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The Path of Minor Planets
In 1965, on a small island in the South Pacific, a group of astronomers gather to witness the passing of a comet, but when a young boy dies during a meteor shower, the lives of the scientists and their loved ones change in subtle yet profound ways. Denise struggles for respect in her professional life, married Eli becomes increasingly attracted to Denise and her quixotic mind, and young Lydia attempts to escape the scientists' long-casting shadows. Andrew Sean Greer's remarkable and sweeping first novel, The Path of Minor Planets , is an exploration of chances taken and lost, of love found and broken, and of time's subtle gravitational pull on the lives of everyday and extraordinary people.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
62 people are currently reading
1326 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Sean Greer
33 books3,171 followersAndrew Sean Greer (born 1970) is an American novelist and short story writer.
He is the bestselling author of The Story of a Marriage, which The New York Times has called an “inspired, lyrical novel,” and The Confessions of Max Tivoli, which was named one of the best books of 2004 by the San Francisco Chronicle and received a California Book Award.
The child of two scientists, Greer studied writing with Robert Coover and Edmund White at Brown University, where he was the commencement speaker at his own graduation, where his unrehearsed remarks, critiquing Brown's admissions policies, caused a semi-riot. After years in New York working as a chauffeur, theater tech, television extra and unsuccessful writer, he moved to Missoula, Montana, where he received his Master of Fine Arts from The University of Montana, from where he soon moved to Seattle and two years later to San Francisco where he now lives. He is currently a fellow at the New York Public Library Cullman Center. He is an identical twin.
While in San Francisco, he began to publish in magazines before releasing a collection of his stories, How It Was for Me. His stories have appeared in Esquire, The Paris Review, The New Yorker and other national publications, and have been anthologized most recently in The Book of Other People, and The PEN/ O. Henry Prize Stories 2009. His first novel, The Path of Minor Planets, was published in 2001.
He is the bestselling author of The Story of a Marriage, which The New York Times has called an “inspired, lyrical novel,” and The Confessions of Max Tivoli, which was named one of the best books of 2004 by the San Francisco Chronicle and received a California Book Award.
The child of two scientists, Greer studied writing with Robert Coover and Edmund White at Brown University, where he was the commencement speaker at his own graduation, where his unrehearsed remarks, critiquing Brown's admissions policies, caused a semi-riot. After years in New York working as a chauffeur, theater tech, television extra and unsuccessful writer, he moved to Missoula, Montana, where he received his Master of Fine Arts from The University of Montana, from where he soon moved to Seattle and two years later to San Francisco where he now lives. He is currently a fellow at the New York Public Library Cullman Center. He is an identical twin.
While in San Francisco, he began to publish in magazines before releasing a collection of his stories, How It Was for Me. His stories have appeared in Esquire, The Paris Review, The New Yorker and other national publications, and have been anthologized most recently in The Book of Other People, and The PEN/ O. Henry Prize Stories 2009. His first novel, The Path of Minor Planets, was published in 2001.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
June 5, 2023
For an astronomer, describing a single body in motion is simple. And calculating the interaction of two objects is as easy as pi. But 300 years after Sir Isaac Newton's equations on gravity, the interaction of three bodies still baffles the best mathematicians.
For problems like that, call a novelist. They've been writing about the interaction of bodies since the apple bonked Newton.
Perhaps none has blended the worlds of astronomy and romance so stunningly as Andrew Greer. His debut novel, "The Path of Small Planets," traces the lives of several scientists connected with a newly discovered comet.
We meet them in 1965, when Dr. Swift and his colleagues and graduate students gather on a small island in the South Pacific to view his comet and its attendant meteor shower. The warm air is thick with mosquitoes and egotism. The scientists smirk at the natives and their primitive anxiety about omens streaking across the sky.
Just as the first sparks appear above them, a young boy falls from the observation deck to his death. For these students of physics, the accident is an equation with brutal implications: "They were scientists," Greer writes, "and could turn life into a laboratory setting, control every aspect so that it pointed toward an answer. A crowd of artists, of dancers, of poets could never have blamed themselves for terrible chance, but these scientists thought they held chance firmly in their grip."
