francesmthompson 's review for:

Sophie's Choice by William Styron

4.0

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This book is about so much more than the actual choice Sophie must make. It's wild in its slightly unhinged jumping and jolting narrative, and is steeped thick in research of the Second World War. I found it fascinating how close the author placed himself to the narrator Stingo, including references to other books he wrote, and was a little surprised by how dominant a theme sex was. My one discomfort with the book that left me scratching my head more than anything was

Spoiler

how Sophie's pivotal children weren't mentioned until close to the revelation of what her soul-shaking choice would have to be. At first no children were mentioned in flashbacks, then only one, and finally the second child popped up just in time. I sense this was deliberate but it didn't help me see her as a mother, which would then maybe distanced hers and my emotions from the key heart-shattering event.

But I would recommend this book to many, as much for the other storylines as the one everyone already knows about...