It seems I start so many reviews out this way....I've had this book on my "to read" shelf for a long time now, and I really, really wish I'd gotten to it sooner. I can see why it got the Pulitzer. I devoured it in two long Saturdays of reading, last and this, and it turned out to be one of those books that I regret being over.
I loved the mix of Dominican history, something I first got curious about through Julia Alvarez, and the "Genres," stuff I've been reading for years. The storylines of the different members of the Cabral family were so beautifully told. I loved the narrative voice and its endless footnote digressions. I found myself laughing hysterically and learning stuff, too. Can you ask for more than that, really?
The book just moved me. I am still turning bits of it over in my mind, and in time, I will definitely reread it. Oscar himself reminds me of people I know, famous characters from other pieces of literature, and the whole thing is a bit like a horrifying fairy tale set in a place not imagined by too real to have been dreamed up. I want to put it on my reading list for my course, but because of the strength of the content, I may have to forego that. I will recommend it here, though. It is one of the five best books I've read this year, hands down. If you're interested, you can click the image of it above and go right to its listing on Amazon.
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And then you said.....