4.5 stars. Although this is fictional it very much felt like a memoir. After his own marriage and relationship with his son falters, our main character Steven goes on a quest to discover the truth about his father who disappeared in 1984, even reaching out to those close to his father. The book is mainly about relationship dynamics between a father and son with themes of marriage, fatherhood, family secrets, acceptance and forgiveness. This beautifully written story drew me in immediately with its realistic portrayal of a man searching for his own identity. Steven’s life and family relationships are peeled back in layers, each layer revealing his childhood up to the present time. This was a wonderful, bittersweet story that I won’t soon forget. I would definitely recommend it. Pub. 4/15/25

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Imagined Life by Andrew Porter.

This was a slow burning story about a man seeking to understand who his father what, and what happened to him all those years ago.

I don't have a whole lot to say about this story. It wasn't bad, but it also didn't move me like other similar books have in the past. I think it's to do with my lack of buy in for the main character, and overall the story felt lukewarm.

I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) of The Imagined Life in exchange for an honest review on my Goodreads page.

The Imagined Life tells the story of Steven Mills’ search for his estranged father, who vanished from his family se 40 years ago. The narrative unfolds in an engaging back-and-forth style, blending the present-day journey with flashbacks to the past. What truly stood out to me was how the novel also serves as a love letter to California and the vibrant culture of the 1980s. For anyone who holds a deep sense of nostalgia for that era, this book will be a treasure.

The writing is evocative, with beautifully crafted passages that touch on universal themes—family dynamics, the complexity of father-son relationships, the pain of failure, and the enduring hope for the future.

If you’re a fan of richly woven stories that evoke both personal introspection and nostalgic delight, I highly recommend picking it up when it’s released on April 15th! 3.75 stars!

4.25 stars
"There was a hopefulness there and an optimism I rarely saw these days, and would never see again, but it was there that night, as we sat there on the couch, and I remember feeling a sense of loneliness then for no reason, the way you might begin to sense that something is vanishing right before it does or the way you might begin to miss someone, or something, long before it's gone."

This is a deeply sad and beautifully written story about Steven, a man in middle age, separated from his wife and son and basically adrift, going on a search to find out what happened to his father in the months before he disappeared from Steven's life forever when he was 12 years old.

This book is written in dual timelines: the first, the years 1983-1984, as Steven's father is applying and being rejected for tenure at a California college, and the second, in present day, as Steven begins tracking down old friends and collegues of his father as well as his father's younger brother. His hope is that he can gather enough information from these interviews to finally understand what happened as his brilliant and charismatic father suffered the breakdown that took him from his family forever, and possibly find out if his father is still alive.

This is quiet, introspective, and reflective book, as Steven begins to understand how his father's leaving- the rejection of this, the fear, the lingering dread that he will suffer a similar fate- has loomed over his life and relationships his entire life. Porter does this without it ever feeling "navel-gazing" or self-centered, but with of true curiosity and a need to understand to be a better man, a more whole person, and to bravely face what he has avoiding learning. The California setting is sensously well written; the backyard pool parties seeming as real as if I was there. I could hear the music and picture the clothing, and smell the flowers from Steven's mother's garden.

As I write this review, I'm beginning to recognize just what an excellent writer Porter is. I plan to go back to find his previously published short fiction. Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A dual time line tale of a man looking for answers about his father and himself. Steven's father physically left his family when Steven was 12 after a period of emotional removal. Now, Steven's marriage is falling apart and he believes it's time to know what happened, what he didn't understand at the time. The California and period atmospherics are good and if you, unlike Steven, see what's coming well, remember how things were in those days. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good storytelling and a thought provoking plot make this a good read.

This is a nostalgic story about a son recounting the events that led up to this father's disappearance, as well as the gradual unveiling of the deep parallels between their lives. I previously read Andrew Porter's "The Theory of Light and Matter" and think he is a fine writer--his prose is simple but impactful, similar to Andrew Cheever and Raymond Carver. As others noted there are a few places where the pace stalls but otherwise I enjoyed this book quite a bit, in particular the atmospheric descriptions of the lavish pool parties and Bay Area landscape.

Andrew Porter really knows how to set a mood. This novel had a lot of complexities and depth. A emotionally lost man wants to know what happened to his father when he was younger. The story is well-paced and intriguing enough to fully engage the reader. I had some problems with the writing style but overall this book perfectly captured the feelings of loneliness and loss.

Andrew Porter’s The Imagined Life is a beautifully written and deeply introspective novel about the weight of the past and the cycles we fear we cannot escape. At its heart is a middle-aged professor, Steven Mills, grappling with the legacy of his father—a brilliant but troubled academic who disappeared from from his family after being denied tenure. As Steven embarks on a road trip to revisit his memories and the people who were involved with his father, he unpacks his father’s struggles with mental illness, homosexuality, and self-destruction, all while confronting his own anxieties about repeating some of those same patterns with his own family.

