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Colum McCann's Let the Great World Spin and Colm Toibin's Brooklyn
Автор: Colum McCann и Colm Toibin
Текст читает Isaiah Sheffer и Michael Cerveris
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Isaiah Sheffer sits down with two great contemporary authors, Colum McCann and Colm Toibin, to discuss their books, Let the Great World Spin and Brooklyn. Michael Cerveris reads excerpts from the two novels.
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Начать прослушиваниеСведения о книге
Colum McCann's Let the Great World Spin and Colm Toibin's Brooklyn
Автор: Colum McCann и Colm Toibin
Текст читает Isaiah Sheffer и Michael Cerveris
Описание
Isaiah Sheffer sits down with two great contemporary authors, Colum McCann and Colm Toibin, to discuss their books, Let the Great World Spin and Brooklyn. Michael Cerveris reads excerpts from the two novels.
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I felt this one was lacking, sure, a relief was created against Ulysses and The Instructions; that said, I felt the characters cheap and cloying the story a sigh of history.
Priests and prostitutes, junkies and judges - all human life is here. A fine novel that uses multiple points of view tell a story of New York in 1974 that reflects New York post 9/11. I'm not entirely sure what Philipp Petit's tightrope walk between the towers is supposed to represent, but somehow it stands for freedom, bravery, living your life your way and everything else important. Outstanding.
I could re-read this book and maybe enjoy it more the second time. It took some time for me to appreciate the way the book was structured. The writing style is understated. It wasn't until I was 2/3 of the way through the I really started to appreciate the depth of the book.
Finally, a book with interconnected characters that is well written and that works! Great stories that combine to tell a beautiful story. Fascinating characters I loved and wanted to follow.
Very sweet in place, but the strands seemed utterly disconnected. More like a series of short stories. In addition, given that Petit had the whole city transfixed its scope seems surprisingly narrow.
And another half star. I saw the 'Man on Wire' documentary before the 2001 Twin Towers attack and was already entranced. I guess from the acknowledgements that the author put a great deal of work into the content and construction of this book - and it shows in the best way possible - it seems so natural and effortless, almost as if he gave it a start and then it wrote itself. Written 35 years after Philippe Petit walked the wire it opens my eyes to the great differences - my world of 1974 with today and my world with New York then. And how extraordinary people are - any chance person you meet will have such a complex history, family, future.
An ambitious and complex novel set in New York in 1974. Each chapter tells the story of a different character, and it gradually becomes clear that they are much more linked than seems the case early on. McCann's characters are rounded and sympathetic, covering a wide cross section of New York society. The central inspiration is Philippe Petit's high wire walk between the towers of the World Trade Centre, and his story has a symbolic resonance that links the remaining tales of survival. If I have a slight criticism it is that the last chapter, set in 2006, ties up the loose ends a little too neatly, but overall this was a very rewarding read.
A work of art awaiting the title of 'Timeless' from a future generation of discoverers.
Marvellous weaving of stories.
I really enjoyed some of the stories in the book, especially in the first half (Claire, Corrigan, Petit's training story). I also liked the idea that they all involved the tightrope walker in some way, even peripherally.
Some of the stories I found flawed. The one about the judge (wanted to do good, but now feels like a paper pusher) and especially the one about the prostitute (life has been tough, but she is smarter than she looks!) especially one dimensional. I think the trouble with short character pieces is that you run into trouble if you try to share everything about their emotions and lives in such a short space, which he did with these two.
Not sure if I will read anything else by him. But it would also be interesting to see him progress as a writer, since this had a lot of great stuff and a lot of promise .
Some of the stories I found flawed. The one about the judge (wanted to do good, but now feels like a paper pusher) and especially the one about the prostitute (life has been tough, but she is smarter than she looks!) especially one dimensional. I think the trouble with short character pieces is that you run into trouble if you try to share everything about their emotions and lives in such a short space, which he did with these two.
Not sure if I will read anything else by him. But it would also be interesting to see him progress as a writer, since this had a lot of great stuff and a lot of promise .
