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smusie's review
3.0
I have a feeling I was supposed to like this book more than I did, but why? Why did I hear that it was so wonderful? A lot of it seemed forced, contrived--it just didn't sing to me. Is it because New Yorkers have to love a novel that is about (however obliquely) September 11th? Of course I love the story of Philippe Petit, but this book added little to my appreciation of that story. Several of the characters were drawn too strongly against type, as if to prove some point--an ascetic Irishman, a fat African-American woman who lives in the projects, but is college-educated, does not go to church, and loves opera. I appreciate the effort that went into the writing, and there are some nice moments, but it never came together for me.
jackthelad's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ttodd86's review
5.0
An award-winning book, so it is obviously great. The best compliment I can give it (or any book) is that I am slightly sad to be done reading it, and that is definitely the case here. One of my all-time faves.
ultimatekate's review
4.0
This book combines some of my most favorite items: vignettes, social commentary, and stories that overlap and eventually come together. The author did an excellent job creating well-drawn, relate-able, believable characters, and really showed the economic and political strife of the time.
jess_mango's review
4.0
"The world spins. We stumble on. It is enough."
Colum McCann's novel "Let the Great World Spin" is set in New York City in 1974. It is a time when the World Trade Center is brand new and a young Frenchman, Phillipe Petit, takes upon himself the challenge of walking a high wire strung between the tops of the two towers. As he performs his feat a crowd of onlookers gathers below watching in awe. The crowd contains people from all walks of NY life. McCann plucks a few people from the crowd and weaves together the stories of some of these different characters.
Each chapter is told from a different first person perspective. Some of the stories are only loosely intertwined and told by characters that we never hear of again. The tales are often gritty and raw, exposing the everyday sufferings of the city's inhabitants.
If you are the sort of reader that prefers novels told from one perspective with a linear straightforward narrative, this may not be the book for you. I have always been a fan of books that jump around to offer different perspectives so I quite enjoyed reading "Let the Great World Spin". I found the novel to be well-written and the sort of book that I savoured as I read it. It was definitely a novel that left me thinking about it after I finished reading the final page.
Let the Great World Spin won the National Book Award for 2009. It was also named the best book of 2009 by Amazon.com.
Colum McCann's novel "Let the Great World Spin" is set in New York City in 1974. It is a time when the World Trade Center is brand new and a young Frenchman, Phillipe Petit, takes upon himself the challenge of walking a high wire strung between the tops of the two towers. As he performs his feat a crowd of onlookers gathers below watching in awe. The crowd contains people from all walks of NY life. McCann plucks a few people from the crowd and weaves together the stories of some of these different characters.
Each chapter is told from a different first person perspective. Some of the stories are only loosely intertwined and told by characters that we never hear of again. The tales are often gritty and raw, exposing the everyday sufferings of the city's inhabitants.
If you are the sort of reader that prefers novels told from one perspective with a linear straightforward narrative, this may not be the book for you. I have always been a fan of books that jump around to offer different perspectives so I quite enjoyed reading "Let the Great World Spin". I found the novel to be well-written and the sort of book that I savoured as I read it. It was definitely a novel that left me thinking about it after I finished reading the final page.
Let the Great World Spin won the National Book Award for 2009. It was also named the best book of 2009 by Amazon.com.
kmanhart's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
How did this author make doing drugs and hanging out with sex workers seem pretentious?
hebeshebewebe's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lbarsk's review against another edition
4.0
REALLY SAD but so beautiful. I almost cried SO MANY TIMES on the train because of this book. I really liked how all of the stories gradually wove together over time--like watching a painting come together.
goodem9199's review
5.0
You know how you open a book and within a page you want to run and tell everyone you know to "hurry, hurry get this!"...well this is it. LOVING it!
The BEST that I've read this year.
The BEST that I've read this year.