There is some truly amazing writing taking place within these pages.

It flows with a musicality that is simply captivating, and the imagery is so intense that it seems to leap off the page.

The story it tells is that of a significant portion of one extremely troubled man's life, spanning from the Depression era all the way to the early 1970s.

The writing has a hypnotic quality that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish.

Regarding the story itself, I found the first half to be more engaging than the second.

The characters, while fascinating, never quite feel entirely real.

They are all exaggerated to the point of extremes, and as such, I didn't feel as though I truly knew them as people.

One can observe them, and they are interesting, but in a sense, they lack that true human essence.

Nevertheless, it is still quite a remarkable read.

According to Oates in her afterward, she never wrote anything quite like this again, which is a pity.

It is a unique work that stands out for its beautiful writing and engaging narrative.

This book delves into some of the same territory as The Grave-Digger's Daughter, a significantly later work by Joyce Carol Oates. In that novel, the protagonist endures shattering early life experiences and reinvents themselves, largely out of necessity. However, as the jacket flap suggests, this book is also about the question of what makes a human, not a specific individual but humanity in general. This is why birth and death (understandable given that many of the characters are doctors) recur frequently, along with themes such as animal experimentation, altered states of consciousness, and other biomedical ethics questions.

In 1939, when Jesse Harte is 14 years old, everyone in his family is killed in a family annihilation murder. He briefly lives with a couple of different relatives and then in a boys' home, essentially an orphanage. His story catches the attention of the narcissistic and controlling Dr. Pedersen, who lives with his strange family in another New York town. Dr. Pedersen adopts Jesse, but it is understood that the expectations will be high. It is then that Jesse decides to pursue medicine and remains committed to it. However, despite his achievements, his story often seems to be one of roads not taken and missed opportunities. Finally, at the end of the book, Jesse is shown struggling with his own teenage daughter in the tumultuous atmosphere of the Vietnam War era.

In spite of having numerous unlikable, even repulsive characters and a great deal of depressing and unsettling content that initially made me not like it much, this could potentially be the great American novel. At the very least, it is a contender.

There is no denying that Oates is a highly proficient craftsman and a precious gem among modern American authors. However, this contender for the great American Novel in the past, with its darkness and density, truly cannot be classified as a "good read." It received three stars in recognition of her skill, but it will never progress beyond that. This is because of the long-term depression it induces with its extremely cynical perspective of all people existing in a state of insane self-examination and horror, lacking any window, room, or concept of what living, not to mention joy, is all about.

If you wish to check it off your list as a so-called American classic, then go ahead and read it. But do not read it with the expectation of enjoyment or enlightenment. It is a work that delves deep into the darker aspects of the human psyche and presents a rather bleak view of the world. While Oates' writing may be masterful in its own right, the overall tone and subject matter of this particular work make it a difficult and perhaps even disturbing read for many.

I'm truly fascinated by Joyce Carol Oates.

This is the second novel that I have delved into by her.

The initial one was MY SISTER, MY LOVE, and it was equally outstanding.

Joyce Carol Oates has this remarkable ability to create complex and engaging worlds within her books.

Her writing style is both captivating and thought-provoking.

In this second novel, I'm once again being drawn into the lives of her characters, experiencing their joys and sorrows.

It's like embarking on a new adventure with each turn of the page.

I can't wait to see where this story will lead and how it will further deepen my appreciation for Oates' work.

I highly recommend her novels to anyone who loves a good read that challenges the mind and touches the heart.

“ «Life begins with pain», he said. «Life is pain. Pain is life. Do you understand?»

“The Land of Enchantment” is the fourth and final chapter of the series titled American Epic that Oates dedicates to the changes in American society in the 20th century. These are independent novels, with stories and characters unconnected to each other, having only a temporal sequence and can, therefore, be read in a random order. Of the four (The Gravedigger's Daughter, The Rich and Their Toys), I chose to start from the last one because I was fascinated by the plot, by that attraction that is created between the book and the reader.

Like most of the novels of Her Majesty that I have read, this one too is powerful, full of themes and topics. It takes place, in fact, in the thirty-year period between the 1940s and the 1970s, crossing World War II, the subsequent post-war period, the assassination of Kennedy and that period of social turmoil in 1968 until the end of the Vietnam War.