Another great book by Colum McCann, who is becoming one of my favourite writers. He is able to weave together different stories to bring about a whole, deep tapestry of the place and time he is portraying. I loved it!
This was my first read of 2016 that was really hard for me to get into! The first chapters were so disconnected from each other that it felt more like a book of short stories I was reading than a novel, and I'm not a short story fan at all so it was a real struggle. It wasn't until maybe 200 pages in that I really felt like I was seeing a full picture rather than just a lot of scattered starts and stops. That said, the last few chapters were so beautiful they made the first 8+ worth it. I'm glad I read this book.
The best book I've read in the last five years.
This is a novel that captured one historic moment in NYC- the day an acrobat danced back and forth on a tightrope spanning the two World Trade Center towers. Several different characters interface from different walks of life: an Irish priest, prostitutes, a judge, the judge's wife, the mothers of sons killed in Vietnam, and a hippy. As the story moves from one perspective to another, the historical time period and culture of life in NYC is described in detail. I enjoyed this shifting story line, which was very well written and featured fully developed and flawed but likable characters.
Loved this book....To me it is about the randomness of life, and how our lives interconnect with people who are nothing like ourselves.
I really enjoyed this book. The second 'event' that was revealed about halfway through the book was much more interesting than the high wire walk from the beginning. This is the first of Collum McCann's novels I have read, and I am definitely open to reading more. It reminded me a lot of my absolute favorite book, If Nobody Speaks Of Remarkable Things, in that it wove the stories of seemingly unrelated people together around a central event.
Wildly inconsistent characters, some of which McCann bored me half to death with. Overall, though, relatively enjoyable.
This was a very interesting reading. It starts with two Irish boys who will later go to New York. The main setting takes place in different parts of NY with there residents of different social backgrounds. What me struck most was how the author linked all those different characters to a whole. First they are each introduced in someone else 'biography' but with every new chapter each protagonist gets his own view of the events.It was a fast-paced reading and I loved it until the very last page.
Rating: 4/5I must say that I don’t believe I have read a book with as many different stylistic forms of writing than this one. Every character had their own voice which actually helped keep the characters straight. Never once was I confused as to whether or not a different person was talking since they were all so distinct.While I can see how the sheer amount of voices and characters could have easily become out of hand, I believe that McCann manages to bring the story together wonderfully through the event of the tightrope walking across the Twin Towers. Every story tied into this event which made it easier to see how these characters connected to each other and kept me fully aware of where in time I was since the majority of the story takes place on the same day.Overall, I believe that McCann did a wonderful job of showing just how interconnected the world we live in really is, even if the connection is minute and how, like the tightrope walker, we are all trying to keep our balance in a topsy-turvy world, but with some luck and determination we will make to the other side.
This was the best book I read last year. I am not surprised by all of the attention it received.It's a powerful story and would make a great selection for a book club.
McCann writes well. He has a poetic slant, a way with words now and then that captures the mind in momentary arrest. I didn't feel like the characters were one-dimensional at all, unlike some other reviewers; I rather felt like all the characters were one and the same. Perhaps that's one of his points? But to me, it seemed like all characters were good and well-meaning, all characters had profound thoughts and great attention to detail, all characters were sad, melancholic, and in search of something. In my experience, most people do not have all of these characteristics/habits all together. So while I did like the characters and did not think that they were flat, I think I just heard one voice throughout the novel.
The connection among the characters was not at all confusing, and I believe those who found the novel jumping around did not have the patience to read it well. This may be because they felt jerked around, and there are, indeed, a few moments in the book where one feels more just a bit manipulated, the plot too contrived. The brother of the priest and the painter connection is perhaps the only one that truly bothered me.
Beyond these concerns, McCann's novel captures a particular moment in world, American, and New York history very well. At a time when an increasing number of war vets are coming back home, the novel is acutely relevant today.
Recommended for those who like New York history, melancholy, and those days when seemingly fantastical things just happen.
The connection among the characters was not at all confusing, and I believe those who found the novel jumping around did not have the patience to read it well. This may be because they felt jerked around, and there are, indeed, a few moments in the book where one feels more just a bit manipulated, the plot too contrived. The brother of the priest and the painter connection is perhaps the only one that truly bothered me.
