Michael Solomowitz

Behind the Fourth Wall starts off well. The author has clearly been around small time regional theatre and the small details really draw you in.

A man who wrote a big famous play years ago is now acting as a drama critic for a small newspaper. It's not going well. Then he hears his play is going to be revived at a local theatre and he is invited to come and help out. And revisit old feelings and memories and people.

But I got lost in the flashbacks and the memories and the shadowy characters coming in and out are and there.

First novels get a lot of slack from me. And there is a lot of talent here. But the plot wanders around and the people are only sketchily drawn and the ending is sort of just pasted on, it seems.

Wanted to like it more than i did. A shame.

An Early Reviewer book I took a long time to finish.
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Behind the Fourth Wall is not only the name of Michael Solomowitz’s debut novel, it’s also a phrase that portrays the space which separates a performer or performance from its audience.

While that definition works well for the setting of this story, it also foreshadows the perceived space between real and unreal, those present and those gone. Its complexity forms a perfect symbolism for Noah Miller’s unimaginable loss and chaotic struggle to find himself through a multi-faceted set of people, events, realities, and unrealities.

I found this to be a challenging read. Getting inside Noah’s head and heart to understand his choices, decisions, and motivations kept me fully engaged in the story. The author did a wonderful job of keeping the plot progressive without making the journey too easy on his readers. Sometimes I felt a step ahead of Noah and at other times I felt more lost than Noah himself.

Be prepared to ride an emotional bullet train through disbelief, grief, anger, shock, and so much more while immersing yourself in the world of live theater. There is so much going on in this book. It amazes me how the author kept all the layers and threads together. His characters are diverse and some of them are all too real, making them impossible to forget.

Plan to spend some time analyzing the surreal events and perceptions Noah experiences. I guarantee they will keep you guessing.

I believe readers who enjoy the unusual and imaginative will find this story an intriguing and satisfying experience. And if you’re anything like me, it will leave you with a lot to think about.… (mehr)