What It Is About: This novel is essentially a "love triangle" between Madeleine, Leonard, and Mitchell. These three young people have just completed college in the early 1980's. The story goes back and forth between the college years and the years just following their graduation. It is also told from the point of view of Madeleine during certain parts and Mitchell's point of view during other sections. Madeleine is a lover of literature and their stories. She also believes fully in love and wants to find true love. Leonard is quite smart and suffers from some emotional issues. Mitchell is trying to find himself and thinks he may want to have a life in the church. The three of them struggle to find themselves and find happiness in their lives as they navigate their way after the "safety" of college. Their paths often cross and Madeline finds herself torn between these two men and what they can and can't offer her.
What I Thought Of It: Even though this story moved quite slowly, I found myself enjoying it. The audio narrator was wonderful and entertaining. As with his other novels, there isn't a lot that happens during the story, but as a reader you are still drawn into the world of these characters. The character develop is incredible and the reader really comes to know them. The three main characters in this particular story were so different from each other and I found it fascinating how their lives fit together at certain times and of course didn't at other times. The more I listened to the narration, the more I was curious on how everything would turn out. The novel is extremely well written and pulls the reader into this intricate story of three college graduates trying to find their way in our complex world.
Who Should Read It: If you have experienced either the Virgin Suicides or MiddleSex, then I would highly recommend this new novel. This is definitely a story for adult readers and for readers that enjoy a "character driven" story more than an "action driven" story. I started the actual book a few years back and had a difficult time getting into it, and found the audio version much more entertaining. Happy Reading!
Rating: 4 STARS out of 5 Stars
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