Let the Great World Spin in Pick-a-Shelf

Apr 10, 2010 Louvaine rated it really liked it

touching, often gritty, completely genuine slice of many people's lives. I love the way the author really puts you inside the different characters; you feel what they feel, think like they think, experience life from their perspective. But the best part is the way he ties it together around the beauty and artistry of the tightrope walker. Hint: I think it helps if you first watch "Man on Wire". I had just happened upon (and watched) this documentary about the tightrope walker that's in the book, ...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Stacy rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, book-club, 2011

I would give this book 4 1/2 stars. It took a little while for me to get into it though. The point of view kept changing. I liked how the author wove the lives of everyone that told the story together. It was very interesting that he wrote a story based on a real life tight rope walker in 1974. That is a strange thing to create a story around. It worked. I have to say that my favorite point of view was Tillie. It was the most interesting read. I would recommend this book. It's not really one tha ...more

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Aug 04, 2010 surfmadpig rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-english, own, megapolisomancy

People say this novel is about 9/11. Others say it is about New York.

I didn't feel it was about either, although my not being American and not having been to New York certainly influenced that. I felt it was about loss, in more ways than one. Having said that, it's very fitting how the author changes narrators and viewpoints; as soon as the reader starts liking the current narrative and/or character voice, it ends. The reader experiences loss too.

The writing style and most of the story set the ...more

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Mar 27, 2014 Marie (UK) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-reading-challenge

this is a well written book. `it has rapid fire sentence sequences which build tension and emotion. There is a layering of events throughout the book and some brilliant descriptive parts. Not really sure how the characters all impact on the story. They all seem to have a single mindedness about what they do or what has happened to them but no obvious connection with each other or the funambulist.
The author does tie it all together in the end but it left me with a sense of "there should be more" ...more

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