Mouth to Mouth: ‘Gripping... Shades of Patricia Highsmith and Donna Tartt’ Vogue

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But once I realized the narrator is irrelevant and the whole point of the story is Jeff’s weird experience, I settled into the story. Insisting that his former classmate’s “appearing out of nowhere must have sparked some old circuitry” in his brain, Cook recounts how, in his early 20s, he brought a drowned man back to life on Santa Monica beach. And though such accidents had become exceedingly rare, he couldn’t help but imagine his going to sleep and never waking up, what it would do to his children—he had two as well—and to his wife. My first thought is that I’m not sure the long blurb does the book any favours – personally, I would have limited it to the first paragraph – as it discloses quite a lot of what happens although, admittedly, not the final climactic reveal.

He discovers this man is a wealthy, famous art collector named Francis Arsenault, and much to his own surprise, Jeff becomes curious about Francis’s life, and begins to follow him around to learn more about the man he saved. However, I've never ever been to an art opening that played canned music, which is done at the Arsenault Gallery in LA. Wilson’s artistry makes it effortless for readers to empathize with Cook’s exhaustion and disgust, as well as his determination to keep the drowned man alive until he regains consciousness. The novel is only 179 pages, divided into chapters that rarely exceed three pages — but what it lacks in length it makes up for in richness. Although Francis does not seem to recognize him as the man who saved his life, he nevertheless casts his legendary eye on Jeff and sees something worthy.Ripley novel, as the tale-teller, a man once admired by our protagonist when they were both in collage, plays with the other's attraction as he unspools his tale, in which his old admirer is a alternately charmed and alarmed by a fantastic tale of love, fate and a meteoric rise--set in the world contemporary art. My friend got the pot, and, perhaps to make the visit seem less transactional, his friend made introductions around the room. Seated by the window drinking the bar’s complimentary beers, Jeff begins to recount a dramatic turning point in his life.

The book is less than 200 pages with some really short chapters, perfect for "just one more", and I found it absolutely mesmerizing. Sly, suspenseful, and “gloriously addicting” ( BuzzFeed), Mouth to Mouth masterfully blurs the line between opportunity and exploitation, self-respect and self-delusion, fact and fiction—exposing the myriad ways we deceive each other, and ourselves. The book opens with the unnamed narrator at the airport awaiting his flight to Germany for a business meeting. Upon discovering that it was the renowned millionaire art-dealer Francis Arsenault, Jeff begins to visit his gallery, eventually applying there for a job. The first thing that one would notice upon picking up Antoine Wilson’s “Mouth to Mouth” is its brevity.And despite being 60 reviews behind and having nearly 30 library books checked out (we won’t even go there with the reader copies I request and fail to read in a timely manner) I totally took a looksee and immediately went and requested one of his suggestions. To pass the time they get to talking, and Jeff quickly commandeers the conversation, telling a story of a pivotal moment in his life decades before. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. The unnamed narrator waits for a delayed flight with fellow passenger Jeff Cook in the first class lounge, listening intently as Cook recounts the events of his life after college. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion.

After the incident, Cook seeks out Arsenault, but it appears that the art dealer has no recollection of the man who saved his life.You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.

The reader knows there must be some sort of twist to come; the narrator tells us that he feels as though he is being used as a confessor. There he meets a former classmate, Jeff Cook, who he knew only vaguely, but who treats him as a long lost and valued friend.The start point, and the key to all that follows, is his intervention one morning when spots a man in severe difficulty off Santa Monica beach.