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The Call: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Yannick Murphy (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 433 ratings
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“Yannick Murphy, while being one of our most daring and original writers, is first and foremost an exquisitely attuned observer of human behavior. . . . Murphy’s work provides pretty much unexceeded reading pleasure.” —Dave Eggers

The warm, wry, and patient voice of a veterinarian father tells the heartfelt story of his young New England family enduring a moving trial of loyalty, hope, and faith after they are confronted with an unthinkable crisis. Acclaimed author Yannick Murphy’s intimate narrative style and lovely prose will enthrall readers of Rivka Galchen, Padgett Powell, and Murphy’s own Signed, Mata Hari. The Call is a “triumph of quiet humor and understated beauty” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) from an author that the New York Times Book Review calls “an extraordinarily gifted fabulist.”

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  1. Print length
    246 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Harper Perennial
  5. Publication date
    August 2, 2011
  6. File size
    1252 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Yannick Murphy’s beautiful new novel is a stirring example of what a real writer can do with form and feeling. The Call is sly, funny, scary, honest, wonderstruck and, most of all, intensely generous.”

From the Back Cover

The daily rhythm of a veterinarian’s family in rural New England is shaken when a hunting accident leaves their eldest son in a coma. With the lives of his loved ones unhinged, the veterinarian struggles to maintain stability while searching for the man responsible. But in the midst of their great trial an unexpected visitor arrives, requesting a favor that will have profound consequences—testing a loving father’s patience, humor, and resolve and forcing husband and wife to come to terms with what “family” truly means.

The Call is a gift from one of the most talented and extraordinary voices in contemporary fiction—a unique and heartfelt portrait of a family, poignant and rich in humor and imagination.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004MMEIVE
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial (August 2, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 2, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1252 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 246 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 433 ratings

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Yannick Murphy

Yannick Murphy

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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
433 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Eric Selby
5.0 out of 5 stars Warning: This Unique Novel Will Hook Most Readers
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2011
Verified Purchase
Warning: The format of this unique novel may, at first, be off-putting. It was for me.
Suggestion: Stick with it for several pages.
Title: The central character, a large animal vet, gets a wide variety of calls about a wide variety of animals, many of which one would not expect to find in a rural area which I suspect is somewhere in New England since the author lives in Vermont.
What I Say: This may be one of the most unique novels I have ever read--and I am a very avid reader. And what you are experiencing reading my "review" should give you a bit of a hint about the format of this novel in which a family of five is confronted with an hunting accident. These are folks who love to go hunting, especially for deer.
What I Think: It might be fun to try writing a short piece of fiction using this format. And I think the person who gave this a two-star review may have not given the novel enough time because I think that most readers will quite quickly fall into the pace of this novel.
What I Say: If the novelist had been a man, I think I would have been angry that the narrator--the vet--often refers to his wife as "the wife." He never does the "little woman" bit.
Action: There is plenty of action although it might not seem so for a while.
What Else Do I Think: That there are tensions in this marriage that aren't exactly acknowledged, at least for a while. And the yearning the protagonist has for the possibility of living elsewhere--he has lived elsewhere, has been a surfer--suggest that the elements of where they live are not kind to those who live there.
And I Say That: I lived most of my life in Vermont. And am so relieved not to have to endure the many months of cold and dreariness. So I can relate.
What I Think: You should give this novel the "old college try" because I have a sense that it just might win some awards. And then you would be able to say, "Well, I just thought it might."
32 people found this helpful
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Bibliophage
4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, understated, odd
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2012
Verified Purchase
A most unusual narrative style

I have to admit I was quite put off at first. But ... it worked! I went with the flow of the Mental Journal style of abbreviated writing and enjoyed the reveal coming through everyday actions and thoughts.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS STORY : We follow a vet making house calls in a small rural community and trying to find out who accidentally shot his son
WHAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN THIS STORY : We never find out about the spaceship
CALL : Mostly it is someone about their livestock, but sometimes it is a mysterious, unknown caller
ACTION : Deliver a kid, put down a horse, treat a sheep, donate a kidney to a "son".
RESULT : An interesting take on narrative
WHAT I THINK ABOUT AS I READ THIS : Is the whole book like this?
WHAT I DID : I jumped to the back to have a look to see if it was all like this
WHAT THEY HAVE FOR DINNER : Some might find this irritating but I enjoyed it!
HOW THE FAMILY BEHAVED : This gave the book the warmth that was needed as the writing style made you a bit detached.
DID I ENJOY THIS BOOK : Well, yes ... but I wouldn't want to read everything like this! ... I preferred the odd narrative style of "Super Sad True Love Story" ... but I would recommend it if you are after something a little oddball.
AM I SERIOUS : Yes ... the whole book is like this!!!!
16 people found this helpful
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Patricia L. Morgan
3.0 out of 5 stars Very Mixed Feelings
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2016
Verified Purchase
This is a very qualified rating. Two and a half stars is actually more accurate. Maybe only two. My book club chose this book for January 2016 because it looked like an "easy" holiday read. Also, we have a member with ties to Vermont and thought a Vermont author would be an interesting choice. At our meeting this week 20% of our members did not bother to finish the book (an unusual situation). 20% "liked" the book and 60% were at best neutral regarding the book. I was among the neutral, although I almost put it down and declared "no way I'm finishing this" at first. Then, around 15% in on my Kindle, the story got interesting enough to encourage me to keep going. In the end it was exactly what we thought we wanted: a light, easy, read with just enough of Vermont in it. But as for "purpose" - aside from its peculiarity - see below - this book is long gone from my consciousness.

I am a fan of non-fiction. However, non-fiction or fiction, I am quite interested in format - how the author chooses to "arrange" the story. I am just off an Erik Larson (non-fiction) binge and am awe-struck by how much I have learned from him even when the underlying characters and story are familiar. This is because - to me - he builds the story so well and keeps the pages turning. In "The Call," the author has chosen an unusual format that, even those in our group who liked the book found generally boring (worthy of skimming at best). The book is a sort of stream of consciousness - thoughts and observations - from a Vermont country large-animal vet. He gets calls for services and tells us his thoughts as he goes about his business. Drama enters his personal life and the book continues on in the same format. Something like this: The call; what I thought about while driving; what the kids did when I got home; what we had for dinner; yada yada yada on and on in that format. When I started the book I sincerely thought that was how the characters were being introduced. Then I asked someone who had finished the book "when does the narrative - the story - start?" She whispered "I hate to say it - that's how the whole book goes. There isn't any narrative story."

The story involves some important issues - a hunting accident; a child in a coma; an adult child created when the vet, as a student, sold his sperm; colorful local characters (and animals). But these are not explored in depth and their outcome, looking back, seems boringly predictable.

I am glad I read this book because it does utilize a different method for story-telling. At the same time I am sure I would have enjoyed my giant stack of other books more. Try it at your own risk ....
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