Suspenseful and provocative, Rumaan Alam’s third novel is keenly attuned to the complexities of parenthood, race, and class. This novel had me at a blackout. “It’s such a cliché, but it was like an out-of-body experience,” Alam admits. It made the characters' unease and confusion about what was happening much more relatable and frightening. An adaption in the works?? Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. Or at least know going in that this is not going to be a book that takes care of you. Rumaan Alam's Leave the World Behind is the fall's biggest novel. Vacationing in the Hamptons is quite a sought after experience for many New Yorkers. Alam’s reply is composed, elegant, humble, but a huge grin sneaks in — a smile that says, I’m playing it cool, but yes, this is thrilling. A normal day that they take for granted, but never will again. I will not be the only one to have this experience, and in a way it's a sly bit of marketing to just talk about this like it's going to be a "strained relationships under pressure" novel of manners with some extra suspense kind of thing. A normal day. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Author Leave the World Behind Longlist, National Book Awards 2020 for Fiction. Soon after the family arrives in their stunning rental, their summer plans of fishing, sunbathing, and relaxing quickly turn into a terrible nightmare. In short, it’s... To see what your friends thought of this book. If you liked Leave the World Behind, try these: The best-selling author of The Debt to Pleasure and Capital returns with a chilling fable for our time. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. I’ll be looking for his other books ASAP, because I can’t stop thinking about the effect this novel had on me. Like the family at its center, we’re seduced utterly by the bounty and insularity of its world, only to find ourselves, inch by inch, approaching a larger darkness lurking just beyond. Alam is probably the best author I had never heard of. Refresh and try again. SELECT A BOOKSELLER - DIRECT LINK TO BUY. This is smart, thrilling, riveting suspense and family drama but it’s not a great choice to read it during your quarantine and chill times because it’s claustrophobic, dark, suffocating, apocalyptic story. There's a problem loading this menu right now. A perfect mix of sharp observation, humor, and terror. Please try again. Speaking over Zoom from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where he lives with his husband, photographer David A. Genres & Themes | “ Comfort and safety are an illusion.” If ever there was a motto for 2020, Alam has nailed it. It was objectively good. Ruth and G. H. are an older couple—it’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. I’ll be looking for his other books ASAP, becau. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. This book is going to be, as they say, big." The unnaturalness of the very concept of sharing when it really matters. There's a pool, a hot tub, not too many people around, and no cell service. Find books by time period, setting & theme, Read-alike suggestions by book and author. Order now and if the Amazon.com price decreases between your order time and the end of the day of the release date, you'll receive the lowest price. He studied at Oberlin College, and lives in Brooklyn, New York. Search String: Summary | Leave the World Behind  explores how our closest bonds are reshaped—and unexpected new ones are forged—in moments of crisis. Soon after the family arrives in their stunning rental, their summer plans of fishing, sunbathing, and relaxing quickly turn into a terrible nightmare. More books by Rumaan Alam “ Leave the World Behind” has a simple premise: upper middle class professional family with 2 teenagers leaves Brooklyn for a summer vacation in the woods on Long Island. It also makes clear that the point of the novel is not to try and understand "what's going on," but rather to observe the various ways each character responds to fear itself.