A.K. Frailey’s Reviews > Echosis > Status Update

This is one of those books I'll never forget. There are so many characters who touch real-world issues and draw out the complexities of our human struggle. It brings out the very best of good literature, the sense that each human is really isolated, but a part of a greater whole. As Derik struggles to form and protect his own art and what he and his friends have created, he can't help but change the world.

I like how the characters have various levels of depth. Even "side" characters are growing interesting because of the way they bounce off and reflect the main characters. It's very much like getting to know people in the real world...at first, they seem flat and you categorize them according to old understandings, but with experience, you have to make adjustments and take individuals out of categories altogether.

I em enjoying the personal and cultural revelations and revolutions occurring in various layers in this story. A bit of romance, mystery, social commentary. Similar to Victor Hugo's reflection on the French world, so Roark, through excellent writing and honest insight, considers the state of American culture from an artistic perspective. Which just means...he helps us see what is hidden in plain sight.

I am really enjoying this story. Each character is fully developed and there is a depth here that one rarely encounters. Not only do I now see New York as a place but also as a state of mind. Lots of interplay between physical interactions, psychological games, and a touch of spiritual realities.