Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham

In a novel of human progress and social decline, three characters are seen in three different eras: the Industrial Revolution; the 21st century and 150 years into the future as the poet Walt Whitman presides over each episode.

I stumbled across this beautiful book while I was searching for the Walt Whitman collection that shares its name, and I had no idea what to expect from it. As it turned out, I fell for it hard. This is (these are?) three novellas set in Whitman's beloved New York, past, present, and future, and linked by the same three characters reincarnating in each disparate narrative. Whitman's poetry and themes loom large throughout the whole book and his unexpected appearance and Cunningham's characterisation of him made me cry like a wean.

I actually listened to the audio version of this book (unabridged) on a long drive, not knowing what it was about. (I confess I didn't connect the title to Walt Whitman, which I should have.) The structure is odd: it's actually 3 novellas, each with the characters Simon, Kat and Lucas, each time a slight variation. Cunningham is using Whitman's themes, and looking closely at the relationship of nature and progress, while looking at longing for a better life. I enjoyed listening, and now may read the actual book . . .