Often, as we know, Oates exceeds. She exceeds in situations, in events, in themes, sometimes even in subplots; but her excesses are always great literature - subplots included, as someone who knows more than me has told me. Also here she tackles many themes, but she does it without ever being superficial, she manages to have a sharp and clear point of view whatever the topic she takes on. And she does it with her direct, fierce, painful, intense style, without beating around the bush.

When I happen to talk about her novels, I can't be concise, so many reflections come out and I digress. If you have the patience, continue reading, otherwise stop here: a strong novel, one of the best I have read so far. Her Majesty has not disappointed me.

The novel is structured in three books and really seems like a trilogy: three phases of the life of Jesse, the protagonist, who starts when he is 14 years old and ends with him a little over forty. I really appreciated the first and the last book; the central one, as often happens with trilogies, seemed to me to have a slightly lower tone than the others, with the function of "bridge" between the beginning and the end of the narration.

“Jesse (Harte) was a survivor, Jesse had no personality. He didn't want a personality”. Jesse miraculously escaped the massacre of his family. Destiny, perhaps, had other plans for him; it has led him to become Jesse Pedersen, the same destiny that had saved him from death now launches him towards life.

But Jesse's “new” life appears as a continuous flight. The flights are subtractions that Jesse remedies independently, with his inner drive, with his looking inside himself to flee - once again - from the world that surrounds him, from the people who observe him. He, who seems to hide in his own body and in his own brain with his sharp and curious intelligence.

Jesse's “new” father, Dr. Pedersen, is a physically and psychologically overwhelming figure, a man extremely corpulent and with a “crushing” personality. The entrance of the Pedersens, in my opinion, fits very well with the definition that Oates herself has given of the novel: “obsessive”. It is in the sense that from here the obsessions begin: for food, for control, for perfection, for pleasure, for the achievement of one's goals. Here, I found this the darkest and most disturbing part of the story, perhaps heavy - not certainly in the narrative sense - but just as if a heavy dark cloak hung over the characters, ready to crush them and annihilate them. Somehow she managed, of course, because Oates never spares anything to her “children” of the pen, especially to those who live hiding the dust under the carpet.

However, let us remember that Jesse is a man in flight and manages to escape even from these difficulties, reaching - obsessively - his goal: to become a doctor. A neurologist. The best in Chicago. Dr. Jesse - now Vogel - is a shy, complex man, seemingly detached from the reality that is not strictly related to his work, a man with whom, in the evolution of the story, I lost contact; the more JCO told me about him, about his life, about the complex human relationships he had with those who surrounded him, the more I saw his contours fade away. Jesse was fleeing from himself, but he was also escaping from me as a reader, because Dr. Vogel is a man without a personality, he doesn't want one, perhaps he is not interested, perhaps it is overwhelming for him.

When one tells of existences related to being, who better than a neurologist, who knows and operates on the human brain, its cells and its tissues, can wonder what personality really is? About its psychic value, about its (in)dependence from the gray matter? Strong personalities against anonymous personalities.

I could continue telling you about Jesse's daughter, Shelley, who in the turmoil of the United States in the 1970s runs away from home and joins some errant and antisocial freaks. But this seems more like an appendix to the life of Dr. Vogel and would have deserved a “novel of its own” that the author, however, never had the courage to write.

Just know that one ends up in the chaos of that America that is no longer a land of wonders, but of vices, of dramatic changes, of past sins that spill over into the present. The American dream, for some, will become a nightmare. And who better than Oates could tell it?

While I cannot fault Joyce Carol Oates' masterful prose, I did not enjoy reading this novel.

Jesse, the protagonist, is continuously pushed from one absurdly tragic situation to another without a break or a single moment of humor or levity. This unceasing stream of misfortunes made me increasingly frustrated with both the novel and the characters within it.

It is important to note that this is not to say that others may not adore this book. In fact, it is clear that many people do. However, for me, the unrelenting mood of surreal sadness simply wore on me after a while.

The constant barrage of despair became tiresome, and I found myself longing for some relief. As a result, I was glad when the novel finally came to an end.

Perhaps if there had been some moments of lightness or hope interspersed throughout the story, my experience would have been different. But as it stands, the unremitting darkness made it a difficult read for me.

I give this 4 stars even though the writing and psychology was stellar.

It was an extremely dense piece of work, making it rather difficult to get through. However, it was also thoroughly engaging.

I had the distinct feeling that the author, along with the main character, Jesse, and I were all plowing through a difficult and rocky terrain.

