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Katie Arnoldi
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The Wentworths Kindle Edition

by Katie Arnoldi (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.3 3.3 out of 5 stars 28 ratings
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From the bestselling author of Chemical Pink: “While tales of dysfunctional families abound, this one separates itself from the pack” (Elle).
 
Katie Arnoldi’s critically acclaimed debut novel Chemical Pink launched her onto the bestseller lists and so burrowed itself into the public’s consciousness that its title was the answer to a Double Jeopardy question. Now, seven years later, her second novel, The Wentworths, gives her readers a fascinating, erotic, dark, and savagely funny page-turner that will both thrill her fans and appeal to new readers of all stripes. Arnoldi’s searing portrait of a wealthy Westside, Los Angeles family, is a true binge read—boldly dramatizing the dysfunctionality of the modern American family as it examines how people get so screwed up. Comic and horrifying, sadistic and hilarious, tragic and funny all at the same time, The Wentworths is a shocking, yet redemptive tale that will have fans cheering.
 
“Too funny, too true, too sad, and too short.” —David Mamet, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of old Religion
 
“Savagely funny . . . You’ll be hooked.” —Marie Claire
 
“With a wry touch, Arnoldi draws a mocking portrait of a powerful Southern California family that, while not the worst family on record, is remarkably warped by wealth and power . . . A page-turner both for its well-paced intrigue and for its witty, sordid description of just how awful these people can get.” —Publishers Weekly
 
“The #1 beach read of the summer.” —The Malibu Times
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  1. Print length
    284 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    The Overlook Press
  5. Publication date
    March 31, 2009
  6. Reading age
    18 years and up
  7. File size
    2860 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With a wry touch, Arnoldi draws a mocking portrait of a powerful Southern California family that, while not the worst family on record, is remarkably warped by wealth and power. The Wentworths' individual faults play off the milieu of familial grotesques: mother Judith's a dieting narcissist who abuses the servants, while patriarch Gus's compulsive philandering has been inherited and surpassed by his sexually deviant son Conrad, defense lawyer to the scummy stars. Conrad's sister, Becky, is the only offspring with a family of her own, and their problems (kleptomaniac son, depressed teenage daughter) hover closer to the edge of normalcy. The final family member, gay Norman, lives in a fantasy world in the pool house and offers analyses of his kin's foibles. The Wentworths' fortress of supposed superiority is threatened by two women: Angela, a conniving ex of Conrad's, and Honey, Gus's naïve paramour. As the family closes ranks, comedy and tragedy ensue. A page-turner both for its well-paced intrigue and for its witty, sordid description of just how awful these people can get, the book's coup isn't the skewering Arnoldi (Chemical Pink) gives her overprivileged clan; it's the redemption they find after they're served twisted justice. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"The #1 beach read of the summer" -The Malibu Times

"Too funny, too true, too sad, and too short." -David Mamet

"Savagely funny... You''ll be hooked." -Marie Claire

"While tales of dysfunctional families abound, this one separates itself from the pack with concise prose, escalating tension, and wry humor." -Elle

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07RW5QX21
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Overlook Press (March 31, 2009)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 31, 2009
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2860 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 284 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.3 3.3 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

About the author

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Katie Arnoldi

Katie Arnoldi

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Katie Arnoldi's literary debut Chemical Pink, set in the competitive world of female bodybuilding, became a surprise bestseller, winning Arnoldi praise from critics and readers alike, The Wentworths too graced the bestseller list. She lives in Southern California with her husband, the painter Charles Arnoldi, and their two children.

Customer reviews

3.3 out of 5 stars
3.3 out of 5
28 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Olivia Rowell
5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2017
Loved it!! Couldn't put it down. So many times I had to stop reading because I was laughing out loud so hard. In fact, I plan on reading it again, and again.
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HMR
4.0 out of 5 stars It Sucks You In
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2010
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I was pleasantly surprised by how good this book was. I bought it looking for a "beach read," and ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. I think Arnoldi has a nice writing style that flows well and makes the book an easy read. I am looking forward to reading her other books (which I've already ordered).
One person found this helpful
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peter breen
1.0 out of 5 stars Waste of Money ..
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2019
Verified Purchase
Terrible book !
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Alison Deluca
5.0 out of 5 stars Can't put it down
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2011
If a really good looking person were torn apart by gorgeous Siberian wolves, then the result would be a good analogy for this book. It is crafted so beautifully, but what happens to the characters is truly harrowing. I don't even want to think about the "Kittens" game, and poor Honey is heartbreaking.

