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mysterious
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
It’s hard to put into words how incredible I thought this book was. I agree with all the reviews and praise noted on the covers and the first pages. Especially this one by Charles Yu: “It’s a Möbius strip, a puzzle for the eye and the mind, a dream with architecture. Moving and inspiring and haunting.” YES to all of the above.
I read in the order of the special “Baroness sequence” (noted at end of preface) and loved it. Unless you really have trouble with books that skip between different points of view and timelines, I’d highly recommend this sequence. When else do we get the opportunity to experience a story in this way, following the recommendation scrawled by a mysterious Baroness who has delivered this set of manuscripts to be bound?
This is definitely one best enjoyed physically rather than digitally if you go with this special sequence. I marked with a tab each time there was a new jump, which helped me navigate if I accidentally forgot to bookmark the page I left off at. The tabs also helped me refer back to things I had already read which was definitely helpful with all of the jumping around.
I’m glad I familiarized myself with Charles Baudelaire and read a few poems from The Flowers of Evil towards the start of my read of Crossings. It definitely enhanced the experience. I’m by no means well-versed in Baudelaire, but having a bit of context was wonderful because he is quite an important figure in this book. If you can get a copy of The Flowers of Evil, great! Especially the New Directions edition that features a selection of what the editors believe to be the best translation of each poem, featuring 30 or so different translators. Or, you can look up his poetry online. I loved reading his 3 versions of prefaces which really gave me a sense of his personality, as well as The Albatross which was a big part of Crossings.
I was so mesmerized by Crossings… I want more people to read and talk about this book!!!
I read in the order of the special “Baroness sequence” (noted at end of preface) and loved it. Unless you really have trouble with books that skip between different points of view and timelines, I’d highly recommend this sequence. When else do we get the opportunity to experience a story in this way, following the recommendation scrawled by a mysterious Baroness who has delivered this set of manuscripts to be bound?
This is definitely one best enjoyed physically rather than digitally if you go with this special sequence. I marked with a tab each time there was a new jump, which helped me navigate if I accidentally forgot to bookmark the page I left off at. The tabs also helped me refer back to things I had already read which was definitely helpful with all of the jumping around.
I’m glad I familiarized myself with Charles Baudelaire and read a few poems from The Flowers of Evil towards the start of my read of Crossings. It definitely enhanced the experience. I’m by no means well-versed in Baudelaire, but having a bit of context was wonderful because he is quite an important figure in this book. If you can get a copy of The Flowers of Evil, great! Especially the New Directions edition that features a selection of what the editors believe to be the best translation of each poem, featuring 30 or so different translators. Or, you can look up his poetry online. I loved reading his 3 versions of prefaces which really gave me a sense of his personality, as well as The Albatross which was a big part of Crossings.
I was so mesmerized by Crossings… I want more people to read and talk about this book!!!