Porter’s prose is quiet yet powerful, weaving together themes of loss, identity, and the often invisible forces that shape who we become. The novel is not plot-driven but instead unfolds as a layered psychological portrait, one that lingers in the mind with its aching emotional depth. The quotes from Proust and Stevie Nicks' song lyrics add depth and atmosphere to the story.

At times, the narrative’s introspective nature may feel slow, but the reward is a story that resonates deeply, especially for readers drawn to literary fiction that examines the complexities of family and selfhood. Thoughtful, moving, and quietly haunting, The Imagined Life is a novel that will stay with you long after the final page.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on April 15, 2025.

4.5
Steven is 50 yrs old and is in a search of what happened to his father, 40 years after he left home when Steven was 12yrs old back in the mid-eighties.
His father was denied tenure at the college that he taught at and it just sent him over the edge.
This is the story of a family on the brink.. a mother that tried to keep the family’s balance while everything in the family was shifting.
Very atmospheric, set in the Bay area of California..
a life of pool parties, outside movie screenings, etc
Really great writing, I enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for the ARC

The Imagined Life by Andrew Porter was poignant and thought provoking, making one think back on their childhood and the memories therein. It's well written although I struggled with parts of it.

“The Imagined Life” by Andrew Porter is a poignant and thought provoking novel that deals with the traumas of mental illness, anger, and abandonment one has in adulthood resulting from unresolved childhood memories.
In this book we follow a man in his 40s who witnessed his successful academic father falling apart from frequent drug and alcohol laden parties in the backyard of his family home. The parties seem festive but being an adolescent he doesn’t quite understand the impact they are having on his mother. His father’s attachment and infatuation to his male colleagues, his living alone in the cabana and his need to separate from the family cause constant confusion. Soon after his 12th birthday his father completely disappears from his life. Now as an adult in order to move on with his life and deal with his anger he searches for answers and to find out if his father is still alive.
Told in dual time lines as he examines his own childhood memories as well as explanations from his fathers old colleagues, The reader become the eye witness to his remarkable journey. A myriad of life lessons to be learned from this novel, I would give it many more than 5 stars if I could!

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

For someone who has struggled with mental illness and who came out on a college campus in the early 1990s, this book was a sucker punch of emotion. I loved it! While the author unraveled the plot slowly, I'm finding that the characters and their experiences have stayed with me. I would hazard a guess that Porter is writing at least somewhat from personal experience as he gets the details so perfectly. Mental illness, homophobia, love, family...this gem of a book captures them all perfectly.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars

This lyrical novel played like a movie in my mind - I could feel the California sunshine on my face and picture the characters so vividly. The story had quite a few layers and covered a range of topics through memories, flashbacks, and present day. From grief and family to coming of age and growth, I enjoyed following Steven in his emotional journey to uncover the truth about his father and his past.

I would love to read more from Andrew Porter, and I'm excited to grab a copy of The Imagined Life for my shelves when it's published.

This is a story about a man who is trying to get tenure at a university, as seen through the eyes of his son. The timeline toggles back and forth between when the son is growing up to when he is an adult. There is a lot of unspoken love, along with confusion, in both timelines. The writing is spot on. A very compelling read. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I haven’t read any of Andrew Porter’s previous novels but was intrigued when I received an ARC of his upcoming novel, The Imagined Life, and decided to try it. I’m so glad I did! Porter’s writing is beautiful and I was drawn into the story of Stephen, who was abandoned by his professor father when he was 12 and as a man in his 40s finally decides to look into what happened to his father. Told in alternating timelines, Stephen discovers what happened to his father and also finally understands the impact it has had on his own life and his relationships. I really enjoyed this novel
And look forward to reading more of his work. Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for this review copy!

Thirty-something Steven Mills is struggling in life. He has never been able to heal the hole left by his father who disappeared when he was twelve. With encouragement from his wife, he knows that as painful as it might be, if he is to restore his marriage and become the man he’d like to be, he has to figure out what happened in the past.

The book alternates chapters between present day Steven searching for information about what happened and twelve-year-old Steven around the time his father left.

The backstory is alive and immerses us in the atmosphere of California at that time. As a child, on the cusp of adolescence, he bears witness to his father falling apart. A Proustian scholar, who is up for tenure, Steven’s parents hold frequent alcohol and drug laden gatherings of academics.. They swim. The parties are festive. His father projects classic movies on a cabana wall. This cabana also serves as a place for his father to work and is where he r spends too much time with a male colleague. Steven observes what’s going on but doesn’t quite understand it. As his father comes closer to his college’s decision on tenure, he reels more and more out of control. His mother tries to provide stability but has her limitations.

In his present-day journey, he looks for answers among the old colleagues who practically lived at his house during those times as well as his father’s brother.

The story is compelling. It is nostalgic in its way for a time we often romanticize but doesn’t let us off the hook. We see the trouble beneath it.

It is a beautifully written, memoir-like story, that resonates, regardless of our experience.
Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Knopf/Random House for the opportunity to read this advanced reading copy and honestly review it..