But, oh, the writing - each chapter is told in a different way, so each stands out as a vivid little jigsaw puzzle piece that merges into a gorgeous whole. Plus, it takes a lot of guts to write like that. It's easy to describe deathless passion and soulmates. Family members tearing each other's livers out every day, not so much.

Truly, Arnoldi is a glorious talent.
One person found this helpful
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Victoria
4.0 out of 5 stars Great personalities
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2017
I was really pleasantly surprised by this book. I might have given it more than 4 stars, like 4.5 if that was possible, if it wasn't for the epilogue.
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Laura Robinson
1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2012
I was expecting a lot more from this novel based on the reviews. The writing was cliched and unoriginal, the characters were uniformly loathsome and dull in their motivations, and the plot was neither entertaining nor suspenseful. I enjoy satire, just not of cardboard cut-outs, with cartoonish rather than human behavior. Does anyone really think the characters in this novel were anywhere close to people who really live in L.A (or even people in general)? They could have just as easily been a rich family from Peoria, as broadly and stereotypically as they were written. Not exactly spot-on cultural insight. I did enjoy the last two pages where all the (living) characters had happy endings that were wildly improbable, but fun to read about. THAT part was at least funny.
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Bill Bryan
5.0 out of 5 stars Ouch, that's funny
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2008
It's been way too long since Katie Arnoldi gave us "Chemical Pink," but I have to say it was worth the wait. With "The Wentworths," Arnoldi widens her lens to take in much more of contemporary LA than in her first novel (and just for a little extra fun, drags along the odious Charles Worthington - apparently recovered from his inglorious fate at the end of "Chemical Pink" - and gives him a cameo). We get to peek into lots of (totally) dark and (wildly) hilarious corners of SoCal, thanks to the wanderings of the vast and depraved Wentworth family. (What do they have? Everything!! What do they want? More!!) If you've lived here long enough - and I'm just a tad ashamed to admit that I have - you're bound to know people who remind you of each member of the cast. But I doubt that you've imagined them as fully or as sharply as Arnoldi has, or could tell their stories with as much wicked delight. I've just finished "The Wentworths" - in one extended sitting - and would like to write a much longer and more laudatory review, but instead I must one-click a copy of "America's 50 Greatest Small Towns," then phone the movers. Bravo, Katie.
7 people found this helpful
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M. Aldins
4.0 out of 5 stars Good summer holiday read
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2008
The Wentworth's is a great book for lying on the beach and passing the time. It has short chapters, so you can just take a few moments and enjoy a quick passage and not get interrupted in the middle. It is a little too short and ends abruptly. I was left wanting to hear the next chapter in the Wentworth's lives.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

cartoon
3.0 out of 5 stars a grotesque comedy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 28, 2014
Verified Purchase
I absolutely loved Chemical pink , marvellous and so I was really excited when this novel arrived . Yes I did like the horrible Wentworth family , they are so horrible , vain , amusing , smug [ Surprised this hasn't been turned into a sundance festival movie ] . I loved Norman and his arrest in his mothers clothes , old Gus with his love of all things women , Conrad with his arrogance , so how come I couldn't really love this book . Arnoldi jumps from character to character which becomes a little tiresome, there is a lot of telling rather than showing and very little dialogue at times plus I was wanting more of some characters than others . It was the introduction of the evil girlfriend Angela that turned the plot from farce funny into farcical silly and with out giving anything away I found the ending far too smug . Arnoldi is great when she writes weird sex and weird grotesque but I think she reigned in her imagination towards the end and it became just like a movie you leave saying oh.... rather than wow.
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