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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
This is almost a redux of Transatlantic, which isn't really an insult. From the two books I have read of his, he has a definite voice, a clear style. Even more so than Transatlantic, the author shows a real love for the characters. If you liked the other book, pick this one up. If you like Hubert Selby, you will find similar characters (but not similar writing styles, this one much more lyrical) as those in, say, Last Exit to Brooklyn.
It is probably the setting, but I actually enjoyed this more than Transatlantic.
It is probably the setting, but I actually enjoyed this more than Transatlantic.
There exists novels that defy review, that reach into the deepest parts of you and yank it out, that fill you, that morph the written word into a scream, a cry, a two o'clock in the morning phone call. Let The Great World Spin, a novel about how a single act can unite us all, set in 1970′s New York, is one such work. I'd give it six stars if I could.
A funambulist walks a wire between the two twin towers of New York while below the people of the city look on. While a few interconnecting narratives unite the novel, the stories go to prove how each person has a unique experience and an isolated understanding of the world.
I felt this one was lacking, sure, a relief was created against Ulysses and The Instructions; that said, I felt the characters cheap and cloying the story a sigh of history.
People stopped me on the subway to tell me how much they loved this book--upon finishing it, I think I'll join the rank of people who talk to strangers just to sing its praises.
this books was just amazing. the cast of characters is diverse, and yet connected in often surprising ways. I loved how the key characters were represented both through their own voices and that of someone who was close to them. And I loved the inclusion of a cross-section of New Yorkers.
I enjoyed the premis of the book. The stories that I enjoyed most were of Claire and the Gloria, though it all ties together I did not really enjoy the stories of the Corrigan brothers, it took me some time to slog through those chapters. This is another book I most likely would have passed by had it not been for book club.
There was a sticking point with me, the author lists the electric company in Akansas/New Orleans as Con Edison, and I do not believe that is correct.
There was a sticking point with me, the author lists the electric company in Akansas/New Orleans as Con Edison, and I do not believe that is correct.