Overview

Full Product Details

9780307948366

Table of Contents

Reviews

Powerfully resonant. . . . Steinberg masterfully interweaves his personal narrative . . . with the larger investigation. . . . A book about books, a story about stories, that sets out to explore why we tell them, how we craft them, and what makes some stand the test of time while others are forgotten. Chicago Tribune A funny, humane, surprisingly moving account of a literary pilgrimage. All scripture should have it this good. Kevin Roose, author of Young Money Vivid, honest and often hilarious. . . . It is as if [Steinberg] has managed to find a way of telling a Faulkneresque family saga through the form of a perfect sitcom. The Believer Steinberg s epic voyage is one born of admiration, and it never loses the thrill of discovery. . . . [He] gracefully navigates the tricky line between fan and voyeur. The Boston Globe Part memoir, part travelogue, part literary and cultural criticism. . . . A writer less curious about how this process [of storytelling] works might have approached The Lost Book of Mormon as a debunking mission, an opportunity to poke fun at those whose beliefs differ from his own. Steinberg, though, is less interested in whether or not stories are true than in why they move us and where they can be found. San Francisco Chronicle A truly weird and beautiful memoir. Elif Batuman, TheNewYorker.com [A] rollicking travelogue. . . . Steinberg is winning as a travel writer, someone who can go native and understand the desire of others for something, anything, to come to pass. The Daily Beast Without a doubt, The Lost Book of Mormon will soon have you buying more books: anything written by Avi Steinberg and, yeah, most likely, the actual Book of Mormon. Steinberg could write about what he did yesterday and it would be glorious. Jacob Tomsky, author of Heads in Beds The story of a winsome, questing narrator s search for what it means to be a writer. . . . Steinberg is a funny and smart guide. The Salt Lake Tribune Steinberg makes a strong pitch for elevating The Book of Mormon to its rightful place in America s literary and social imagination. Haaretz A wonderfully thoughtful exploration of how The Book of Mormon itself is obsessed with the idea of stories being preserved to be passed on, and what that might tell us about Joseph Smith not just as a prophet, but as a writer. There something almost holy about the way Steinberg celebrates the humanity revealed by this book. Salt Lake City Weekly Humorous and insightful. Times of Israel [Written] with real humor and honest self-reflection. Pacific Standard

[A] truly weird and beautiful memoir about an insane-sounding guy who retraces the geographical territory of the Book of Mormon in order to prove that it, the Book of Mormon, is the Great American Novel. If you need America to be reenchanted for you this year and, let s face it, who doesn t? pick this one up; you won t regret it. Elif Batuman, The New Yorker A multilayered narrative that grapples with some of the most fundamental questions of literature and of life ... [A] book about books, a story about stories, that sets out to explore why we tell them, how we craft them, and what makes some stand the test of time while others are forgotten. Chicago Tribune It is as if [Steinberg] has managed to find a way of telling a Faulkneresque family saga through the form of a perfect sitcom ... [W]ith its vivid, honest and often hilarious prose The Lost Book of Mormon does justice to an electric text. The Believer A wonderfully thoughtful exploration of how The Book of Mormon itself is obsessed with the idea of stories being preserved to be passed on, and what that might tell us about Joseph Smith not just as a prophet, but as a writer. There s something almost holy about the way Steinberg celebrates the humanity revealed by this book. Salt Lake City Weekly Steinberg s epic voyage is one born of admiration, and it never loses the thrill of discovery ... Steinberg gracefully navigates the tricky line between fan and voyeur. The Boston Globe [Written] with real humor and honest self-reflection. Pacific Standard [T]he story of a winsome, questing narrator s search for what it means to be a writer ... Steinberg is a funny and smart guide. The Salt Lake Tribune Avi Steinberg cuts no corners as he ranges from a Mexican military checkpoint to a pageant in upstate New York, to retrace the founding myths of Mormonism. The Lost Book of Mormon isn't just a good cheat sheet for curious non-Mormons (though it is that). It's a funny, humane, surprisingly moving account of a literary pilgrimage. All scripture should have it this good. Kevin Roose, bestselling author of Young Money Without a doubt, The Lost Book of Mormon will soon have you buying more books: anything written by Avi Steinberg and, yeah, most likely, the actual Book of Mormon. Steinberg could write about what he did yesterday and it would be glorious. Jacob Tomsky, New York Times bestselling author of Heads in Beds Steinberg's sardonic writing style is a delight ... Using Smith as a backdrop, this enjoyable read raises questions about what it means to be an author and what type of person becomes one. It will appeal to a variety of readers, particularly those that appreciate a biting wit. Library Journal From the Hardcover edition.

Author Information

Avi Steinberg is the author of Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian, which was a San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker’s Culture Desk blog. His essays have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Salon, The Paris Review Daily, and n+1.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available