Aloft, Changrae Lee
Aloft, Changrae Lee
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Aloft

Author: Chang-rae Lee

Narrator: Don Leslie

Unabridged: 11 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/08/2004

Categories: Fiction


Synopsis

New York Times bestseller Aloft follows the life of a suburban, white, middle-class man during a time of family crisis. Jerry's favorite diversion is to take his small plane and fly solo over Long Island. When his daughter and her fiancé arrive from Oregon to announce their marriage plans Theresa's dangerous pregnancy, he thinks back over his life and begins to face his disengagement with it and with his relationships with others: with his deceased wife, the circumstances of whose death has never fully admitted to; with his former girlfriend, whom he still longs for; with his pregnant daughter, who refuses to address the cancer that is killing her; with his son, who is losing the family business; and with his father, who is in a nursing home. Aloft is a quiet yet intense study of family, the American dream, and the American character.

About Chang-Rae Lee

Chang-Rae Lee was born in South Korea and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was three. A graduate of Yale College, he is an assistant professor of creative writing at the University of Oregon.


Reviews

Audiobook performed by Don Leslie From the book jacket: Aloft offers a reexamination of the American dream from the inside out, through the voice of Jerry Battle, a suburban middle-aged man who has lived his entire life on Long Island, New York. Battle’s favorite diversion is to fly his small plane......more

Goodreads review by Mara

I guess the point of this book is that it's kind of apathetic and just sort of drifts along with no particular direction. Which is all well and good, except that it doesn't make for a very good read. It's sort of boring and annoying. In this book, all the characters are flat, and rather unlikeable.......more

Goodreads review by Rose

Like eating a bowl of whipped cream, bland and fluffy, though well-crafted and containing a suitable number of tragic life events. Reads somewhat like an homage to Richard Ford.......more

Goodreads review by Erin

What a beautiful book. Aloft is the story of Jerry Battle, an almost-sixty partial-retiree who, by his own admission, floats above the problems of life through denial and self-centeredness. Chang-rae Lee doesn't make Jerry despicable, just pitiable, although there are moments in Jerry's stream-of-co......more