This inexplicable tragedy alters the trajectory of their lives in ways none of them could predict. Greer's strategy for observing these changes is to visit the scientists and their loved ones every six years, as they continue to. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Christian Science Monitor:
https://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1108/p...
For problems like that, call a novelist. They've been writing about the interaction of bodies since the apple bonked Newton.
Perhaps none has blended the worlds of astronomy and romance so stunningly as Andrew Greer. His debut novel, "The Path of Small Planets," traces the lives of several scientists connected with a newly discovered comet.
We meet them in 1965, when Dr. Swift and his colleagues and graduate students gather on a small island in the South Pacific to view his comet and its attendant meteor shower. The warm air is thick with mosquitoes and egotism. The scientists smirk at the natives and their primitive anxiety about omens streaking across the sky.
Just as the first sparks appear above them, a young boy falls from the observation deck to his death. For these students of physics, the accident is an equation with brutal implications: "They were scientists," Greer writes, "and could turn life into a laboratory setting, control every aspect so that it pointed toward an answer. A crowd of artists, of dancers, of poets could never have blamed themselves for terrible chance, but these scientists thought they held chance firmly in their grip."
This inexplicable tragedy alters the trajectory of their lives in ways none of them could predict. Greer's strategy for observing these changes is to visit the scientists and their loved ones every six years, as they continue to. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Christian Science Monitor:
https://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1108/p...
November 11, 2009
It's official. Dude cannot write a bad sentence. Love him.
September 23, 2018
“At 25, she had finally felt the real thing and, as often happens the first time, she had chosen badly, fallen too heavily, and lost him. His name was Carlos. It was over within 6 months, but the affair had burrowed much deeper than she’d first suspected. When had an astronomical mistake ever felt like this?” p. 4
“She knew her sadness was a foolish one, but it was real, and despite her mother’s wishes, she could not forget.” p. 16
“This obsession, was perhaps, a detail. One of many in a life which had not turned out the way she had expected. Denise always thought that life would build upon itself, that people would multiply, events would crowd for time, that life at 30 would seem like twice of 20. She thought it might overgrow itself like a garden. But it wasn’t turning out this way. Your 20s choked with flowering vines; your 30s thinned to only what you tended. People disappeared, and events, and opportunity.” p. 65
“It turns out that you don’t end up with the people you really love; by definition, you end up with the ones who stay.” p. 156
“She knew her sadness was a foolish one, but it was real, and despite her mother’s wishes, she could not forget.” p. 16
“This obsession, was perhaps, a detail. One of many in a life which had not turned out the way she had expected. Denise always thought that life would build upon itself, that people would multiply, events would crowd for time, that life at 30 would seem like twice of 20. She thought it might overgrow itself like a garden. But it wasn’t turning out this way. Your 20s choked with flowering vines; your 30s thinned to only what you tended. People disappeared, and events, and opportunity.” p. 65
“It turns out that you don’t end up with the people you really love; by definition, you end up with the ones who stay.” p. 156
January 20, 2015
This is a beautiful book. Greer has a way of using simple language to transport you to cities and beaches you somehow know well, with tangents of the mind that are common, yet rarely expressed.The magic and simplicity of the language reminded me of "Enchanted Night," while the themes recalled "Ethan Frome." This book was everything I had wanted "Tender is the Night" to be. Where Fitzgerald managed to squeeze out a proper memorial for his characters in the final pages of the book, The Path of Minor Planets was elegiac throughout. I usually slow down toward the end of a book I'm enjoying but with this one, I found myself rereading each sentence of the last paragraph over and over. I'm still chewing on the last sentence, the last four words. I'll be looking into Greer's other works.
January 12, 2016
I felt the part toward the end where the photographs reemerge (Eli's reaction to them) was really complex and true. Magical humanity.