A sensitive beautifully written book about a young boy who is affected by the problems of his father who then vanishes from his life. The story starts out in 1983 when young Steve's parents hold a pool party for some of his father's colleagues from the college where he teaches. You feel a distancing right from the start as Steve isn't a part of this celebration, but instead, is more of an observer. Things come to a head in a manner than stays with Steve all of his life. Without giving any of the story away, Steve continues to observe and wonders what is going on with his father's life that led to him eventually leaving the family behind. There are obvious issues involving interactions between his father and various faculty at the college. The father also suffers from stress due to working on a book, hoping to lead to tenure. Then there's the interactions and parties that the father has that just don't sit right with Steve. Steve can see that these things also are affecting his mother. Once his father leaves, Steve, in adulthood, sets out on a journey to find his father and find out what happened.

Both Steve and his father often refer to Proust, Stevie Nicks, Film Noir and several other creative artists and works that either the father or Steve find relavent to their lives. An astute reader will easily pick up on these relationships to what is happening at the time, as well as their symbolism throughout the story. There's also a lot of layering of types of events and personalities between Steve and his father that build and are masterfully laced together as the story progresses. What might seem complex, is actually rather easy to observe for the reader, so it's not difficult to see this finely built piece of literary architecture of sorts. The author even tells you as you move along without sounding like instructions. The writing is highly sensitive, reflective and well structured.

Though this is quite a good work of art, I do have to admit, that at times, I did get a little impatient with how the story seemed to drag and repeat itself at times, but I do believe that it had more to do with my interest rather than the quality of the writing. Some I found very interesting, while there were moments that it just lost my interest. As the story moved along, I did find that I enjoyed the second half much more.

No doubt, we will see more from this author and I look forward to future works.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the eBook in lieu of a review.

I cannot stop telling everyone about this book! That’s how much I loved it! Steven’s father, a brilliant, beloved English professor, disappeared when he was twelve. Steven had some memories of the time before when his father was up for tenure, the research times when silence was required, the fantastical pool parties, the outdoor movies, the massive drinking, the eclectic group of professors, his childhood friend, and his adoring mother’s pain. When his father left everything changed.

Steven and his mother had to leave their nice house and readjust to being poor. Steven’s anger overtook his life. Not only was his father gone but so was his best friend, Chau. Steven was able to graduate college, marry and have a son. Not once did Steven allow his anger to abate or to look for his father. At fifty-two, his wife asked him to leave. He realized he needed to find out why his father left and whether he was still alive in order to move on with his life.

Living out of his car and couch surfing, Steven goes on a physical and emotional journey to find answers. He talks to the people who knew his father prior to the disappearance, from his uncles to coworkers. It is an examination of grief and anger stunted by an unwillingness or incapacity to move forward. It is an exploration of growth and an unwillingness to stop until he finds answers. The reader is in the passenger seat as an eyewitness to this remarkable journey. The language propels the story with compassion and understanding.

Put it on your TBR list! Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for this amazing book. All opinions are my own.

The Imagined Life tells the story of Steve, a man searching for the father he has neither seen nor heard from in about forty years. His dad, a rather flamboyant and exuberant man, fails to get tenure at his college and, in brief, goes off the rails. It is no secret that he’s involved with another man and probably suffers from bipolar disorder. Those are the facts.

Steve embarks on a journey to not only find his father, but to discover who he was, or, is, and, in the process, he discovers himself.

Saying more would reveal too much of this remarkable book, which should be on the reading list of anyone who loves outstanding writing and a great story. The author mesmerized me with his beautiful use of descriptive and poignant language, and how he conveys the story of Steve as a puzzled young boy and an equally puzzled adult. To say that this writing is breathtaking is not enough, but I am at a loss to find another superlative.

Ten stars, if I could. I look forward to reading more from Andrew Porter. He is gifted.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

4.5 stars

Thanks so much to Knopf and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book! What a powerful and emotional read this was.

In 2008, I stumbled on a story collection called The Theory of Light and Matter by Andrew Porter and I was totally blown away. Porter is such a fantastic writer, and I’ve read everything that he’s written.

In 1984, Steven’s father disappeared. He was a college professor—smart, popular, handsome, and enigmatic. But that summer, his father was awaiting a decision on tenure while he was slowly sabotaging his life. Steven watched the events of that summer through the eyes of a child, and he was insulated by his mother’s need to protect him.

“I’d never held him on a pedestal, never believed him to be a great man. I knew that he was flawed, knew that he had made a lot of mistakes in his life, and besides, I had grown up amidst the collapse of his career, the spurious allegations that ensued, the rumors and hearsay.”

Steven’s life has been defined by feelings of anger, betrayal, and abandonment. In an effort to find some closure, he embarks on a trip all over California, meeting with family members, as well as friends and former colleagues of his father. While he never gets all of the answers he seeks, he gets a fuller picture of the passionate, troubled man his father was.

I really thought this was poignant and thought-provoking. Do we ever really know our parents and understand what made them tick? How different are childhood memories from what we understand as an adult? In Porter’s hands, this is a beautifully told story.

The book will publish 4/15/2025.