1/2 * half a star - This Title is misleading - this is a book of unconnected stories and in no way a novel. It was probably called a "novel" by the publisher for more sales, as short story collections often do not sell as well. The first is about a British man and the horrors of the holocaust - it is the best of the 5 stories, but seems to end without insight and with a whimper. The second (set around 1859) is about a boy placed in the work house in England so that his family will not starve. It reads like the outline for a possibly good novel unrealized. The third, set in 2029 Italy, seems to be about proving the neurological basis of "human self awareness" and therefore the impossibility off existence after death. ???? I have not finished the book yet, but feel angry and tricked into reading this book. I liked "Birdsong" and "Charlotte Gray" so was excited to see a new title by Faulks. I am not finished yet, but my advise so far: DO NOT BOTHER TO READ THIS BOOK.

posted Feb 27, 2013 at 1:56AM

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