August 23, 2008
Andrew Sean Greer is a very talented writer. Every page of this book glows with the shimmer of his elbow grease. Its structure is solid and confident, it's tone as flat and unchanged as a lifeless pulse. It feels hewn, perfected, polished. But I longed to enjoy the novel much more than I actually did. I wanted to like the characters, not something that is necessary for enjoyment, but something one feels Greer wants for his reader. Unfortunately, if it weren't for such masterful phrasing, such beautiful poetry of language, I wouldn't have lasted through the relatively slim 273 pages. This is perhaps my failing. But I still wonder why this very "gifted" author writes so much about people so extremely removed from the gay experience when it is clear he wants to explore the subject. Instead he creates brilliant portraits of relatively minor characters who happen to be gay. His most recent novel Story of a Marriage brings him the closest to discovering gay territory, and it remains his most accomplished work to date. Perhaps his next novel will reach the shores of a land he can more liberally explore and make his own. I hope so.
August 24, 2023
I read this book when it first came out in 2001 and the name stuck in my head all this time. In rereading I know why I liked it so much: it epitomizes all the best in fiction -- moral dilemmas, paths not taken, and (in this case) academic egos and jealousy, infighting and emotional paralysis in the face of science.
Some beautiful writing, female characters who are independent, think for themselves and astronomy lessons, spoon-fed for the uninitiated.
Some beautiful writing, female characters who are independent, think for themselves and astronomy lessons, spoon-fed for the uninitiated.
January 5, 2022
I really loved this book. What a wonderful meandering through scientific minds as they flow and fight through love and life through the lens of the stars that they study. I really loved all the characters no matter how flawed or unattractive they became through the turns of the story. I recommend this book!
January 23, 2022
Less plotted but equally poignant
It is more similar to his book about Marriage that his other works, although broader in scope. The prose is beautiful and he reminds us that intellectuals are people too, even as he also reminds intellectuals that not everyone lives in their minds. I don't know Greer's whole history but I bet he was raised by intellectuals with manageable mental illnesses who may have initially had some trouble with his sexuality.
If you haven't read this author but are willing to dedicate yourself to reading all his works in advance, I would read this one first, read Confessions of Max Tivoli penultimatly, and read Less last...you will understand the self deprecating nature of Less more (see what I did there?) if you realize that is highly autobiographical, and you will understand the author much better if you have read his other works. I read Less first and loved it but knowing what I know now I wish I'd built up to it.
It is more similar to his book about Marriage that his other works, although broader in scope. The prose is beautiful and he reminds us that intellectuals are people too, even as he also reminds intellectuals that not everyone lives in their minds. I don't know Greer's whole history but I bet he was raised by intellectuals with manageable mental illnesses who may have initially had some trouble with his sexuality.
If you haven't read this author but are willing to dedicate yourself to reading all his works in advance, I would read this one first, read Confessions of Max Tivoli penultimatly, and read Less last...you will understand the self deprecating nature of Less more (see what I did there?) if you realize that is highly autobiographical, and you will understand the author much better if you have read his other works. I read Less first and loved it but knowing what I know now I wish I'd built up to it.
March 21, 2021
This is Andrew Sean Greer’s first published novel. Uh oh I think I’m in love. I just finished his sixth, and told everyone I respect as a reader about it. Now, I want to devour the next book, #2. I can’t though, right! I’ll sit back , complete something I already own, then treat myself while stretching out my exposure to this most pleasant author. In The Path of Minor Planets, I learned much about astronomy, astronomers, Pacific Islands, indigenous people, but mostly about characters drawn clearer than they saw themselves. What a remarkable first novel. Why, this guy may someday win a Pulitzer!
March 30, 2023
This was the first novel that I could really focus on after 9/11, and prior to “Less,” I considered this novel to be the best of Greer’s young career. When friends/colleagues raved about “Confessions of Max Tivoli,” I kept asking “But have you read his previous novel?”
There is so little artifice in this novel, and SO much heart:
“Afterword, as an older boy, he had found a copy of ‘Action Comics’ and felt just like that, like a death-kissed superhero with the parents peering over the crib to see if he might be human or extraordinary, if they should bother sewing capes.”
