Pam runs away from her oppressive middle-class home and heads to New York determined to become an artist. It's the late 1980s and Pam soon hitches up with Daniel and a gauche but talented songwriter named Joe.

The story follows their lives and examines how dreams clash with reality. Reality is not too harsh on these characters as they seem to survive and even thrive and Joe has some minor success in music. The events of 9/11 and a personal tragedy cause upset to family life.

Post-9/11, the story switches to focus on the life of Flora, the daughter of Pam and Daniel. She is a committed environmentalist but plagued by doubt in the face of the impending calamity.

This is a story of survival and of family and of how people respond to tragedy. However the characters (bar one) are never in serious jeopardy, despite the political and economic uncertainty. There is rarely a choice made which results in hardship for these people. They appear protected by their unrelenting optimism and their witty repartee (although this is very amusing).

There are numerous diversions which allow the author to comment on various political issues, from agriculture and soil erosion to the futility of Green politics in the face of the two party system.

Despite the positivity about family, there is a fatalism about politics and the collapse of the environment which haunts this book.

There is something strange and steely about Nell Zink's novels and her ironic, off-kilter prose makes you want to keep reading. “Doxology” is no exception and I was quickly engrossed in 1980s New York and the lives of Pam, Daniel, and particularly Joe, a simple soul who finds fame as an outsider musician. I loved the world Zink created and her often sardonic commentary and interesting characters. "Doxology" makes its way to the present day and the US presidential elections, toxic politics, and the climate crisis. In the latter half of the book I sometimes found myself losing interest as the prose seemed to take a didactic tone and I wanted to spend more time with the people rather than the ideas.

A pleasingly weird, eminently readable novel in two distinct halves, each packed with granular period detail and shockingly confident, bizarre sentences. Doxology both feels very contemporary and timely and almost rigorously classical in the way patterns deliberately repeat and double back on themselves. Recommended if you're interested in the intricacies of punk DIY scenes, green campaigning, excellent dialogue, or extreme modern despair tempered by jokes.

This started off so well and I really enjoyed the first half, but the second half was far less interesting and it lost momentum. In the first half we meet Pam, husband Daniel and their friend Joe, who has Williams Syndrome, and we follow their close if somewhat unusual friendship. Born in the late 60s they embrace the music scene and Joe becomes quite the rock star. The book casts a satirical eye on the music industry and on pop culture in general, and on the hedonistic drug-fuelled rock star life style. Then life becomes more serious for them all, and it was at this point that the book became a more conventional family saga set against political and historical events, and I related less to the characters as they grew older. The writing is good throughout and the combination of the ordinary with the rather absurd works well. But as the novel progresses and the narrative becomes more conventional some of the magic dissipated, and I found myself simply eager to finish.

Taking place in New York, the novel focuses on two generations of the same family, with 9/11 splitting the book into halves. We first follow couple Pam and Dan who, along with friend Joe, start a band. We then switch to Flora, Pam and Dan’s daughter, after 9/11; she is an environmental activist and member of the Green Party.
Zink’s writing style is very distinctive; combining the mundane with the downright weird. I enjoyed it as it felt unique compared to other books I had been reading at the same time. Her style also lends itself well to the absurdity of events within the book; particularly in the latter half. But I can understand why her writing may not be for everyone.
Zink flits between different characters, most notably Pam, Dan, and Flora, and changes her writing to match their personalities, which worked very well. It gave a greater sense of them as people and how they view the world. Out of all of them I preferred reading about Flora rather than her parents. This can be simply put down to that I’m closer to her age and the events she’s mentioning I obviously remember (ie Trump’s election campaign – though I wish I didn’t). There are references to Trump and Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein so a knowledge of American politics is probably needed to fully ‘get’ the novel. There are a couple of times I don’t think Zink went far enough into exploring the policies and mentalities of these political figures, particularly Stein. I would have liked more insight perhaps.
Pam and Dan, meanwhile, are not bad characters. They’re not poorly written or have no depth. I just struggled to connect to them and the world of musical counterculture. It is simply down to my ignorance of US music at that period rather than Zink. Her writing was always engaging yet their storyline did feel a bit of a slog.
Would I recommend Doxology? If you’re a fan of multi-generational narratives or indeed Zink herself, then yes. Her writing style might put some readers off (I’ve seen it labelled ‘wacky’ and ‘pretentious’ through my brief research of some of her other work) but I liked it. It was different from what I usually read and worked with the plot. A knowledge of US culture from the 1990s to present day would certainly help when reading, which is probably my downfall. But I’m certainly interested to see what her next book will be about.

