The title of this book sucks. It sounds like the sort of book most commonly read by a middle-aged, slightly overweight woman that wears brightly colored lipstick that is also on her teeth, and it’s apparent that she took a long time to do her hair but it still ended up looking frizzy, and out of place… Explaining why my guy friends would try to hide the cover while reading it in coffee shops, or on public transportation.
Anyway, the title becomes more understandable and forgivable once the book is read, because it’s also the title of the book within the book, which significantly unifies the multiple time-periods, characters, and storylines. Krauss gives a dynamic ballet-like performance making tangible the subjects of life that are difficult to word: death, beauty, longing, fear, love, apathy, loneliness. “Is it enough to say… indescribable? No. Better to try and fail than not to try at all.” Her character Leopold Gursky says within the first few pages of the book. This seems to be her attitude in her well choreographed novel, and she succeeds.
Experienced mostly through the lives of a depressed, lonely, dark-humored old man about to die, and a bold, curious, coming-of age girl trying to soothe her mother’s depression, the novel weaves together a beautiful tale of colliding paths due to a little-known book “The History of Love.” I feel as if the well-crafted story was a bit ruined for me by reviews, so that’s all I want to say, because part of the exhilaration of the novel lies within drawing conclusions, making connections between characters, and becoming increasingly aware of where the plot is moving.
Although, now one of my favorites, my criticisms can be described like this: In my pursuits of writing, my Father once read a work of mine, and stated “You know, Nicole, you don’t have to hit it every time, sometimes, something can just be said.” Like a nail on the head, he was trying to prevent my eagerness in every paragraph to incorporate a lesson, create a deep pang, discuss the point of life… because when left in contemplative fire too long, writing gets overcooked, and tough to chew. Krauss tries to “hit it” every time, and she mostly does, but it makes for a novel that’s a bit too overdone in parts.
I think it is also important to discuss her “screw what I was taught” writing style, where she breaks all the rules, but in such an honest way that everyone will excuse her for it. She begins paragraphs with no-no words, uses italics instead of quotations, and makes full sentences of the words “And yet.” And “But.” demanding the reader acknowledge particular emphasises. Also, there are such original extracts that reach me so deeply that I try to keep a copy near me at all times to be able to reference the passage. There is probably not a page that went by that I didn’t underline something noteworthy or moving.
Perhaps most catching for me are the vulnerable descriptions of writing interlaced throughout her work. With abundantly honest phrases like “When I got older I decided I wanted to be a real writer. I tried to write about real things. I wanted to describe the world, because to live in an undescribed world was too lonely.” And, “Even though I thought I’d been writing it for myself, the truth was that I wanted someone to read it.” Her voice is audibly clear speaking through her aspiring writer character, and being just that, I found much delight in it.
I truly believe Krauss will be a legendary writer of this generation as she continuously works out her kinks, and evolves into the writer that she desperately wants to become. She has a realistic yet creative understanding of life and death and many inventive analogies to make about both. She trusts her audience to make the correct plot and character conclusions which is not an easy task to learn, and she displays the skill perfectly. Expect great things from Nicole Krauss, and while you’re at it, expect to enjoy The History of Love.
Order it on Amazon!
