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A review by steph_84
The World of Tomorrow by Brendan Mathews
5.0
This book is great fun. It’s full of energy and colour, and reminded me of a smart action movie with a bit of drama, comedy and romance thrown in, plus some politics and a bunch of gangsters. The multiple plot-lines all reach their climax at the same point and the descriptions are so vivid, it’s like watching a film, sitting on the edge of your seat. I laughed, I cried, I spent time away from the book thinking about the characters.
The story is set across one week in New York in 1939, with World War 2 looming around the corner. It mostly focussing on the adventures of three brothers but with many interlinked narratives along the way, and some exploration of class, race, family and the fallout from the creation of the newly-formed Republic of Ireland.
The style is quite unusual, not only with the way the book is divided into individual days (except for the first and last chapters), but how it constantly switches between different characters’ perspectives, including minor characters with whom we’re led to deeply consider for a few pages then they’re never mentioned again. At first it was tiring and confusing but once the book got underway and the main characters were established, the constant shifting and remembering stopped being a chore. That said, I read this book in one weekend and do think it’s written to be consumed quickly. If you tried reading a few pages per night you may lose momentum and forget where the many characters and plot-lines are at.
I agree with some other comments that this book could be edited down a bit, but once the story gets going it’s fun to “see” New York and the characters in detail. Besides, some parts of the story are bordering on so over-the-top and unbelievable that to enjoy the book you just need to suspend disbelief and go along with it. It’s not about efficiency but instead it’s about seeing new perspectives and enjoying the wild ride. 4.5 stars.
The story is set across one week in New York in 1939, with World War 2 looming around the corner. It mostly focussing on the adventures of three brothers but with many interlinked narratives along the way, and some exploration of class, race, family and the fallout from the creation of the newly-formed Republic of Ireland.
The style is quite unusual, not only with the way the book is divided into individual days (except for the first and last chapters), but how it constantly switches between different characters’ perspectives, including minor characters with whom we’re led to deeply consider for a few pages then they’re never mentioned again. At first it was tiring and confusing but once the book got underway and the main characters were established, the constant shifting and remembering stopped being a chore. That said, I read this book in one weekend and do think it’s written to be consumed quickly. If you tried reading a few pages per night you may lose momentum and forget where the many characters and plot-lines are at.
I agree with some other comments that this book could be edited down a bit, but once the story gets going it’s fun to “see” New York and the characters in detail. Besides, some parts of the story are bordering on so over-the-top and unbelievable that to enjoy the book you just need to suspend disbelief and go along with it. It’s not about efficiency but instead it’s about seeing new perspectives and enjoying the wild ride. 4.5 stars.