A review by jbliv
In Sunlight and in Shadow by Mark Helprin

4.0

Helprin is a stunning composer. Many will find his writing overblown, especially in our current short-hand culture, but I find it mesmerizing and insightful. If you've read Helprin, this is a fairly standard Helprin novel, with characters as archetypes of the strong, focused, reflective, and intelligent beings the author clearly believes in. They strive, they fail, but they never give up, dedicated to the cause at all costs. It's a concept of timely merit. This is a novel of love, of the special bond between souls, of the wild beauty of New York, and of indomitable spirit. A worthy read, if not quite on par with his earlier works.