Being There

Book cover of Being There

Book description

The hero of this astonishing novel is called Chance - he may be the man of tomorrow. Flung into the real world when his rich benefactor dies, Chance is helped on his life journey by Elizabeth Eve, the young, beautiful, resourceful wife of a dying Wall Street mogul. Accidentally launched…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Being There as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Daniel Damiano

Author

Chance is an illiterate gardener with childlike social limitations who, nevertheless, through being forced to move from the residence he has known for much of his adult life, is let out into the world and, thus, stumbles into the life of a respected political advisor (Rand).

As a result of this association, his scant vocabulary and phrasing eventually becomes mistaken for wisdom – and soon he becomes somewhat of a media phenomenon, despite his mental limitations rendering him incapable of any real awareness of being so. A truly inspiring idea, depicting in a unique and humorous way how celebrity can…

From Daniel's list on exploring solitary characters.

Stephen Holgate

Author

Whatever the allegations of fraud and plagiarism against Kosinski, Being There remains a great satirical novel about a man thrown out into the modern world after a life of total isolation.

In this brief, funny book, Chance, a gardener totally innocent of the world and its ways, becomes an influential political figure, seen as a brilliant oracle based on wild misinterpretations of his simple observations about gardening, the only reality he knows. I worked in politics for years and see some truth behind the laughs.

From Stephen's list on strangers in a strange land.