“Gravity is a disease”
“The mind should have no winter.”
There is so little artifice in this novel, and SO much heart:
“Afterword, as an older boy, he had found a copy of ‘Action Comics’ and felt just like that, like a death-kissed superhero with the parents peering over the crib to see if he might be human or extraordinary, if they should bother sewing capes.”
“Gravity is a disease”
“The mind should have no winter.”
September 14, 2013
This is the second Greer book I've read and it got better and better as the pages turned. It is a multi-faceted story haunted by the presence of a ghost-child hovering at its periphery. Sad and thoughtful. Well-told and well-written.
May 1, 2020
A beautifully crafted novel, one of Greer’s best in my opinion. The characters and their feelings ring so true, especially their ability to misread each other’s words and sentiments. Highly recommended!
January 27, 2021
Can anyone read this and not see genius? I would say this is my favorite of his so far and that is saying something. Profound and beautifully written. What this man knew of loves past at his young age--I don't know how that's even possible. Amazing writer
March 10, 2025
I love how complex the plot was, with realistic characters, full of expectations, worries and guilt. It was interesting to see the story develop from diverse points of view, which allowed me to reflect on how different each character was. Ironically, it was also the fact that I didn't like some of the characters, who I couldn't relate to, made me enjoy the whole novel.
November 2, 2019
Klappentext:
Auf einer Insel im Südpazifik trifft sich 1965 eine Gruppe kalifornischer Astronomen, um einen Kometen zu beobachten. Das Gestirn streicht vorbei, ein Junge stirbt - ein Erlebnis, das sie nicht mehr loslassen wird. Von nun an treffen sie sich alle sechs Jahre, um den Kometen zu beobachten und ihr Leben neu zu vermessen.
Über den Autor
Andrew Sean Greer lebt in San Francisco. 1996 zeichnete Richard Ford eine seiner Geschichten mit dem Ploughshares's Cohen Award for Best Short Story aus. 2000 erschien der Erzählband "How it was for me", 2005 sein zweiter Roman "Die erstaunliche Geschichte des Max Tivoli".
Meine Meinung
Den zahlreichen überschwänglichen Rezensionen mag ich mich nicht anschließen, denn ein absolutes Highlight war das Buch für mich nicht, schlecht fand ich es aber auch nicht. Die meiste Zeit habe ich mich gefragt, wohin mich Greer führen möchte - ich habe mich ähnlich orientierungslos gefühlt wie die Protagonisten. Und von denen gibt es einige, da der Autor die Leben einer Gruppe von Menschen verfolgt, die durch die Betrachtung eines Kometen verbunden sind. Es gibt den renommierten Astronomen, der den Kometen entdeckt hat, seinen verzweifelten Kollegen, seine aufstrebenden Studenten, seine junge, unwissende Tochter, und andere aus deren Dunstkreis. Diese Menschen sind nicht nur durch den Kometen sondern auch den Tod eines Jungen miteinander verbunden, und im Laufe des Buches werden sie älter, erwachsen, erfolgreich, verzweifelt, desillusioniert und ihre Beziehungen zueinander verändern sich - sie leben. Greer fächert diese Leben vor dem Leser auf, indem er sie von 1965 bis 1990 alle sechs Jahre „besucht“. Er spielt mit den Perspektiven, mit Rückblicken und Momentaufnahmen. Dabei wachsen einem manche Protagonisten ans Herz, andere eben nicht.