A densely intellectual novel that wears its learning a tad too heavily at times. However, Zink does a superb job of conveying different eras through the eyes of her characters: the pre-9/11, pre-gentrification punk years on the Lower East Side are particularly well-rendered.

Doxology is a novel about two generations of an American family, moving from early 90s punk rock to the present day political world. Pam, Daniel, and Joe are trying to be in a band in New York City, but when Joe gets some solo success and Pam and Daniel are going to have a child, things don't work out quite as expected. Joe looks after baby Flora whilst chasing rock stardom and Pam and Daniel work to afford rent. And then, as Flora grows up and 9/11 happens, more changes come, and eventually she'll end up involving in political strategies and activism as she looks for purpose.

In some ways the novel is two books in one: a look at chasing success on the streets of 90s NYC on one hand and a modern politics coming of age tale on the other. The main link, other than the actual characters, feels like mostly a look at family and how families are constructed. It is quite slow to get started, and is most engaging in its middle when it focuses on both Pam and Daniel, and their daughter Flora, and how 9/11 changed their lives. The modern day part is very focused on the 2016 election, but the actual politics, though forcefully present, is less important in the narrative than Flora's life decisions.

Doxology is a decent novel, enjoyably cynical and engaging with some interesting points, but it didn't feel distinctive enough and the writing style was focused on telling the reader things.

A powerful narrative that plays with time and expresses the unique nature of the characters circumstances. A wonderful read that humoured and moved me as a reader. Superb!

Nell Zink’s new novel is a multi-generational, time-expansive novel covering the last 40 years or so of American history, music and politics. The first ‘part’ covers the period up to the September 11th attacks, as three friends - Pam, Daniel and Joe - get involved in the music/punk scene in New York and Joe, a simple soul really, somehow contrives to become a music superstar. The second ‘part’ of the book – it’s not really divided as such, but the enormity of the 9/11 events makes it obvious there is a before and after feel to the outlook of the characters – concentrates on Flora, daughter of Pam and Daniel. We see her growing up, going to school and university, then finding her eco conscience and working in politics.

It’s almost impossible not to compare this to a writer such as Jonathan Franzen or others in the ‘state of the nation’ school of fiction that is so prevalent nowadays. Maybe it’s a cultural backlash to Trump, or the general crappiness of everything right now; anyway, whilst I thought the book was a reasonable story, it was just so theme-heavy – and not in a subtle way either – that it felt more like a diatribe at times, and less like a novel. There is no attempt to hide a political bias here (towards the end Trump’s presidency is described as ‘America’s inept new administration’), and as readers we are bombarded with concerns about the environment, the financial crisis, racial tensions, and pretty much everything bar the kitchen sink.

There are moments of humour, for sure, but the narrative style of the book stopped me from actually caring about the characters. They felt distanced, not entirely natural in the way they behave or talk, and that proved too much for me to actually fully engage with the book. Zink is clearly a good writer, but maybe I’ve just read too many books like this for it felt a little obvious, a little too tub-thumping. A decent read, but not one to blow me away, I’m afraid. 3 stars for the quality of the writing, and the occasional genuinely funny moments.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

Nell Zink has proved herself to be one heck of a writer in the past, but I must admit that Doxology, her fourth novel, was not as compelling as I had anticipated. That said, it still very much packs a punch it just isn't as original an idea as her other books. It's really a tale of two halves with the first half detailing Joe, Dan and Pam's lives and the time in which they grew up. The second half focuses on Pam and Dan's daughter Flora and her coming of age in a divided America. Joe, Dan and Pam's family dramas primarily take place in the first section of the novel and then two key events take place - 9/11 and a family tragedy followed by Flora in her formative years and an exploration of current politics, environmental and ecological issues. There is quite a bit of commentary on American politics, popularism (including Trump) and activism.

