"I loved this all over again on rereading, but realized that what stuck with me so hard from childhood wasn't the action (which was actually minimal in a lot of the book) or the characters or the plot, but the visuals. They're really strong, and the book itself is full of these very cinematic sequences, brain-searing sequences. I heard there was a film version made and it was awful, which is a shame—the right filmmaker could have done super things with it. Maybe as an animated film, or something with really good CGI.

Anyway, it was still visually resonant, still a good comfort read. More, elsewhere, soon."

" 4.5

I was hesitant to start this new novel by Hernan Diaz even though I loved his previous book In the Distance. It seems to be the reception to this work is decidedly marmite and I was concerned I was going to be disappointed.

No need to fear! This was like Diaz invited Edith ( Wharton ) and Micheal (Lewis) over for tea and they discussed a novel that was about Money and Class, Finance and Myth-making. Edith agreed to pen the book "Bonds" and Lewis did a little of his collateralized debt obligation explanation. Virginia ( Woolf ) couldn't make the meeting but sent in some diary entries. I get why that mix might be anathema to some, but it mostly worked for me.
I really like this author for his quizzical, critical eye, and his willingness to play with the reader's expectations. But mostly I love him for taking a sledgehammer to 'American mythologies'. As the author himself says I love working with clichés and precipitated historical narratives, hardened over time. They call for geological exploration. - and I certainly enjoy what he unearths.

Did Diaz entirely make this work? Maybe not ( I need a reread to be convinced ) but nevertheless, this is my pick of the 2022 Booker longlist (so far). Seemingly a controversial position!"

"4.0 Stars
This story has such a messy, winding narrative. I usually have a strong preference for tight narratives so this one really shouldn't have worked for me. Yet something about this novel worked with my brain. I loved it from the first few chapters. I found myself rereading paragraphs because I just wanted to spend time appreciating the writing. It's a long book and I didn't think it was perfect. I wish this one would have been a touch shorter because I eventually grew weary of the stylized writing.

This is a novel that I really enjoyed but I can't blindly recommend it to everyone. This will likely work best for readers looking for a unique narrative approach and don't mind a longer book."