Joan Silber

This "novel" is really more a set of short stories loosely tied together by a minor character in one appearing as the main character in the next. They are also thematically related as the characters are essentially making improvements to their lives by making rational decision about relationships.

I enjoyed each story and found the writing to be outstanding and characters to be very authentic and well developed. I could see the attempt in the last story to wrap things up and weave the stories together. It didn't really work. Instead I found the ending wanting something more that was just missing. Still a very worthwhile read.… (mehr)

After finishing this I skimmed some reviews and found that it was frequently compared to the Islamic carpets that have a recurring place in the novel. Intricate interwoven themes, just as in the carpet patterns. Tapestry was another descriptor.

Both of those analogies seem too heavy to me. There is a certain light, shimmery quality to the prose. Gossamer is too fine, though. Think of braided strands of silver and gold.

In structure the book is like a series of interconnected stories, but the central core is actually more solid than that. Events radiate forward and backward in time from a decision made by a young woman to stop short of participating in her boyfriend’s harebrained get-rich (or at least less poor) scheme.

I was captivated by the first sentences, and I remained entranced until the end. Silber is a gifted author, and it’s easy to understand why the book won the National Book Critics Circle award and the Pen/Faulkner.

(P.S. I can’t seem to escape from references to Richmond VA in my reading. I expected it with Razorblade Tears, but who would have thought that a book set in Nova Scotia would have a Richmond connection? Then this book, which is set primarily in NYC and Turkey, with scenes in Germany and upstate NY, also features a lengthy segment in Richmond. Go figure.)

(P.P.S. Judith, I determined that I added this to my TBR the day after you posted your review - so thanks!)… (mehr)