This is another eminently readable, humorous and moving book from Ms Zink which covers the 1990s right through to the 2016 elections. I must admit that I found myself feeling overcome with nostalgia after some of the references to the 90s. However, the constant interruption of the narrative flow by a particular character to highlight a certain political or cultural development from the past decades spoiled the immersion at times. Despite this Zink's prowess is on show as the characterisation is astonishing (the cast felt like friends I had known forever by the end) and the richly evoked sense of time and place was impressive. This is an ambitious novel with, at times, a huge amount going on within its pages, but Zink manages to pull it off with considerable aplomb. Many thanks to Fourth Estate for an ARC.

New York pre-9/11. Pam, Daniel and Joe lead the life of a more or less successful punk band. They live their dream, not much money coming in, but they can do what they like to. They are happy and luck is on their side when Pam accidentally falls pregnant and Joe has a hit single. Despite his success, Joe spends most of his time with young Flora, his simple but caring mind is the best that could happen to the girl. With the attacks on the World Trade Center, everything changes for this small community. Daniel brings his family away from the Big Apple to his wife’s parents in Washington where Flora will then grow up. She does not become a dreamer like her parents but is a strong activist for environmental matters and has the strong conviction that things can be changed.

Doxology - an expression of praise to God. There are different kinds of god in Nell Zink’s novel who are worshipped. From the punk rock gods who are idolised by their groupies to politicians who promise their voters more than the world to lovers for whom they are ready to give up their ideals. Yet, none of them can fulfil the promises made and at last, the characters have to fend for themselves.

I find it especially hard to write a review on the novel since I still don’t know what to think of it. I certainly admire her style of writing, it is lively and witty and her characters are authentic and powerful. However, it is hard to determine what the novel is about and what the author wants to point at. There is the (not so) easy-going time of the 1990s punk rock scene in New York, where life outside the bubble can be ignored. Family strings are cut and the musicians submerge totally in their artistic bath. 9/11 not only ends carefree life in New York but also their punk rock dream and the story shifts to Flora and her growing-up in Washington. In her early 20s, she could hardly be more different from what her parents were at that age. Her focus is totally different – well, she belongs to another generation with other topics.

Flora is the product of her grandparents’ and parents’ decisions – and she herself has to make some major choices that will impact her existence. Maybe this is what the book is about after all: life as a chain of decisive moments that lead you in one or the other direction. Quite often there is no actual “right” or “wrong”, much more, the real implications only reveal themselves later. Does it help to ponder about past decisions? No, life goes on and you have to face it anyhow. A wonderfully written family history which is nevertheless not easy to grasp.

I raced through reading this book which traces 3 ½ generations of an American family in New York (pre-9/11) and mainly DC (but also Pennsylvania and…Ethiopia) (post). Pre 9/11 it was more focussed on indie music and post, environmental and left politics. It’s so well written it was easy to forget that there are so many themes as I was so engrossed in the characters and their emotional ties to one hit wonder Joe and each other. Loved this book!

I received an ARC in return for an honest review.

"Doxology", in the fashion of Tartt's "The Goldfinch", tells the story of a family, and of a country, before and after 9/11, using the tragedy as a catalyst of sorts, showing the gap between generations and the cultural, social and individual deterioration, shifting the focus to the very modern concerns about the politics of climate change.

I'd heard good things about Zink but found this novel more conventional than I'd expected. There seem to be quite a few of these baggy, sprawling follow-a-group-of-friends-or-family-across-30-years books around, tracing how we get from the late twentieth century to now. Inevitably they punctuate around the same key events: 9/11, climate change, Trump. I'm not saying these aren't central to our history, but this book, like others, doesn't have a new or original perspective on them. Add lots of 'telling' in the narrative style and a caesura in the middle as we switch to the new generation and this became less engaging. It's easy to read, perhaps good summer reading by the pool.

It’s an achievement in itself to write a political/family novel that features strange lo-fi anti-folk nerd bands from lower Manhattan and that I still don’t like: This meandering tale introduces us to an American family in which the parents have roots in the musical counterculture, but then flourish in the tech upper middle class, while their millennial daughter tries to help save the environment by becoming a political activist. So yes, Zink apparently tries to reflect society and changing attitudes by describing different generations (including the grandparents) over time, but nevertheless, the book has pretty much nothing to say: If you look for a stringent narrative concept, a message, surprising twists and thoughts or elegant prose, this is not your book. It is very readable and it’s not like I had to force myself to finish it, but the world did not need this novel – sorry, Nell Zink.