Besonders gut hat mir gefallen wie sich die Einzelnen Gedanken über ihr Leben machen und dabei die Anschauung variiert wird, dass ein Leben aus mehreren Leben besteht bzw. bestehen sollte. Kathy, Frau eines viel versprechenden Astronomen, „wechselt“ von einem Leben in ein anderes indem sie ihren Beruf bzw. ihre Berufung wechselt. Denise, Astronomin, blickt auf die nicht genutzten Chancen zurück und überlegt verzweifelt, welche Leben sie hätte führen können. Und Lydia empfindet sich als Heranwachsende bereits als ein „Produkt“ des Teams von Mädchen, die sie schon gewesen ist. Auffällig ist hierbei meines Erachtens, dass diese Überlegungen nur von Frauen geführt werden. Die Männer spiegeln diese Überlegungen in ihrem Handeln, reflektieren sie aber nicht selbstständig. Auch wenn sie komplexe Personen im Geschehen darstellen, funktionieren sie bei diesem Aspekt anscheinend nur als Beiwerk der weiblichen Innenwelten.
Anfänglich fand ich den Roman etwas schleppend, obwohl er natürlich mit den Ereignissen beginnt, die immer wieder aufgearbeitet werden - der ersten Kometenbeobachtung und dem Tod eines Jungen. Nachdem die Protagonisten eingeführt waren legte sich das, allerdings schwächelt das Buch gegen Ende wieder etwas. Greers Schreibe ist solide (aber leider schlecht lektoriert), und offenbart einige Perlen.
Auf einer Insel im Südpazifik trifft sich 1965 eine Gruppe kalifornischer Astronomen, um einen Kometen zu beobachten. Das Gestirn streicht vorbei, ein Junge stirbt - ein Erlebnis, das sie nicht mehr loslassen wird. Von nun an treffen sie sich alle sechs Jahre, um den Kometen zu beobachten und ihr Leben neu zu vermessen.
Über den Autor
Andrew Sean Greer lebt in San Francisco. 1996 zeichnete Richard Ford eine seiner Geschichten mit dem Ploughshares's Cohen Award for Best Short Story aus. 2000 erschien der Erzählband "How it was for me", 2005 sein zweiter Roman "Die erstaunliche Geschichte des Max Tivoli".
Meine Meinung
Den zahlreichen überschwänglichen Rezensionen mag ich mich nicht anschließen, denn ein absolutes Highlight war das Buch für mich nicht, schlecht fand ich es aber auch nicht. Die meiste Zeit habe ich mich gefragt, wohin mich Greer führen möchte - ich habe mich ähnlich orientierungslos gefühlt wie die Protagonisten. Und von denen gibt es einige, da der Autor die Leben einer Gruppe von Menschen verfolgt, die durch die Betrachtung eines Kometen verbunden sind. Es gibt den renommierten Astronomen, der den Kometen entdeckt hat, seinen verzweifelten Kollegen, seine aufstrebenden Studenten, seine junge, unwissende Tochter, und andere aus deren Dunstkreis. Diese Menschen sind nicht nur durch den Kometen sondern auch den Tod eines Jungen miteinander verbunden, und im Laufe des Buches werden sie älter, erwachsen, erfolgreich, verzweifelt, desillusioniert und ihre Beziehungen zueinander verändern sich - sie leben. Greer fächert diese Leben vor dem Leser auf, indem er sie von 1965 bis 1990 alle sechs Jahre „besucht“. Er spielt mit den Perspektiven, mit Rückblicken und Momentaufnahmen. Dabei wachsen einem manche Protagonisten ans Herz, andere eben nicht.
Besonders gut hat mir gefallen wie sich die Einzelnen Gedanken über ihr Leben machen und dabei die Anschauung variiert wird, dass ein Leben aus mehreren Leben besteht bzw. bestehen sollte. Kathy, Frau eines viel versprechenden Astronomen, „wechselt“ von einem Leben in ein anderes indem sie ihren Beruf bzw. ihre Berufung wechselt. Denise, Astronomin, blickt auf die nicht genutzten Chancen zurück und überlegt verzweifelt, welche Leben sie hätte führen können. Und Lydia empfindet sich als Heranwachsende bereits als ein „Produkt“ des Teams von Mädchen, die sie schon gewesen ist. Auffällig ist hierbei meines Erachtens, dass diese Überlegungen nur von Frauen geführt werden. Die Männer spiegeln diese Überlegungen in ihrem Handeln, reflektieren sie aber nicht selbstständig. Auch wenn sie komplexe Personen im Geschehen darstellen, funktionieren sie bei diesem Aspekt anscheinend nur als Beiwerk der weiblichen Innenwelten.
