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Manhattan Beach

Jennifer Egan

Start date: March 15, 2018

Finish date: April 11, 2018

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Apr 03, 2018 Kenneth Hardcastle rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, ebook

This novel takes place on the American home front of World War II. It primarily follows Anna, daughter of streetwise Eddie Kerrigan, who vanished five years ago. Anna works in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, supporting her mother and disabled sister. She dreams of becoming a diver and exploring the ocean floor. Then one day she encounters Dexter Styles, a man she remembers from her childhood. Her father used to work for Dexter, and Anna becomes convinced that he could help her unravel the reason for his This novel takes place on the American home front of World War II. It primarily follows Anna, daughter of streetwise Eddie Kerrigan, who vanished five years ago. Anna works in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, supporting her mother and disabled sister. She dreams of becoming a diver and exploring the ocean floor. Then one day she encounters Dexter Styles, a man she remembers from her childhood. Her father used to work for Dexter, and Anna becomes convinced that he could help her unravel the reason for his disappearance. The viewpoint shifts between Anna, Eddie, and Dexter at various points in time over about 10 years.

The book felt really disjointed. Anna’s story of striving to be the first woman diver was solidly compelling, but Dexter’s story of a mobster having an epiphany was weaker, and didn’t really match. Eddie’s story of a good man doing what must be done is similarly compelling, but very jarring, especially near the end. The three threads were well-written, and might have each made their own book, but the effect when they are all together is somewhat lackluster. The other women in the novel flitted in and out at a rate of storytelling props, to appear when needed and to be unceremoniously discarded when they had filled their purpose. The treatment of diversity was an odd side note. There is nuance in the portrayal of a couple of secondary black characters, but it left a strange impression when the main characters each briefly think about how difficult their lives must be. It’s certainly better than no diversity, but it felt a bit like checking a box.

There were several plot threads that ended murkily, while other twists were telegraphed well in advance. These definitely aren’t storytelling crimes, but in total it adds to my disjointed critique. As consolation, Ms. Egan’s research into this novel was excellent, and she demonstrates superb understanding of human psychology with brilliant parallels over time. The writing was excellent in a very complex narrative, but the story didn’t quite get there for me. ...more

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Apr 16, 2018 Teresa rated it it was ok

The book was ok. There were some parts that I liked and thought were interesting, but mostly I felt why am I reading this.

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Dec 14, 2017 Julia marked it as to-read

Apr 11, 2018 Anne rated it really liked it

Shelves: digital-discourse, 2018

Apr 08, 2018 Readridinghood is currently reading it

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