Product Description
In a New York City made phantasmagorical by the events of 9/11, and left alone after his English wife and son return to London, Hans van den Broek stumbles upon the vibrant New York subculture of cricket, where he revisits his lost childhood and, thanks to a friendship with a charismatic and charming Trinidadian named Chuck Ramkissoon, begins to reconnect with his life and his adopted country. As the two men share their vastly different experiences of contemporary immigrant life in America, an unforgettable portrait emerges of an "other" New York populated by immigrants and strivers of every race and nationality.

Amazon.com Review
Amazon Exclusive: A Q&A with Joseph O'Neill Joseph O’Neill was born in Ireland and raised in Holland. He received a law degree from Cambridge University and worked as a barrister in London. He writes regularly for The Atlantic Monthly and is the author of two previous novels, This Is the Life and The Breezes, and of a family history, Blood-Dark Track, which was a New York Times Notable Book. O'Neill received the 2009 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for his third novel, Netherland. He lives with his family in New York City. Question: President Obama mentioned in a New York Times Magazine profile that he’s reading Netherland. How do you feel about the President reading your book? Joseph O'Neill: I'm very honored, of course. Question: How is the world of Netherland particular to the United States after 9/11? Joseph O'Neill: The story takes place in the aftermath of 9/11. One of the things it does is try to evoke the disorientation and darkness of that time, which we only emerged from with the election of President Obama. Question: What is the importance of the sport of cricket in this book? Do you play? Joseph O'Neill: I love sport and play cricket and golf myself. Sport is a wonderful way to bring together people who would otherwise have no connection to each other. Question: One of your reviewers calls Netherland an answer to The Great Gatsby. Were you influenced by Fitzgerald’s book, and was your book written with that book in mind? Joseph O'Neill: Halfway through the book I realized with a slightly sinking feeling that the plot of Netherland was eerily reminiscent of the Gatsby plot: dreamer drowns, bystander remembers. But there are only about 5 plots in existence, so I didn't let it bother me too much. Fitzgerald thankfully steered clear of cricket. Question: Many reviewers have commented on the “voice” of this novel. How it is more a novel of voice than of plot? Do you agree with this? Joseph O'Neill: Yes, I would agree with that comment. This is not a novel of eventful twists and turns. It is more like a long-form international cricket match (which can last for 5 days without a winner emerging), about nuance and ambiguity and small slippages of insight. And about language, of course. (Photo © Lisa Acherman)

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 3.5 based on 139 reviews)

Calamitous events often cause us to reassess our lives by Lili Mahlab (New York)

5 Stars
October 31, 2009
Netherland could have easily been written after any major catastrope. The point of the book is that after a horrific event such as 9/11, people are often moved to reevaluate their lives in the context of what is important and what is trivial. This reassessment if often colored by ones background and upbringing and can highlight incompatibilities between husbands and wives. Hans is a tall, quiet, intelligent, upwardly mobile Dutchman, married to Rachel, an Englishwomen and a high powered, eloquent lawyer. Rachel is a "doer". She is emotional and very vocal about her feelings. She is, for Hans, a "human flashlight" whereas Hans "naturally associates loves with a house fallen into silence" - a result of his Dutch upbringing in a single parent home. In the midst of this tension between Rachel and Hans is Chuck Ramkisoon, a Trinidadian and a naturalized American citizen who is essentially Hans' only (and unlikely) friend in New York - essentially Hans' lifeline after Rachel leaves Hans and moves back to London after 9/11. Chuck is easily the most interesting character in the book. He is typical of the immigrant who comes to the U.S. in search of the American Dream - an intelligent, self taught man who questions Hans about his business in the same way as a professional fund manager. He umpires cricket games, has a kosher sushi restaurant with a Jewish partner and runs a wei wei ring -illegal gambling. He's a petty crook with big dreams and big ideas about starting a cricket club in new York that will solve the world's ills. He has a wife and a mistress. He has businesses both legal and illegal. He's a messy guy with a messy life but as his partner says, he has enough life in him for ten people. Without giving away the entire story, I believe the author's point is that while we are all, of course, a product of our environment and upbringing, the one thing we ultimately all seek is love and human connections. One word of caution for people who have read the "one star" comments. Yes, there are come sentances that may come off as convoluted. That said, these are few and far between. Overall, this is a well written book that deserves it's cricital acclaim.

Pointless drivel. by Bic (CA)

2 Stars
October 25, 2009
I gritted my teeth and finished this novel, hoping for some payoff in the end. What a waste of time. Characters are uninteresting. Plot is virtually non-existent. Worst of all, writing is pedantic. Why anyone raves about this waste of paper is beyond my comprehension. Save your money and simply shove a fork in your eye if you wish to punish yourself.

Netherland?! by Inez G. Lake

1 Stars
October 19, 2009
I find this book overrated and empty, and I take offense at the title...Netherland, being an obvious reference to the supposedly hellish time the narrator goes through in an estranged marriage, while also rediscovering his Dutch roots in New York, the original of which is New Amsterdam and New Netherland...it's glib to use/abuse that kind of knock when so much of Holland's heritage in New York has been smothered by the English already...and this is coming from an Irish author...? For those of you who are interested in creative writing...one of the biggies always seems to be that the protagonist needs to grow/change...but Hans, the narrator is his same boring old self at the end of the novel and as a reader I walked away disappointed. The comparisons that have been made with Fitzgerald, Salinger and Auster are totally OFF; I greatly admire them, but can't appreciate O'Neill for writing this one...I was ready to like this book, but it is eminently forgettable.

Good cure for insomnia by DCL (Lexington, KY)

1 Stars
October 14, 2009
Honestly, Netherland is one of the worst books that I have ever read. My two major negatives about this "novel" were 1) total lack of character development, and 2) overly complicated syntax. These two elements combine to form a 260 page novel which accomplishes nothing. Basically, if you read this novel you will be treated to approx. 160 pages of ridiculous self-reflection of a main character who stands for nothing and hates most everything, 60 pages related to other characters in the book, and 40 pages of description on how to build and maintain a cricket field (which is actually the best part of the book). Novels that focus on self-reflection usually include a character that actually HAS something to reflect upon, like a highly charged emotional event which shaped future events...this book is devoid of all emotion. Adding to that is the author's overly complicated syntax and word choice throughout the book. Sentences can be complicated as long as they add something significant to the novel. However, O'Neill writes each sentence to death, probably to mask the lack of character depth in the novel. I think he probably had to purchase a new thesaurus after writing this novel! Overall, Netherland reads like an incredibly long version of one of those reading passages on the SAT exam...stay away and save your money!

Pure Crap by Robert Jones

1 Stars
October 11, 2009
This is a story about a rich jerk with a bitch wife who hates America and Baseball and only thinks Cricket and London are just a little bit better. Its not about 911 and its not about ethnic diversity, Its actually not about anything. The book starts off with Hans complaining about his crap life and the book ends with Hans complaining about his crap life. His wife is a horrible human being, he has no friends, he is a sad depressed jerk who has no hobbies except playing cricket badly. Some dude gets killed, and Hans wonders why. He seemed more put off then sad. The mother of Hans dies and Hans seems to realize that maybe she will be missed, if it does not take much effort. Thats it. Thats the whole crap book. Reader beware for the slowest and most painstaking book to finish.

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