Anfänglich fand ich den Roman etwas schleppend, obwohl er natürlich mit den Ereignissen beginnt, die immer wieder aufgearbeitet werden - der ersten Kometenbeobachtung und dem Tod eines Jungen. Nachdem die Protagonisten eingeführt waren legte sich das, allerdings schwächelt das Buch gegen Ende wieder etwas. Greers Schreibe ist solide (aber leider schlecht lektoriert), und offenbart einige Perlen.
May 2, 2019
This is the second book by Greer that I've read, and in both, the concept of time plays a significant role. The story centers around a group of astronomers and is at heart, an ill-fated love story. There is a sense that these brilliant scientists are unique, "...somehow impermeable to society. Fashion could not affect them, nor etiquette, nor politics nor the passage of time. It was wonderful, and kept them separate, honest..." Professor Swift has discovered a comet, and he, colleagues, students and family gather on a Pacific island to observe its arrival. Subsequently, the story is told in 6-year installments that coincide with the comet's movement as determined by gravity (its perihelion and aphelion). We learn of events that have occurred in the six-year interim and, more importantly, how these actions have affected the story's characters. We find that they aren't immune from human desires and emotions after all. Like the celestial objects they study, the characters' actions and movements are governed by the gravity-like forces of human society.
This is a multi-layered work, and wonderfully done.
This is a multi-layered work, and wonderfully done.
May 10, 2023
Tra tutti i libri letti ultimamente, questo è uno dei più interessanti. Un romanzo delicato e profondo, in cui il protagonista assoluto è il tempo che passa inesorabilmente.
Un gruppo di astronomi, tra ricercatori, professori e studenti, si incontra su un'isola nel 1965 per osservare il passaggio di una cometa, ma un incidente cambierà il corso della ricerca e anche di tutte le loro vite. Negli anni successivi i personaggi si allontaneranno e si rivedranno più volte in una narrazione a salti temporali, proprio come fanno le comete nel loro ritorno quasi perenne. Nel racconto l'autore stabilisce una chiara relazione tra noi e i corpi celesti, le nostre vite come orbite, noi come piccoli insignificanti pianeti minori.
Un'architettura perfetta in cui i personaggi, le loro storie, le loro vite, con tanto di gioie, dolori, debolezze e sogni infranti, si ritrovano, si allontanano e poi ritornano nel tempo, e ancora dopo anni, proprio come fanno le stelle nel loro moto perpetuo. Fino a quando non si spegneranno e il cielo continuerà senza di loro.
Un gruppo di astronomi, tra ricercatori, professori e studenti, si incontra su un'isola nel 1965 per osservare il passaggio di una cometa, ma un incidente cambierà il corso della ricerca e anche di tutte le loro vite. Negli anni successivi i personaggi si allontaneranno e si rivedranno più volte in una narrazione a salti temporali, proprio come fanno le comete nel loro ritorno quasi perenne. Nel racconto l'autore stabilisce una chiara relazione tra noi e i corpi celesti, le nostre vite come orbite, noi come piccoli insignificanti pianeti minori.
Un'architettura perfetta in cui i personaggi, le loro storie, le loro vite, con tanto di gioie, dolori, debolezze e sogni infranti, si ritrovano, si allontanano e poi ritornano nel tempo, e ancora dopo anni, proprio come fanno le stelle nel loro moto perpetuo. Fino a quando non si spegneranno e il cielo continuerà senza di loro.
May 21, 2013
I felt this book really connect with me. The analogies, symbolism, and word choice described small things in life that I have experienced over and over again in ways that I could never articulate. The astronomy metaphors are for me especially well done. The thought of gravity as a "disease" or the connections of each aphelion or perihelion of the comets orbit with the characters is done with brilliance. How the characters experience love, loss, and the mundane reflects the lives of real people, who experience joy, sorrow, and boredom. The narrator definitely had a bit too much psychoanalysis sometimes, but at other times created an atmosphere to admire or disdain the actions of each character. In the end the characters wash away from the world just as small icy bodies move to the depths of space. But even with that somber idea grow the wonderful lives that each of us experience and the love we find within its' pages.
