Meh.OK, that's neither here nor there.
I thought I read somewhere that a couple of the stories in this book were interconnected; if so, the connections seem fairly tenuous. But there are some themes that run throughout the stories.
I have to be honest - the book read quickly and easily and was touching in places and amusing in others. But I forgot most of the content as soon as I finished it. There were no unforgettable characters or situations or deep truths revealed. I liked the one with the fish tank, the one with the two brothers, I didn't really like the carnival one much...I mean, that's how I'd describe it if you asked. Not much else sticks with me. Even the Viking one was sort of blah.
I guess what I'd say is: Tower draws true-to-life characters. But he didn't draw even one I'd particularly root for. And in the context of these short stories, there wasn't enough for me to get to know them to care. Maybe if his next work was a novel he'd do better in this regard. (Though honestly, I wouldn't go out and buy it unless the premise somehow sounded very intriguing.)
So, I'd recommend a pass on this one.
4 comments:
Sounds good to me. Passing, I mean.
Actually, it's amazing.
Anonymous - totally open to alternative views, disagreement, etc. here. But could you at least say why you think it's amazing? At worst I'd disagree, at best I'd learn something.
Sure, sorry . . . it's normally a copout to say, just read the reviews, but this is a case where a bunch of top-notch critics not only all agree strongly that the book is great, but agree about WHAT makes the book great, namely Tower's mind-blowingly (for me) original language, in combination with great subtlety, restraint, mastery of the more traditional mechanics of storytelling (the intermingling of backstory, interior, and scene), etc. Kakutani in the NYT, E. White in the NYTBR, Eisenberg in the NYROB, and Ruland in the LA Times all get it right and in more detail than I can get to here. And then there's the Amazon reviewer who wrote that Tower's sentences "approximate the uniqueness and varieties of personal experience." That's it, to me, right there --- if you're really interested in getting into the book (and it's so worth the effort), I'd suggest actually setting aside half-an-hour and reading the carnival story out loud to yourself. I think maybe the remote, placid omniscient 3rd person may have put you off. But out loud, you'll hear the beauty and specificity of the sentences, and you'll also become aware of how much you learn about the characters, how they think and deal with the world, without being told directly. Happy reading!
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