A review by danielle_w
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

5.0

This was a re-read, from an assigned reading list in college. Oh goodness, is this a literary masterpiece. There were some parts that made me cringe (deliberately written that way), and some parts that were sweeter than I remembered. The scene where Corrigan's girlfriend remembers him 'on a normal Thursday' is one of the best pieces of writing I've come across- and I also can't help but weep every time I come across Tillie torturing herself for being born a prostitute, giving birth to a prostitute. The juxtaposition of transience and permanence is stretched out in every word, sentence, scene, and character. McCann somehow manages to pull off the 'different chapters from different POVs' technique without turning it into a trope-- high praise from someone reluctant to change. Seriously, the subtle theme of transient, quick moments bringing us permanent changes and the loss of what we think of as permanent is brilliantly displayed on the canvas of New York City.

*Not for sensitive readers. Detailed scenes of prostitution, rough language and drug use.