settled down in London, and now that you're back in the U.S. you're staying in the gatehouse of your ex-wife's ancestral estate, only to find that she's moved in to the guest house right up the street, and now you're about to fall into bed with one of your wife's young friends who, it turns out, used to have a mad crush on you -- and just then, when you think your life can't get any more complicated, who shows up at your door but the son of the Mafioso your ex-wife killed all those years ago...
Don't you hate when that happens? I know I do. But fortunately for readers of Nelson DeMille's "The Gate House," John Sutter, DeMille's protagonist, happens to be brilliant, fearless, witty, and a world-class smartass. He can easily handle situations that would overwhelm you and me to the point of paralysis, and he can do it with a cool intelligence and a rapier wit that leave you panting with excitement, drooling with anticipation, and rolling on the floor in paroxysms of laughter.
DeMille's plotting is flawless, his characters are distinctive and robust, his use of foreshadowing is masterful. The erotic scenes (and there are several of them) are rich, playful, and effectively arousing. The ending is breathlessly terrifying, featuring a morally ambiguous incident that may leave the ethicists among us buzzing for years to come. But all of this is window dressing to the real attraction of "The Gate House," which is the dazzling dialogue and narrative. The story is told first-person in the words of John Sutter, whose wry sarcasm and lightning wit permeate every paragraph, leaving you giddy with pleasure, forcing you to enjoy even the most somber scenes whether you want to or not. The themes of The Gate House include lust, infidelity, meddling parents, sexual assault, and even death -- but thanks to the irrepressible John Sutter, I don't think I've ever had so much pure fun reading a book.
"The Gate House" is the long-awaited sequel to "The Gold Coast," a novel DeMille wrote nearly 20 years ago. As it happens, "The Gold Coast" was my introduction to DeMille -- I had never heard of him when I picked up the book by chance at my neighborhood Barnes & Noble, and it blew me away. Since then I've devoured all of his novels, about half of which are exceptional. (It's the latter half that are so spectacular, by the way -- after authoring half a dozen workmanlike but unremarkable novels, DeMille penned "The Gold Coast" and instantly leapt into the realm of Masters of Fiction.) The only problem I had with "The Gold Coast" was that its ending failed to tie up every conceivable loose end, and I tend to be disappointed by novels that don't definitively resolve every plot line that's even remotely resolvable. DeMille, I've since learned, doesn't seem to subscribe to my view that it's a novelist's responsibility to present the reader with a denouement-in-a-box, neatly gift-wrapped, bound with a shiny ribbon, and topped by a bright bow. Maybe that's just me, perhaps some readers handle ambiguity better than I do. And I don't want to give anything away about the ending, so let me just say that if you're looking forward to being disappointed by the ending of "The Gate House," you're going to be disappointed. :)
DeMille goes to great pains to recap the key elements of "The Gold Coast" in the pages of "The Gate House" -- and so, in theory, you don't have to read the 1990 novel before you read this one. However, in my humble opinion, if you don't read "The Gold Coast" before you read "The Gate House," you're making a mistake of epic proportions. Would you have enjoyed the last episode of "The Sopranos" as much if you hadn't seen the other 85 episodes first? Of course not. And so even though "The Gate House" seems to be designed to stand alone, I have to believe that you will undergo a much richer reading experience if you read "The Gold Coast" first. (If Amazon doesn't market the two books as a package, they're missing a good bet.)
I hope you don't think I'm going overboard when I tell you that there simply has never been a better one-two punch in the history of books than "The Gold Coast" and "The Gate House." OK, maybe "The Old Testament" and "The New Testament" are more inspirational. But DeMille is nearly as thought-provoking. And much funnier.
* * * * * * * * * *
Although, on the surface, "The Gate House" is a novel about revenge, responsibility, and the consequences of our actions, it's really a book about love, redemption, and forgiveness. And although I think that DeMille would agree with St. Paul that the greatest of these is love, I think he's also trying to tell us that forgiveness runs a pretty close second.
"The Gate House" is so close to being a perfect novel that, if I had written it, I'd probably retire immediately, rather than risk following it up with something that couldn't possibly be as good. But while I'm just a novelist wannabe, Nelson DeMille is a Fiction God, and I'm betting that he's up to the challenge. Which explains why, even though I just finished reading "The Gate House," I can't wait to see what DeMille comes up with next.
DeMille Excels November 6, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
This novel by DeMille, the sequel to the outstanding Gold Coast, is not a thriller, a mystery or even a morality play. It is, however, a superbly crafted character study and, ultimately, a very real story about human relationships. DeMille is one of the best contemporary American authors and this book demonstrates his skill. If you love excellent writing, you will treasure this book.
DeMille has written some truly memorable books. Word of Honor, Gold Coast and Up Country are three of the best novels I have read. The Gate House ranks on the same level. DeMille is that rare writer who can create a detailed world in the reader's imagination without describing virtually anything in detail. His characters are so complete, his dialogue so engaging, that it is impossible to read this book without feeling as though you are actually there, watching this slice of life unfold.