December 4, 2017
This was an interesting book, but ultimately pretty unsatisfying. I don't like spending time on books where it turns out that everyone in the book is pretty much just a selfish me-me-me person, and then when they are like "oh I regret being selfish, look how that turned out, look how poorly that went for...me" throughout the book all the way up to the end. It's not like anyone reeeeally had any breakthroughs or started a new relationship where they were better people. And I only really felt like I got a feel for who Denise was, and maybe a little bit of Adam. The rest of them were flat people who told me their opinion of who they were but I didn't get to hear too much from anyone else to filter through what was true and wasn't. And I thought there was enough to be getting through without adding child perspectives beyond Lydia. That extra kid was just more piled on top of what was already not a particularly well-managed group.
January 4, 2017
This was a slow burner - it had pages that moved me very much, moments, where the simplest chances to amend the trajectory of lives, were missed - and these were beautiful. It didn't, however, keep me riveted, and for some reason, I failed to warm to any particular character. In fact, the depth of feelings that were revealed between certain characters, surprised me when they were realised - possibly as much as it did them. There is no doubt that Andrew Sean Greer is a very beautiful writer - but if you are choosing between this and The Confessions of Max Tivoli, dear God - grab Max with both hands, for that in comparison, is nothing short of a Supernova.
July 28, 2018
I loved Andrew Sean Greer's book Less so much that I went and got his entire ouevre from the library. This book is every bit as beautifully written.
That bit about the teeth in the mouth of the stars stayed with me for weeks, and the "cool pointillism of the air" by the Bay. I rubbed those pages against my face a little bit.
This book took me so long to finish though. I think it was all a bit too interior, the story told through flashbacks and internal mulling of the characters. I need more scene and more dialogue and more action, i guess.
Also, this book was not humorous in the way Less was. I prefer humorous to sad and contemplative, but this was lovely nonetheless.
That bit about the teeth in the mouth of the stars stayed with me for weeks, and the "cool pointillism of the air" by the Bay. I rubbed those pages against my face a little bit.
This book took me so long to finish though. I think it was all a bit too interior, the story told through flashbacks and internal mulling of the characters. I need more scene and more dialogue and more action, i guess.
Also, this book was not humorous in the way Less was. I prefer humorous to sad and contemplative, but this was lovely nonetheless.
April 8, 2021
4.5 stars really. Andrew Sean Greer is such a writer. It's the dream, to write like that. But this book does the opposite of 'Less'. If 'Less' made my heart sing, this one took a very precise slice out of it. It cut me, deeply, but it did it beautifully.
February 2, 2023
Voto finale: 4.5
November 20, 2017
I read this novel because I like Greer's short stories.
On the one hand, it contains fairly astute observations like this...
"Denise, from where she sat on the patio with her son burbling into her arm, could see her husband coming toward her from the barn. He had finally found the dog. It always surprised her how he could appear from nowhere and delight her—a calm, pedestrian delight, just a thought of Oh, it’s him!, like passing a theater showing a favorite movie. There he was, somehow finding the struggle in an otherwise simple field of grass, the dog clearly frustrated with him, his hair (she loved his hair the most) in some kind of golden tussle with the wind. She felt he deserved a gnarled stick and a backpack to go with his ruddy expression. She felt he deserved a high alp. Then she was irked, for a moment, by the thought that he would never be this way: a stick, and alp, a high terrifying view. But of course she’d known that when she married him."
And this, from the point of view of a child...
"For them, the present was a hinge between the past and future, but for her it was a wide, clear plain in which to act. No wonder she misunderstood their happiness."
On the other hand, it all didn't add up to much. The novel was kind of inert and I was relieved when I had finished it.
On the one hand, it contains fairly astute observations like this...
