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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
I saw this book as an exposition on the interconnectedness between seemingly disparate souls and the elements of risk- whether necessary or unsubstantiated. Beautifully written and crafted; the somewhat stilted ending was all that kept me from giving it 5 stars instead of 4.
I like the interweaving of lives. I feel like many of our worlds do overlap, and it's interesting to see it on such a large scale. Sometimes I blame it on the smallness of Cincinnati.
On 7 August 1974 an incredible thing happened. A magical young man, a genius, some would say a freak of nature, walked a tightrope between the north and south towers of the recently opened World Trade Centre, 110 floors up. In light of what happened in 2001, there is an even more amazing photo in the book taken from street level of this ting wee human and his balancing pole, part way along his wire, and not that far above him a much larger plane going about its business. How poignant.
Tightrope man lives in his magical escapist world, continually perfecting his tricks, his techniques to micro-nth degrees. Meanwhile at street level, on this particular day, life is not quite so harmonious, together and carefree. Two Irish brothers, a mother-daughter pair of street walkers, a group of mothers united in their grief for their sons killed in Vietnam, a disillusioned city circuit judge, and a young woman artist are all loosely linked to each other in the events that enfold either side of this day. Thees people are all trying to lead good lives as best as they can, yet life seems to continually throw curve balls at them, making me think of that sad phrase that we all live lives of quiet desperation.
The other character in the story is New York City itself. Virtually bankrupt, crime and violence out of control, the justice system barely able to cope, the ugliness and squalor of living in the Bronx, contrasted with the wealth, starkness and civility of the Upper East Side, the city is the back bone to the story. It is the city, strangely enough, that provides the link and humanity between this diverse group of people. This is not the first book the author has written with New York City at its core. 'This Side of Brightness', another stunning piece of writing, is a story of the men who built the train tunnels underneath the Hudson River linking Manhatten and Brooklyn. It is hardly surprising that this Irish-born author now lives in New York.
This book has won a number of awards since it was published - the National Book Award 2009, 2010 Ambassador Book Award Winner, 2009 Prix Deauville, and Amazon.com's 'Book of the Year'. I am not at all surprised.
Tightrope man lives in his magical escapist world, continually perfecting his tricks, his techniques to micro-nth degrees. Meanwhile at street level, on this particular day, life is not quite so harmonious, together and carefree. Two Irish brothers, a mother-daughter pair of street walkers, a group of mothers united in their grief for their sons killed in Vietnam, a disillusioned city circuit judge, and a young woman artist are all loosely linked to each other in the events that enfold either side of this day. Thees people are all trying to lead good lives as best as they can, yet life seems to continually throw curve balls at them, making me think of that sad phrase that we all live lives of quiet desperation.
The other character in the story is New York City itself. Virtually bankrupt, crime and violence out of control, the justice system barely able to cope, the ugliness and squalor of living in the Bronx, contrasted with the wealth, starkness and civility of the Upper East Side, the city is the back bone to the story. It is the city, strangely enough, that provides the link and humanity between this diverse group of people. This is not the first book the author has written with New York City at its core. 'This Side of Brightness', another stunning piece of writing, is a story of the men who built the train tunnels underneath the Hudson River linking Manhatten and Brooklyn. It is hardly surprising that this Irish-born author now lives in New York.
This book has won a number of awards since it was published - the National Book Award 2009, 2010 Ambassador Book Award Winner, 2009 Prix Deauville, and Amazon.com's 'Book of the Year'. I am not at all surprised.
Brilliant and moving! Read it now! Best book i read in years!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Really a fan of books that weave through lives of people and show the subtle connections between us.
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
if it's true that in every life a little rain must fall, that one must endure the noise to relish the silence, McCann has written an instructional guide, not just a national book award winning novel.
the intertwining of characters is amazing -- a few more admirable than others, but all necessary. to step into a day with what feels like an already-established character is a lovely departure from other books i've read lately. the pacing and voices of the novel kept me on my toes, and wondering when and how all of the loose ends would be fastened down kept me turning the pages.
the impact that one person has on the next is indeterminable... we all make cameos in numerous lives but only have starring roles in a handful.
the intertwining of characters is amazing -- a few more admirable than others, but all necessary. to step into a day with what feels like an already-established character is a lovely departure from other books i've read lately. the pacing and voices of the novel kept me on my toes, and wondering when and how all of the loose ends would be fastened down kept me turning the pages.
the impact that one person has on the next is indeterminable... we all make cameos in numerous lives but only have starring roles in a handful.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the idea behind the stories, and the writing itself is good. but it took awhile for me to really get into it... in fact this one took me months to finish.
The first few sections of this book are a little long, but in the end, it is beautifully written and an enrapturing story about life and fate and humanity.