I couldn't wait to end the agony that came with the challenging reading experience, yet at the same time, I felt compelled to keep reading.

It was like witnessing a train wreck in slow motion, a strange mix of horror and fascination.

I truly love JCO's work, but after reading this, I am completely exhausted.

The combination of the complex writing style and the intense psychological exploration took a toll on me.

Nevertheless, I still appreciate the effort and talent that went into creating this piece.

It's a testament to JCO's skill as a writer that she can create such a captivating and yet draining work.

Despite my exhaustion, I know that I will likely pick up another JCO book in the future, eager to see what new literary landscapes she will take me to.

Rounding up to two stars.

I kept thinking it would get better. At first glance, it seemed like there was potential. But as time went on, that hope started to fade. The initial impression was somewhat decent, but the subsequent experiences didn't quite live up to the expectations. There were moments when I thought it might turn a corner and show its true worth. However, those moments were few and far between. It felt like it was constantly on the verge of improvement, but never quite managed to break through. Despite my initial optimism, I had to admit that it was only worthy of a meager two stars. Maybe with some significant changes and efforts, it could have been better, but as it stands now, it just doesn't quite cut it.

In the Afterword for "Wonderland", Joyce Carol Oates penned these profound words: "We are led to value highest that which has cost us the most." Among her early novels, "Wonderland", the fifth to see the light of day, and undoubtedly the most peculiar and all-consuming, looms large in her memory as the most agonizing to pen. It was a torment both in its conception and execution. Even in hindsight, it remains the most excruciating.

There were moments when I had to set aside this "obsessive" narrative because I felt the character's pain and confusion with such intensity. And yet, there were also times when I simply couldn't put it down due to that very same intensity! The writing ebbs and flows, leaving me in a state of awe. It is a book that one not only appreciates but also deeply contemplates. Indeed, it is both exhausting and eminently worthwhile.

I commented to my wife that it was a beautifully orchestrated train wreck, a slowly evolving one.

I was practically fascinated by the way Jesse seamlessly transitioned from one chapter of his life into the next. His ego was an amalgamation of the various father figures in his life, and his life was reflected as much.

As the father of a daughter, the last part was difficult to read. Actually, as a father, the entire book was. The last few pages, I had to set the book down and brace myself for having my heart broken. It was bittersweet.

Is this the book that makes me a better parent? It's hard to say. Maybe it's not about becoming a better parent in the traditional sense. Maybe it's about seeing the complexity of life and relationships through someone else's eyes. Maybe it's about realizing that even in the midst of a train wreck, there can be beauty and moments of connection.

This book has made me think deeply about my own role as a father, about the expectations I have for myself and my daughter, and about the importance of being present and listening. It has also made me appreciate the love and support that my wife provides, as we navigate the challenges of raising a child together.

In the end, I don't know if this book will make me a better parent, but it has definitely made me a more thoughtful one.

Joyce Carol Oates doesn't get enough credit.

Her work is truly an intense and remarkable achievement, comparable to a "brain on fire."

Oates has produced a vast body of literature that explores the human condition with depth and complexity.

Her writing is characterized by its vivid descriptions, psychological insights, and powerful storytelling.

Despite her numerous accolades and contributions to the literary world, she often seems to be overlooked or underappreciated.

Perhaps it is because her work is so diverse and challenging,跨越 multiple genres and themes.

Or maybe it is because she has been writing for so long that her early works have been overshadowed by more recent ones.

Whatever the reason, it is a shame that Joyce Carol Oates doesn't receive the recognition she deserves.

Her work is a testament to her talent and dedication, and it should be celebrated and studied for years to come.

Joyce Carol Oates is indeed a remarkably captivating storyteller.

Whenever one picks up any of her books, there is an immediate compulsion to devour it from cover to cover with great haste. This particular work was no exception in terms of her engaging writing style. However, the plot had a slight letdown.

Several truly astonishing plot points were rather unceremoniously abandoned. For instance, the main character's wife and children never discover that his father had murdered his mother and all of his siblings.

The fascinatingly morbidly obese family of geniuses simply vanished suddenly in the middle of the book, and one only hears about them in an oblique manner afterwards.

Other, less captivating subplots were also dropped. Vast portions of the main character's life were skipped over, and only brief moments from them were referred to.

Nevertheless, it remains a unique and crazy book that is definitely worth reading, despite its flaws in the plot.