I'm going to have to let this one sink in a bit. Maybe give it a second read. Lots to absorb and contemplate.I'm going to have to let this one sink in a bit. Maybe give it a second read. Lots to absorb and contemplate....more
This book comes really close to 5 stars for me. Some terrific passages about love and loss, learning to live in the moment despite horrific loss.
"It'sThis book comes really close to 5 stars for me. Some terrific passages about love and loss, learning to live in the moment despite horrific loss.
"It's what's inside. What's inside moving, swimming in the pain like a blind fish forever swimming. Is what lives what remains. Renews, renews the love and the pain. The love is the creek bed and the pain fills it. Fills it every day with tears."
And this:
"Is it possible to love so desperately that life is unbearable? i don't mean unrequited, I mean being in the love. In the midst of it and desperate. Because knowing it will end, because everything does. End."
Oh forget it, this deserves 5 stars just for those passages alone....more
What an incredible debut novel. I marvel at authors like this who manage to find such an original voice and write something so unique on their first tWhat an incredible debut novel. I marvel at authors like this who manage to find such an original voice and write something so unique on their first try. I'm glossing over the high probability that Mr. Toltz slaved over this book like any other author, often times nearly driving himself mad with the phrasing of one sentence or even one word out of over 500 pages. I'd rather just imagine that he sat down one day to his typewriter and the whole thing just fell, BLOP, right onto the paper as this masterpiece.
I have to admit that I bought this book from the used shelf at the library, primarily because the strange cover reminded me of another pretty unique book, Special Topics in Calamity Physics. Unlike that book, which kind of loses its early momentum (though still a worthwhile read), A Fraction of the Whole never loses its way. So many times I wanted to drop the book, grab a highlighter and highlight some brilliant observation.
I may have to come back to this review because I really want to finish it with a quote from the book that will compel you to go read it. Of course, I failed to ever drop the book and highlight anything, so a randomly selected quote will have to suffice until I can reread the book, this time with highlighter close at hand. Anyway, here's one that, while not utterly profound and life-altering like others I might have randomly opened to, still illustrates the whit and charm of this terrific book:
"Let's not mince words: the interior of the Sydney casino looks as if Vegas had an illegitimate child with Liberace's underpants, and that child fell down a staircase and hit its head on the edge of a spade."
Stop everything you're doing, go get a copy of this book, then curl up in a comfortable place and don't leave until you've finished this book. As muchStop everything you're doing, go get a copy of this book, then curl up in a comfortable place and don't leave until you've finished this book. As much as you want to find out how it ends, this is one of those books that you never really want to end. Mr. Hosseini has a rare and beautiful gift for storytelling. It's a privilege to read his books....more
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