The criticisms that some reviewers have identified -- the book is too long; no action or plot twists occur for hundreds of pages -- are not reasons to find fault with the book. DeMille is the quintessential craftsman when it comes to writing about the relationships in which flawed human beings engage. Although there is a lot of ego in DeMille's protagonist, John Sutter, so too are there flaws and foibles. I don't want to say that the plot is irrelevant, but this is not a book that is plot driven. It is character and relationship driven, and no one does either better than DeMille.
This is not a perfect book. There is none of the nuance in the relationship between Anthony Bellarosa and John Sutter that there was between Frank Bellarosa and Sutter. The resolution of the antagonism between Sutter and his in-laws was far too convenient. These are minor points, however. This is a book about John and Susan Sutter. DeMille writes of their relationship with such style and panache that a few minor flaws are gladly overlooked.
The Gate House by Nelson DeMille November 13, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Upon his return to the Gold Coast, John Sutter is headed for a happy ending. After a scandalous affair that destroyed his marriage and way of life ten years ago, it seems he has reconnected with his ex-wife, Susan, the love of his life. He's able to forgive her affair with a Mafia Don even though it led to her murdering her lover and plunging John into misery and humiliation. But he's not the only person to resurface...his wife's ex lover's son is bent on revenge. And his ex-wife's horrible parents want to thwart any chance of a reconciliation. As John battles for his life back, he learns there are still many secrets left to be revealed.
What's Good:
Be forewarned--this novel is instantly consuming. DeMille's conversational style of narration captivates the reader. The novel is a cross genre success: part social commentary, part suspense novel, and with a fair amount of romance; this book is simply fun to read. You also won't need to pick up the prequel The Gold Coast (though you may want to), as DeMille quickly sucks you into John Sutter's world. I hope I'm not alone in the hopes of another sequel.
What's Bad:
Almost nothing, but the book does stretch on for 670+ pages. So be prepared to devote a good block of time and possible late nights to this worthy treasure.
Gatehouse by Nelson Demille November 20, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
All I needed to know before buying his book was that Nelson Demille wrote it. No one will be disaappointed. I haven't finished the novel, but the typically brilliant wit of Demille is certainly needed during the difficult times our country is experiencing.
A pleasure to read November 2, 2008
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
I think Nelson DeMille's writing is truly some of the most enjoyable I have come across. I always look forward to reading one of his books because I know I will immediately feel transported to whatever world or situation he is creating and that his authentic writing and mastery of dialogue will make his characters and their struggles real and fascinating. I can't imagine that he has written anything that is not worth reading. I would bet that even his address book makes for good reading.
As an inhabitant of the so-called "Gold Coast" of Long Island (not so "gold" anymore by the way), I was intrigued by the title and concept of this novel. When the worlds of the moneyed un-titled nobility and the nouveau riche (especially when their riches are of suspect origin) collide, there is inevitably going to be tension and perhaps even mayhem. In this case, John and Susan Stanhope Sutter find themselves (after the fastest, most unexpected reconciliation in history) caught between her lord of the manor parents and their world, in which Susan has been a willing participant, the world of organized crime (compliments of their neighbor the mob don whose father, also a mob don, was murdered by Susan some years ago when he broke off their affair) and the security-obsessed current lord of the manor, an extraordinarily wealthy Persian (with the distinct disadvantage of having been a supporter of the Shah) who has made his money dealing in "information" and who currently fears retaliation by persons unknown. With that cast of characters it might seem like this book would be a thriller of sorts. But it is less a thriller (except for the last 50 or so pages) than a truly engrossing tale of John Sutter's efforts to move between and among these worlds while attempting to put his (and his ex-wife's) lives back together, some ten years after the life-shattering events that tore them apart, and to keep them both alive in the process.
John Sutter is a witty tax lawyer (sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?) whose penchant for doing the right thing lands him in more trouble and with more notoriety than any lawyer would ordinarily experience. His brains and his wit are his main strengths in this tale of forgiveness and redemption. His soul-searching and his willingness to admit and accept the blame for the things he has done wrong made him a truly likable character. His once and future wife Susan, is a less likable or understandable characater, perhaps because of her blue-blood origins, which Johns thinks have made her a bit nutty or because of her controlling, evil, gin-soaked parents whose parenting might actually be responsible for the "nutty" factor. In any event, John's show-down with Susan's parents is one of the most satisfying scenes in this book. When information from an unlikely source exposes Susan's father for what he really was, you just have to give a small cheer even though it just means that he'll end up a little less wealthy and Susan will not lose her own entitlements. It's not exactly David vs. Goliath, but still satisfying on many levels.
There was some repetition in this book (which is quite lengthy) but mostly of themes from the prequel novel. I did not feel that it detracted at all from the main story line or its subplots. It was an extremely well put together book with truly enjoyable writing. Give it a try; I don't hink you will be disappointed.
|
|
|
|
Powered by Search-Save.com
| |
