Love, dishonor, marry, die, cherish, perish
Ratings6
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings6
Average rating3.8
The characters' lives are linked to each other by acts of generosity or cruelty. A daughter in early 20th century Chicago; a hobo during the Great Depression; an office girl in 1950s Manhattan; the young man reveling in 1960s San Francisco, then later tends to dying friends as the AIDS pandemic hits; as the new century opens, a man who has lost his way finds a measure of peace in a photograph he discovers in an old box-an image of pure and simple joy that unites the themes of this work.
Reviews with the most likes.
Damn. I just finished this, and have that socked-in-the-gut feeling. I had a hard time getting into it at the start; the AABB rhyming felt too Suessian, almost silly, totally at odds with the subject, and kind of hard to follow. But once I got into a rhythm, I was wholly sucked in; the rhyming, though pronounced all the way through, faded into an tragic — nay, operatic — narrative that I was unable to put down. And also caused me to think/dream in sing-songy rhymes... a side effect well worth it for this gem. It's a quick read, and such an impressive piece of writing (seriously, how can someone rhyme that much AND write well AND be witty AND make me tear up?? Sheesh). Just read it, and stick with it. You won't be disappointed.
