Friday, February 17, 2012

Book Review: LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN

Let the Great World SpinLet the Great World Spin by Colum McCann


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I find it interesting how many "literary novels" overuse the *F* word ... like it's a requirement for the genre. And, with that said, if you are offended reading the *F* word SEVEN times in one sentence, this book is not for you.

I had decided to give this book four stars instead of five for three reasons:
1. Overuse of the *F* word
2. Disparaging views of God
3. Too many characters - too many points of view

I vacillated between four and five stars for days ... which is silly, if you stop to think about it.

Here's what I loved about the book:
1. I felt like I was taking a master's class in creative writing.
2. The interwoven character lines kept me interested in turning the page.
3. The metaphors made me mark pages to discuss at book club.

Overall, here's what the book meant to me:

"The greatest part of the law was the wisdom of toleration" (LTGWS, page 255).

Even considering how much God was doubted in this book, the sentence above is another wording of the teachings of Jesus:

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:24).



View all my reviews

8 comments:

  1. I loved this book too. As you said, it felt like a masters class in creative writing. I've read another book of his, Zoli, and enjoyed it as well. I really love the way he uses his words. Plots are a little flat sometimes, but hey it's literary. :P

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  2. It is nice to see how open minded you are by not dismissing this book and author because his views are opposite to yours.

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  3. "It's like a requirement for the genre" <---LOL! Isn't that the truth? Though I have some pretty strict views on life, if I read about them, they don't bother me. I, like you, try to always be open minded. And I love books that are well written... I'm putting this on my to read list if it'll make me feel like I'm in a creative writing masters class! Nice. :D

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  4. I haven't checked this book out--I'll have to add it to my list! I love great metaphors. Thanks for the heads-up about the overuse of the F word--it's easier to deal with when I know what's coming!

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  5. Margo, thanks for stopping by my blog earlier! New follower here. I've never actually heard of this book before, but thanks for the review. I'll check it out. :)

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  6. Sounds fascinating-- I've never heard of this one. Thanks for the warning about swearing. It drives me crazy when it's overdone, but sometimes I can handle it...

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  7. Yay for you Margo. I hate the "F" word and I will definitely read your book. I feel the same. That's why I write for YA.

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  8. I find your reasons for the one less star interesting and it supports all I feel about book reviews--they are so subjective. I love that they are and that I can read how other readers feel about a book and why.

    Thanks.

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