Biographie d’Andrew Ridker
Andrew Ridker, jeune écrivain prometteur, est né en 1991 aux Etats-Unis.
Le premier roman dont il est l’auteur « The Altruists » rencontre un franc succès depuis sa sortie en mars 2019.
Très plébiscité, son livre fait l’unanimité et nous invite à suivre un dédale de relations sociales pour le moins complexes.
Ridker Andrew © George Baier
Ridker nous plonge au sein d’une saga familiale déroutante ; tantôt attachants, souvent irritants, parfois exubérants : les personnages gravitent autour d’un vide qu’ils tentent de combler.
Un portrait de famille pour le moins atypique, satirique et drôle.
Inversion des rôles et ingénieuse imbrication des strates familiales ; comme dans un labyrinthe, Ridker nous fait remonter le fil de leurs histoires dans une chronologie déboussolée.
Son roman est déjà traduit dans plus de vingt pays, à chacun de découvrir les contradictions et incohérences de ses personnages.
Trajectoires obliques et raccourcis farfelus, les fragments de vie parviennent à reconstruire le puzzle narratif.
What a family ! (Review)
And what an incredible book ! The novel by Andrew Ridker entitled « The Altruists » presents us the story of the Alter family : an amazing and colourful range of characters ! We are following each member of this family, trying to understand the choices they made, the paths they took that led to a lack of harmony and communication. The father, Arthur, was disinherited by his dying wife, Francine, who bequeathed her entire fortune to her two grown-up children, Ethan and Maggie. But now that he is facing a difficult financial situation, he needs his kids’ help without daring to ask frankly. Will they be ready to give him a hand once he unveils his true intentions ?
The Alter Family surrounded by objects defining their personality traits
This book is like riddles to be solved ; why did Francine refuse to leave anything to her husband ? How come his children don’t really keep in touch with him ? What has he done ? But he might not be the only one to feel guilty about something. Just like in a presidential debate, each character has arguments, a noble or less noble reason to lie…
This eventful novel built upon flashbacks is a challenge to follow, not to lose track of the story and the characters’ intentions. All those hidden secrets, we can wonder if they are parts of every lineage. Andrew Ridker writes a touching and funny story and let his readers be able to discover the inconsistencies and contradictions of this extraordinary family. We highly recommend it !
Enigmatique plus qu’il n’y paraît, le titre de ce roman – ironique- va longtemps résonner en chaque lecteur qui s’interroge sur son sens véritable.