false 3867 21 Nicole Krauss's <i>The History of Love</i> is a hauntingly beautiful novel about two characters whose lives are woven together in such complex ways that even after the last page is turned, the reader is left to wonder what really happened. In the hands of a less gifted writer, unraveling this tangled web could easily give way to complete chaos. However, under Krauss's watchful eye, these twists and turns only strengthen the impact of this enchanting book. <i>The History of Love</i> spans aperiod of over 60 years and takes readers from Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe to present day Brighton Beach. At the center of each main character's psyche is the issue of loneliness, and the need to fill a void left empty by lost love. Leo Gursky is a retired locksmith who immigrates to New York after escaping SS officers in his native Poland, only to spend the last stage of his life terrified that no one will notice when he dies. ("I try to make a point of being seen. Sometimes when I'm out, I'll buy a juice even though I'm not thirsty.") Fourteen-year-old Alma Singer vacillates between wanting to memorialize her dead father and finding a way to lift her mother's veil of depression. At the same time, she's trying to save her brother Bird, who is convinced he may be the Messiah, from becoming a 10-year-old social pariah. As the connection between Leo and Alma is slowly unmasked, the desperation, along with the potential for salvation, of this unique pair is also revealed. The poetry of her prose, along with an uncanny ability to embody two completely original characters, is what makes Krauss an expert at her craft. But in the end, it's the absolute belief in the uninteruption of love that makes this novel a pleasure, and a wonder to behold. <i>--Gisele Toueg</i> 1882970 book 1 5 2006 The History of Love: A Novel total:18538|5:5847|4:6702|3:4174|2:1407|1:408| 18538 71787 26198 3205 2 26 false false Tue Jul 17 06:41:45 -0700 2007 Thu Jul 26 04:27:28 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 11 false false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Oct 07 21:27:56 -0700 2007 Sun Oct 07 21:28:24 -0700 2007
...more...]]> 4 18 false false Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Wed Feb 28 12:01:21 -0800 2007 Thu Mar 01 14:43:09 -0800 2007 The History of Love was like having my chest cracked open, the words flooding into me.

Some passages I loved:

The floorboards creaked under my weight. There were books everywhere. There were pens, and a blue ...more...]]> 4 14 false false Tue May 13 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Mar 05 13:43:56 -0800 2008 Tue May 13 01:45:12 -0700 2008 1. What I like about Krauss's novel.

Leo Gursky's melancholy, lonely presence. The sections of the novel told from his perspective are hauntingly beautiful.

Alma's precocious teenager voice. Her voice is less compelling for me than that of Leo Gursky, but still good.

...more...]]> 5 9 false false Fri Jan 09 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 04 10:29:28 -0800 2008 Sat Jan 10 07:06:15 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 12 true false Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Sat Aug 11 05:17:28 -0700 2007 Sat Aug 11 05:18:44 -0700 2007
"An unlikely and unforgettable hero, Leo Gursky is a survivor -- of war, of love, and of loneliness. A retired locksmith, Leo does his best to get by. He measures the passage of day...more...]]> 4 7 false false Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Feb 24 16:39:18 -0800 2008 Thu Mar 20 14:48:22 -0700 2008 The History of Love would be a let do...more...]]> 4 7 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sat Sep 29 21:06:19 -0700 2007 Sun Dec 23 21:40:03 -0800 2007 more...]]> 5 5 false false Mon Nov 24 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Sep 02 11:03:59 -0700 2008 Mon Nov 24 13:27:03 -0800 2008 The History of Love. What they ea...more...]]> 2 9 false false Sun Feb 10 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 25 15:23:25 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 25 15:23:31 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 5 false false Fri Mar 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Dec 05 16:13:08 -0800 2007 Fri Mar 27 08:39:02 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 5 false false Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Mon Oct 22 20:19:33 -0700 2007 Wed Jan 16 12:22:08 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 4 false false Wed Apr 16 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 04 10:18:56 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 16 18:00:57 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 4 false true Fri Mar 21 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 03 18:36:58 -0800 2008 Mon Mar 31 07:47:13 -0700 2008 more...]]> 2 7 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu Aug 16 13:15:51 -0700 2007 Tue Aug 21 02:17:47 -0700 2007 I think the plotting is pretty piss-poor. A very convoluted bifurcated structure of telling a story that hinges on a poor coincidental set of facts, and when you really stop to think about it -- you wonder if you've just spent 200 pages reading and trying to...more...]]> 2 4 true false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Aug 14 07:19:45 -0700 2007 Wed Aug 29 08:19:32 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 5 false false Tue May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu Aug 09 09:49:15 -0700 2007 Mon Aug 20 06:54:33 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 4 false false Thu Sep 11 14:02:38 -0700 2008 Thu Sep 11 14:02:38 -0700 2008 5 5 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 08 06:41:56 -0800 2008 Sat Jan 19 15:31:37 -0800 2008 Extremely Loud and Incred...more...]]> 3 3 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Nov 14 20:57:58 -0800 2007 Wed Jan 02 18:50:45 -0800 2008
Themes That Seemed Interesting and Really Worth Thinking Abou...more...]]>