Whistler
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I opened this book and instantly knew I would love it; it was truly love at first sight. I’d never read any Ann Patchett, but she was on my radar recently because of the multiple references in The Correspondent. Now, I want everything she’s ever written. I would legitimately become disoriented after reading– I’d feel like I was completely absorbed in her world and then ripped out of it. I wanted Eddie and Daphne in my life.
This book is an English teacher’s wet dream (positive connotation). So many things to underline! The play on words, the symbolism, the pacing, the suspense. This is a book that you annotate. Patchett’s attention to detail is immaculate.
It’s also kind of a book about nothing– very Seinfeld-esque. I don’t actually believe that; this book was incredibly moving to me. But the plot was very stripped down and straightforward. The entire book circles a single event, but the real meat of it is the characters’ dialogue and everyday lives. The dialogue and mannerisms were so spot-on that it felt like a screenplay. It also almost reads like a mystery– slowly unspooling the threads of the event. Patchett skillfully honors the passage of time, and the relationship that unfolds is very endearing– I was out here smiling ear to ear at my book like a loser.
So, the biggest complaint in the streets is that it’s boring. If you think it’s boring, then you’re boring lol. Nah, I mean, I do see how that’s a valid criticism. Because it’s circling the same event, there’s mundanity and repetition. It’s meandering. But for me, the event, the characters, and their understanding of the world were inherently interesting. I wasn’t bored because they weren’t boring. I could have read them talk about the event ad nauseam. I wish Patchett had added 100 more pages of the same shit!
This might be the best book of the year for me, and it certainly receives 5 out of 5 flames.
