Leo Gursky taps his radiator each evening to let his upstairs neighbor know he’s still alive. But it wasn’t always like this: in the Polish village of his youth, he fell in love and wrote a book…Sixty years later and half a world away, fourteen-year-old Alma, who was named after a character in that book, undertakes an adventure to find her namesake and save her family. With virtuosic skill and … and soaring imaginative power, Nicole Krauss gradually draws these stories together toward a climax of “extraordinary depth and beauty” (Newsday).
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This book sat on my Mom’s bookshelf for ages; then it sat on my mine. Picked up the other day, read the jacket, then read the reviews and even though it still did not spark my interest, I gave it a try. Excellent choice!
First, the writing. Different styles and presentations for its varying characters. Krauss devotes individual chapters to the development of her characters; her writing style for a specific character further defines the depth and persona of that individual. From riotous laughter to abject sadness, Krauss weaves an intriguing tale that appears to center on love, life and death, but, for me, its hallmark is that of imagination and spirit.
I must warn the reader, this book can be anxiety producing as it keeps you off balance until the end when all is made clear in a sense – you are given the fodder but you also have to think a little and read between the lines. The History of Love is an ingenious work of writing with characters that are well developed yet call for speculation. A glorious read that challenges your mind and leaves you satisfied yet pondering the fates of lesser characters, opening doors to your imagination. In the end, my kind of book!
This is my favorite book.
Everyone I’ve talked to who has read this book has loved it. What did you love about it @annie @bridget @dianacow? My friend is writing an essay on how lonely the characters are. What did you think?
“The History of Love” is that amazing, beautiful book everyone wishes their book club would pick to read. I’ll admit that the title was discouraging to me at first — I thought it was going to be a boring, sappy romance with no real substance. But that’s basically the opposite of what “The History of Love” is. This is a book about true love, the kind of love that lasts lifetimes. It’s about different kinds of love, and about heartbreak, and about healing, and it’s really, really beautifully written. Scenes from this book have stayed with me for years and still make me shiver with how GOOD they were.
It’s the kind of book you’ll be bursting to talk about with other people, to think through out loud, to admire the gorgeous language, to process the mind-blowing plot twists…which is why you should convince your book club to give “The History of Love” a go.
Tender, sad, and at times, outright hilarious.
It was a beautiful way to look at loneliness, it made me feel compassion for my fellow human beings, sometimes we meet people and we are quick to judge them for their “weird or awkward behavior” but we don’t know why they are like that ?? I could truly tell you that I read this book 3 years ago and I am still practicing having patience and compassion for a person who is ” awkward, or who behaves strange” just because I don’t know why?? This book thought me that.
The writing! She’s a gift to our generation.
Original and intelligent writing. A very enjoyable read.
I was not as thrilled by this book as many others were. I honestly found the premise to be too much taken from other writings. It was an easy read and don’t really recommend it. There are much better books out there.
It was hard keeping up with the characters
I couldn’t relate to this story – the voice was confusing to me. I don’t think I even finished it.
Loved the main character, he was so real. The author described the characters so well, I good almost hear them talking out loud. Interesting book and I enjoyed reading it.
Didn’t really like it.
A story of the greatest sadness that will still make you laugh. The characters drawn so well I could see them and hear them in front of me. Pathos without preciousness. My all time favorite book.
Great characters, heartwarming, profound at times. Original story told in beautiful prose. A literary puzzle not easily forgotten. 2nd time reading.
It wasn’t as good as I was expecting. Maybe it was MY mood.
Fantastic book! Couldn’t put it down.
One of my favorites!
confusing
This is the most wonderful book. I didn’t want it to end. The writing is superb. The storyline is amazing. It is unpredictable, thought provoking and heartfelt.