Beyond these concerns, McCann's novel captures a particular moment in world, American, and New York history very well. At a time when an increasing number of war vets are coming back home, the novel is acutely relevant today.
Recommended for those who like New York history, melancholy, and those days when seemingly fantastical things just happen.
This book is really good! Its one of those that tells stories about different people in each chapter and then starts tying them all together as they are related to a specific event.
One of the best books I have read in a while. I should not have kept it on the too read for this long. The writing was beautiful and full of depth. The characters were lovable in spite of their flaws. So many memorable parts I will keep with me. A story that will stand up through time.
Gave up 120 pages in. Almost gave up after the first three disastrously bad pages. First section after that was pretty good, but the one after that was quite, quite awful.
This is less a novel and more a series of interconnected vignettes about the lives of New York City residents on the day in 1974 when a daredevil walked a tightrope between the two towers of The World Trade Center.
Actually, there is distressingly little about the tightrope walk, which was an interesting and exciting historical event. Instead, all the stories revolve around a disillusioned Irish priest, John Corrigan, and all the characters are being eaten by soul-destroying pain of one form or another.
I'm of two minds about this book. While I admire McCann's writing skills and found some real gems in the prose, I could never get into the book and had to force myself to finish. Really depressing - I'm surprised Oprah hasn't picked this one.
Actually, there is distressingly little about the tightrope walk, which was an interesting and exciting historical event. Instead, all the stories revolve around a disillusioned Irish priest, John Corrigan, and all the characters are being eaten by soul-destroying pain of one form or another.
I'm of two minds about this book. While I admire McCann's writing skills and found some real gems in the prose, I could never get into the book and had to force myself to finish. Really depressing - I'm surprised Oprah hasn't picked this one.
It bordered on excessive sentimentality and contained some unlikely coincidences, but (for me) never crossed the line. The well-drawn scenes were powerful enough and the narrative streams flowed strongly enough to save it all. And I'm a sucker for the multiple stories/overlapping characters setup anyway, be it in books or movies...
This is a beautifully written book. It is, however, hard to get into because each chapter follows a different new character. The characters' lives all wind up intertwined, but it's difficult to feel very connected to any of them in particular.
I just finished reading Let the Great World Spin. A novel that details the intersection of several peoples lives and in the back ground as well as the foreground in some respects the world trade certain. Colum McCann weaves the fictional story of the lives of his characters around the true event of the tight rope walker, Philippe Petit, and wraps up the story following the lives of the characters post 9/11. He shows the fragility of life and relates it to the delicate balancing act of the tight rope walker. Definitely one of my favorites and I wish it had not taken so long to read.
Remarkable, that's what this book was. At least until the last two chapters which seemed to be noticeably weaker than those preceding. The story is told from multiple perspectives using a handful of related characters with the WTC tightrope walker as a central theme or plot point.
Usually I am not too keen on a book that changes perspectives as frequently as this one does because I often have trouble becoming emotionally involved with the characters. Many times these types of stories seem like short stories jammed together, this is not the case with this novel. As each new chapter starts (with only one exception) it is clear who is doing the talking and how they are related to the rest of the story.
McCann leaves each of the characters stories unfinished and it doesn't feel disappointing, rather they feel as though they live on after the final pages. I will definitely be checking out some of his other novels this coming year.
Usually I am not too keen on a book that changes perspectives as frequently as this one does because I often have trouble becoming emotionally involved with the characters. Many times these types of stories seem like short stories jammed together, this is not the case with this novel. As each new chapter starts (with only one exception) it is clear who is doing the talking and how they are related to the rest of the story.
McCann leaves each of the characters stories unfinished and it doesn't feel disappointing, rather they feel as though they live on after the final pages. I will definitely be checking out some of his other novels this coming year.
Historical fiction at its best. McCann's does a phenomenal job of telling a tale about what it was like to live in a particular place at a particular time. His characters are vivid, and sympathetic (even when they are making morally questionable choices). Each of them has a distinct voice, and they are all well worth listening to.