Clarissa Recommends: This Week's Book Pick

“The History of Love” by Nicole Krauss - This book was warmly received and heartily discussed by the Angleton Library Book Club at its November meeting. Several were so taken with the book that they decided to pass the recommendation on to others, such was their delight at finding a truly well written piece of literature. While the character development left a bit to be desired, the story’s prose was captivating and seemed to be written with wisdom beyond the author’s relatively young years. For example, one of my favorite lines in the novel: “Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering.” It may be on the corny side, but it draws a sharp breath from this confirmed romantic.

The story centers around elderly Leo Gurksy and 15-year-old Alma Singer, two completely unrelated characters save for their deep connection to a rare book, “The History of Love.” As the story begins, Leo is at the end of his life; an elderly man who lives with a fear of dying without being discovered for days. He feels invisible in society and makes a point of being seen everyday, sometimes buying a drink even when not thirsty, or knocking over a display with deliberate clumsiness. Bruno, Leo’s upstairs neighbor and friend, is a frequent visitor and the two men often tap on the radiator in code to make sure the other is still alive. Alma Singer is floundering in the wake of her father’s death, trying in every way imaginable to keep his memory alive. Her mother has grown despondent and Bird, Alma’s younger brother, is a social misfit who clings to his Jewish faith with an obsessive passion and believes he may be the Messiah.

Krauss did a superb job of writing a story so deftly crafted that, once the last page is read, the reader will be left with still more questions to ponder. Although the characters seemed to lack truly distinctive voices (Leo and Alma seemed to read very similar to me, however I kept hearing Woody Allen’s voice in my head for Leo), their passages keep the reader’s interest piqued, if only to figure out whom the narrator was at a particular time. While “The History of Love” can be a bit head-scratching at times, it is nonetheless a beautifully written tale of love of every sort, at every age, and how mysterious are its ways. Perhaps it is Krauss’ closing lines that are the most haunting: “Really, there isn’t much to say. He was a great writer. He fell in love. It was his life.”

The Angleton Library Book Club will meet Monday, December 3 to discuss “The Sleeping Beauty Proposal” by Sarah Strohmeyer. Any who are interested are welcome to sit in on the discussion and should call the library for more info.

This title can be reserved through the Brazoria County Library System at 979-864-1519, or by visiting its web site at Brazoria County Library System.

That's all for this week and happy reading!