"Denise, from where she sat on the patio with her son burbling into her arm, could see her husband coming toward her from the barn. He had finally found the dog. It always surprised her how he could appear from nowhere and delight her—a calm, pedestrian delight, just a thought of Oh, it’s him!, like passing a theater showing a favorite movie. There he was, somehow finding the struggle in an otherwise simple field of grass, the dog clearly frustrated with him, his hair (she loved his hair the most) in some kind of golden tussle with the wind. She felt he deserved a gnarled stick and a backpack to go with his ruddy expression. She felt he deserved a high alp. Then she was irked, for a moment, by the thought that he would never be this way: a stick, and alp, a high terrifying view. But of course she’d known that when she married him."
And this, from the point of view of a child...
"For them, the present was a hinge between the past and future, but for her it was a wide, clear plain in which to act. No wonder she misunderstood their happiness."
On the other hand, it all didn't add up to much. The novel was kind of inert and I was relieved when I had finished it.
April 19, 2022
I enjoyed parts of this book and others less. I'm always impressed by authors who write about marriages, that mysterious institution with each marriage being such a unique and strange experience.
I enjoyed following the characters through their lives and how they interacted with the times
they were living in. I was less drawn into the astronomy part of the book, but the comets were
very poetic.
At times the book was a bit long and slow. The characters Eli and his wife got on my nerves at times.
However, his wife was definitely more interesting than the husband. Can't say much more....
It's an easy read, but it won't knock you out of your socks.
I enjoyed following the characters through their lives and how they interacted with the times
they were living in. I was less drawn into the astronomy part of the book, but the comets were
very poetic.
At times the book was a bit long and slow. The characters Eli and his wife got on my nerves at times.
However, his wife was definitely more interesting than the husband. Can't say much more....
It's an easy read, but it won't knock you out of your socks.
June 24, 2024
Le relazioni e le dinamiche umane possono essere tanto difficili e misteriose da comprendere quanto quelle dei corpi celesti. Dopo una piccola delusione lasciatami da Less, mi è molto piaciuto questo romanzo precedente di Greer, che affronta il tema affascinante dell'astronomia incrociandolo con le vicende dei personaggi principali perfettamente caratterizzati. Quello che ho apprezzato di più è l'espediente di narrare le vicende a distanza di sei anni, seguendo l'orbita di una cometa, senza soffermarsi su quello che accade nel periodo che intercorre ma considerandone solo le conseguenze. Un romanzo limpido e originale che rende la lettura estremamente godibile.
August 28, 2024
3.75 stars: The writing in this book was so beautiful and the discussions surrounding how people felt were very unique. The book spans decades and various characters’ points of view which portrays the ever-evolving relationships people have in their lives. Similar to the theme of a comet at its perihelion (closest) or aphelion (furthest), the main relationship throughout the story fluctuated. This book was a great portrayal of the disconnect that can happen when people don’t talk or miss their opportunity. All that being said, the characters were the absolute worst and I never want to meet people like that in real life.
November 14, 2024
I was disappointed in this book. There is some beautiful writing, mostly about the comets and the stars. The characters are not well developed and there's virtually no plot. I found it to be one of those books that's just barely good enough to keep me reading until the end. Even so, I probably would have given up on it if Andrew Sean Greer hadn't previously delighted me with Less. In fact, the only relationship in this book that rang true for me was the one that is similar to the relationship in Less. The others all seemed without basis, inauthentic, and definitely not relatable. I don't recommend this book. But do read Less.
November 26, 2017
A little bit of a slow start, then bam, everything gets complicated and thoughtful. My favorite themes: Gravity is a disease and its cure is time. Love is a disease best caught in youth. Fiery comets become cold flares. Orbits are unpredictable.
"She had always thought there would be time enough--that you could lead a certain life and then, when it faded, exchange it for the one you'd always longed for--but time was over. It was burnt to ashes now."
"She had always thought there would be time enough--that you could lead a certain life and then, when it faded, exchange it for the one you'd always longed for--but time was over. It was burnt to ashes now."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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