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wormsinmysalad 's review for:
Black and Blue
by Anna Quindlen
I had not read an Anna Quindlen book before, and the subject matter--an abused wife flees from her husband with their only child--was also something new for me. Quindlen takes time and care to authenticate the narrator's voice. I recognized the merit in that later in the book, but for the first 50 pages or so, I felt disconnected from the story. I suppose that first-person narrative is challenging for that reason, because it plays like a conversation instead of an observation.
However, once I was invested in the story, I recognized the intimacy in this mode of narrative. It was as if the speaker was wounded and needed to skim the surface at first with the reader, to build up to a trust that would allow more revelations. The second half of the novel was less procedural, even as the action increased. I'm interested in reading another of Quindlen's novels in comparison.
However, once I was invested in the story, I recognized the intimacy in this mode of narrative. It was as if the speaker was wounded and needed to skim the surface at first with the reader, to build up to a trust that would allow more revelations. The second half of the novel was less procedural, even as the action increased. I'm interested in reading another of Quindlen's novels in comparison.