C (novel)

C is a 2010 novel written by Tom McCarthy. C is McCarthy's third novel and sixth book. The novel was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.^[1] Critics were polarized by the work.^[1]

C

First edition (UK)
Author	Tom McCarthy
Language	English
Publisher	Jonathan Cape (UK) Knopf (US)
Publication date	2010
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages	400

Plot

The novel revolves around Serge Carrefax, born in the late 19th century in England. The plot follows his life before and after World War I.

Themes

A major theme in the novel is communication, and the way technology influences the way individuals and societies communicate.^[2][3]

Reception

Upon release, C was generally well-received. On The Omnivore, in an aggregation of British press reviews, the book received a score of 2.5 out of 5.^[4] The book received a 61% from The Lit Review based on 8 critic reviews and the consensus of the reviews being, "The reviews are incredibly mixed for McCarthy’s C; but the Man Booker Selection Committee seems to like it, so it just might be worth the read".^[5] Culture Critic gave it an aggregated critic score of 82 percent. ^[6] According to Book Marks, the book received "positive" reviews based on 20 critic reviews, with 8 being "rave" and 6 being "positive" and 5 being "mixed" and 1 being "pan".^[7] On Bookmarks Magazine, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a (4.0 out of 5) based on critic reviews with the critical summary saying, "Even with a good deal of mainstream attention for his third novel, C, Tom McCarthy is still something of a fringe writer".^[8] Globally, Complete Review saying on the consensus "Find it quite interesting".^[9]

Jennifer Egan, writing for the New York Times, referred to the novel as fusing "Pynchonesque revelry in signs and codes with the lush psychedelics of William Burroughs".^[10] Leo Robson, in a review for the New Statesman, describes the book as "full of familiar delights and familiar tedium". It continues "After a certain point, most sentences go something like this (not a parody): "Everything seems connected: disparate locations twitch and burst into activity like limbs reacting to impulses sent from elsewhere in the body, booms and jibs obeying levers at the far end of a complex set of ropes and cogs and relays."^[11]