This is a weird little novel, and I’m not quite sure how it ended up on my Kindle. I mean I know how, obviously I bought it, but I don’t know why I decided to buy it. But boy am I glad that I did. It’s weird, and sweet, haunting and engrossing, and I think it’s going to be a book that you either love or hate. The prose is beautiful and the plot is intricate and well crafted. I highly recommend this one.
The story is told in seven parts; seven separate stories, each one taking place on an island in the far northern Atlantic, that weave together to form a greater whole. At first the connections seem to be small things, a story mentioned in one portion is expounded upon in the next portion, but as we progress further back in time (did I mention the stories are told in reverse chronological order?) stronger connections are revealed. I really don’t want to say more, because I think the book is worth experiencing completely blank the first time you read it. However, I do think that it will make for a strong re-reading experience, to see the intricacies that tie each story together.
Here are a few quotes from the book.
If a life can be ruined in a single moment, a moment of betrayal, or violence, or ill luck, then why can a life not also be saved, be worth living, be made, by just a few pure moments of perfection?
And
He wonders if a few moments of utter and total joy can be worth a lifetime of struggle.
Maybe, he thinks. Maybe, if they’re the right moments.
I definitely reccomend this one.