jnsaltzman 's review for:

The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks

1.0

---

In his attempt to write a philosophical novel, Russell Banks sacrifices character development, plot and engaging writing. In his attempt to tell the story of people coping with a shared tragedy, he sacrifices philosophy. The resulting disaster is a barely readable story told by four different people, often with the characters overlapping and repeating events to the reader - sometimes even lifting dialogues word for word from previous chapters - instead of moving the story forward. Perhaps if Banks could commit to either philosophy or writing real characters, this story could have been salvaged. As it stands, The Sweet Hereafter is a plodding, dull and entirely forgettable novel that loses itself in its own attempt to be deep and meaningful.