The History of Love: A Novel
Registered by khillz28 of Oakboro, North Carolina USA on 11/1/2006
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
2 journalers for this copy...
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The last words of this haunting novel resonate like a pealing bell. "He fell in love. It was his life." This is the unofficial obituary of octogenarian Leo Gursky, a character whose mordant wit, gallows humor and searching heart create an unforgettable portrait. Born in Poland and a WWII refugee in New York, Leo has become invisible to the world. When he leaves his tiny apartment, he deliberately draws attention to himself to be sure he exists. What's really missing in his life is the woman he has always loved, the son who doesn't know that Leo is his father, and his lost novel, called The History of Love, which, unbeknownst to Leo, was published years ago in Chile under a different man's name. Another family in New York has also been truncated by loss. Teenager Alma Singer, who was named after the heroine of The History of Love, is trying to ease the loneliness of her widowed mother, Charlotte. When a stranger asks Charlotte to translate The History of Love from Spanish for an exorbitant sum, the mysteries deepen. Krauss (Man Walks into a Room) ties these and other plot strands together with surprising twists and turns, chronicling the survival of the human spirit against all odds. Writing with tenderness about eccentric characters, she uses earthy humor to mask pain and to question the universe. Her distinctive voice is both plangent and wry, and her imagination encompasses many worlds.
A touching if somewhat confusing book. The first page had me hooked but sometimes in the middle of the book I would find myself slightly confused. Beautiful writing & great characters, both suffering a great loss in their own way, redeems the book and keeps you going.
Starred Review. The last words of this haunting novel resonate like a pealing bell. "He fell in love. It was his life." This is the unofficial obituary of octogenarian Leo Gursky, a character whose mordant wit, gallows humor and searching heart create an unforgettable portrait. Born in Poland and a WWII refugee in New York, Leo has become invisible to the world. When he leaves his tiny apartment, he deliberately draws attention to himself to be sure he exists. What's really missing in his life is the woman he has always loved, the son who doesn't know that Leo is his father, and his lost novel, called The History of Love, which, unbeknownst to Leo, was published years ago in Chile under a different man's name. Another family in New York has also been truncated by loss. Teenager Alma Singer, who was named after the heroine of The History of Love, is trying to ease the loneliness of her widowed mother, Charlotte. When a stranger asks Charlotte to translate The History of Love from Spanish for an exorbitant sum, the mysteries deepen. Krauss (Man Walks into a Room) ties these and other plot strands together with surprising twists and turns, chronicling the survival of the human spirit against all odds. Writing with tenderness about eccentric characters, she uses earthy humor to mask pain and to question the universe. Her distinctive voice is both plangent and wry, and her imagination encompasses many worlds.
A touching if somewhat confusing book. The first page had me hooked but sometimes in the middle of the book I would find myself slightly confused. Beautiful writing & great characters, both suffering a great loss in their own way, redeems the book and keeps you going.
sending to Lizabeth86 as a relay...enjoy!
This book was on my wishlist so I was very excited to see this offered up on the relays. Thanks Khillz28.
I tried reading this awhile ago but couldn't get into it so time to find another reader for it.
Journal Entry 5 by Lizabeth86 at Swap Shop Building at the Landfill in Middletown, Connecticut USA on Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Released 9 yrs ago (7/28/2014 UTC) at Swap Shop Building at the Landfill in Middletown, Connecticut USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
At Middletown Recycling Center in Swap Bldg. 185 Johnson Street.