The main structural element of the book is a cut: 9/11 divides the text in two halves, one focusing on the parents and their friend, weirdo rock star Joe, the other one centering around on Flora, the daughter. We all know by now that I just hate meandering stories, and this is no exception, but what makes it worse is that I did not care for the detached, wordy, overly descriptive storytelling which in large parts consists of character descriptions and boooooring theoretical reflections on current events – listen, I am a PoliSci nerd with an unhealthy news addiction who usually loves to spend whole nights discussing current events, but with their pseudo-critical sermons, Zink’s characters are jumping the shark, even for me. Zink is a member of the German Green Party, which is not comparable to the American Green Party – it is much more influential and important, a real force to be reckoned with. So when her character Flora joins the American Green Party and becomes a campaign staffer for Jill “1 %” Stein, you should expect some fascinating takes that might derive from the author’s personal knowledge of environmental politics, but: Nope. Everything is predictable, and the laments re the two party system and the never-ending beef between the Democrats are the same ones you’ve already read numerous times in case you’ve picked up a newspaper in the last four years.

As the protagonists remain flat, there is also no personal angle that might shine a new light on an old story - Zink is no Jonathan Franzen. Whenever a new character appears, Zink gives us some paragraphs with their backstories à la “tell, don’t show” – it’s clumsy, lazy and it upset me quite a bit.

So at the core, Zink juxtaposes the generation of the hedonistic 90's with their plaid shirts and ultimately pragmatic approach with the politicized millennials, and the whole thing doesn’t live up to its potential. There is also a cynical streak in this book that I did not enjoy. This is not my kind of writing.

A sprawling, compelling novel that aims to become a soci-political history of USA in the last 30 years or so and pretty much succeeds. Readers of her previous novels will be aware of Zink's ability with the telling (and frequently very funny) phrase, although this book seems slightly more conventional stylistically, perhaps in order to accommodate its historical and narrative range. Doxology shifts between the group of three friends with which it begins until settling on the character of Flora and her challenges to find her way in a world in which USA is heading towards Trump. Zink's lightness of touch enables her to cover an awful lot of ground and there is much to enjoy about this book. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read it. Not sure about the title though.

A tale of a family, but also a city and a country.

I enjoy Zink's direct turn of phrase, she does not beat around the bush and tells it as it is. The section dealing with 9/11 had a neat summation along the lines of the terrorists were from Saudi and were funded by Saudi, so it was imperative that the USA bombed Afghanistan and Iraq.

The build up to the election of Trump was interesting - the political ad man pitched a negative ad about Trump, but the Democrats would not go there, partly because they could not believe that he was a serious threat. And look at us now.

This is more than your story of two generations in New York, there is commentary on the music industry, fame, and political mechanisms of the USA. A book to make you think.

Three friends two guys one girl form a rock band music is made one of the boys falls in love with the girl and a baby is born the other guy has a big hit a song that is extremely popular and theirblives go on just like our American history there are happy moments sad moments the horror of 9/11 the horror of Trumps election.Beil Zink writes in an engaging unique style bringing each character each time in their lives relationship alive. #netgalley #4thestatebooks

It’s hard to follow a complex family like this over such a huge time span, and their tales were tricky to keep up with at times. But I enjoyed the ride & appreciated being to relate to many current events, such as Trump’s presidency and, further back, 9/11.

Doxology has a lot going on- possibly too much at times. Following a single family across generations is a big job but handled with some degree of skill by the author tying things together with music, politics and world events. Having an interest in all of these subjects I found this book very enjoyable but did feel that it could get bogged down in socio- and political commentaries. Even the family surname, perhaps as a tongue in cheek joke, translates to 'freedom'. As the country and so too the narrative begins to fracture things do start to buckle under the strain. Flora as an adult character seems more of a thinkpiece than a human being which makes her chapters a bit more frustrating as a reader. Everyone is privileged, white and surprised by how rich they are in a 'Friends' version of New York, Washington and other stops along the way.

Despite finding it difficult sometimes to sympathise with very class divided problems I did still feel a kinship with these very flawed people. Zink writes with authority about moments that so many of us will never forget. Disasters like 9/11 and Trump's election night, for example. Fittingly it ends just as it begins, and time marches on.