The Age of Consent

by Geoffrey Wolff

Book Overview

Ted and Maisie's parents moved to the community of Blackberry Mountain in upstate New York full of hope for the future; they would live a wholesome life rooted in the natural world, free from social... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679406387
• ISBN13: 9780679406389
• Release Date: February 1995
• Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
• Length: 226 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

an out of print gem

This is one of my favorite "sleeper books" of all time. I picked this up because I loved the author's biography of his deeply flawed father "The Duke of Deception." "The Age of Consent" brilliantly evokes a place and a time and the author draws you in to the psychological mystery within. The resolution makes sense and is satisfying.

an amazing world

Wolff's novel succeeds largely due to its ability to create a world with acuity, vividness, magic. The Blackberry Mountain community he creates with bewildered adults who beget bewildered children is evoked in a way that is in turn terrifying and charming. Wolff's handling of sexuality, and the issue referenced in the title is interesting, thought-provoking. He's on no soapbox, interested instead in exploring behavior as it is in a way that seems perfectly right in regard to the characters. Doc Holliday is a villain-like character with tremendous wickedness and magnetism. But the real villains are Jinks and Ann, guilty of the most wretched offense of all, being flawed as humans. The novel isn't perfect--the ending is a bit jarring--but there's a quirkiness and freshness throughout, as well as the honest and courageous look at some ugly and touchy issues.

An Undervalued Novel - I found it excellent

This book touched me deeply and went not for the easy answers that I see presented in so much fiction that tries to capture the distinct relationships within a family and the community in which that family exists, but for a subtle exploration of the limits and the desires of the characters. The writing was both lyric and beautiful. I found Wolff's willingness to give grace and depth to a variety of perspectives here (there is no easy villian, no easy victim, NO SIMPLE ANSWERS) incredible. This is work to touch the soul but you have to let it. Wonderful work Mr. Wolff.