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Christian Kiefer's "Phantoms" tells the story of John Frazier after he has returned home from the Vietnam War. Struggling with the psychological trauma he experienced as a result of his deployment, Frazier elects to return to the town of his childhood and stay with his grandmother where by chance he encounters his aunt, Evelyn Wilson, who solicits his help in driving her to San Jose as she seeks to reunite with the Takahashi family (who were once her tenants prior to the Second World War) in hopes that she may attain information that will allow her to reconcile with her estranged daughter. The story follows Frazier as he finds himself a willing third wheel in search of the truth about what happened to the Takahashi's son who they had presumed was killed in WW2.
I read this novel for an English class and I honestly really enjoyed it. I ended up reading the novel twice, in part because I wanted to re-read it after becoming more familiar with the topics that I would have to write the essays on, and I think that after the second reading I came away appreciating it even more. It's hard to articulate exactly what I liked about the novel, as the story is just so easy to get engrossed in. I think what stuck out to me the most was the pacing of the novel, with how it swaps 'perspectives' and jumps around the timeline, as it makes it really easy to just slam through it (in a good way). A second reading really allowed me to see more subtle aspects of the story or relationships between characters and I just feel that overall it's a solid work whether you're reading it as a tool to clarify your understanding of certain literary theories or looking for a good book to enjoy.
Highly recommended
I read this novel for an English class and I honestly really enjoyed it. I ended up reading the novel twice, in part because I wanted to re-read it after becoming more familiar with the topics that I would have to write the essays on, and I think that after the second reading I came away appreciating it even more. It's hard to articulate exactly what I liked about the novel, as the story is just so easy to get engrossed in. I think what stuck out to me the most was the pacing of the novel, with how it swaps 'perspectives' and jumps around the timeline, as it makes it really easy to just slam through it (in a good way). A second reading really allowed me to see more subtle aspects of the story or relationships between characters and I just feel that overall it's a solid work whether you're reading it as a tool to clarify your understanding of certain literary theories or looking for a good book to enjoy.
Highly recommended