Thursday 25 November 2010

The Glass Harmonica

Finished November 24
The Glass Harmonica by Russell Wangersky
I have to say that I was absolutely enchanted by this book. It is set on one street, McKay Street in St. John's, Newfoundland. Each chapter is linked to a house on the street and involves residents, visitors, and intruders. All the events take place between 1980 and 2006, but they don't come to us in chronological order. Each event links to others, sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly. We see things from so many points of view that we get a real sense of the people who live here and what their lives consist of.
From elderly residents with dementia, to young children, to single professionals, the characters all bring something unique to the book.
We see the relationships between them, misunderstandings, and missed opportunities. As an omniscent observer, we see more than normal and that makes the difference for this book.
Absolutely outstanding!

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