up until about page 200, i was sure this would end up in my top 10 books ever. upon finishing it, i'd put it in my top 25, which is still a very respectable place. it was (and is!) everything i could have dreamed off. contemporary magical realism, eclectic and beautiful characters, sly humour, heartbreaking and subtle language, an intriguing narrative and innovative structure.set in a small city in northern california, this novel follows an eclectic cast of characters as they go about living the best lives that they can. tying them all together is leon meed, a 50something burl sculptor, who keeps mysteriously materializing in their lives.
i found the ending not quite up to par with the rest of the story, but it's hard to have a satisfying ending to a story with so many diverse characters and some unexplainable phenomena. a review i read said "it sets up expectations it cannot fufill", which is pretty spot on. it's still a stellar book that'll warrant a re-read in a couple of years. i anxiously await josh emmons next book.
No comments:
Post a Comment