When I heard about Jennifer Egan's recent book, The Candy House, I was intrigued, but since it uses the same universe as her book from about a decade ago, A Visit from the Goon Squad, I decided to read that one first. What navigational skill! Jennifer presses the boundaries of the novel, barely binding a collection of stories into one cohesive experience - this is almost a short-story collection. Or perhaps it is a collection of shorts that was satisfyingly connected. Either way, my attention was rapt.
Only kept two quotes:
Page 205: Hilarity keeps you busy for several blocks, but there's a sickness to it, like an itch that if you keep on scratching, will grind straight through skin and muscle and bone, shredding your heart.
Page 337: It was one of those days when every intersection brings up another familiar face, old friends and friends of friends, acquaintances, and people who just look familiar.
ALSO! I am thrilled to announce that I have a novel coming out November 1st! It is called The Runestone's Promise and it's being published by Unsolicited Press out of Portland, Oregon. Set in 1799 Norway, I found the bones of the story in some family genealogy records. It was fun to write and very satisfying to see being put into print. I'm currently working on my third novel.
