BOW: Great House

Hello again, dear readers! It's that time of the week again where we get to review the BOW, and I have to admit that I am especially excited about discussing Nicole Krauss' Great House with you. As many of you know, her previous novel, History of Love, ranks as one of my absolute favorite books of all time, and it was only a month ago when I featured Man Walks into a Room (her debut novel) right here on NovelTease.

So what is there to say about Krauss' latest work of art? Well, lots of things, but how about starting with the novel's very novel form? The story is broken into two parts, both containing four chapters that feature a different narrator telling what seems to be a distinct story but that in fact starts to overlap and coalesce. In this way, we get to hear from all four narrators twice (well, almost--the last chapter in both parts involves the same characters but comes from two different perspectives), but either way, with this atypical form Krauss allows us to pick up where we left off, but with new understanding gleaned from the other stories in orbit. Another interesting aspect of this structure is that the story has no real center in terms of plot; yes, all four stories are physically tied together by an incredible desk, but as far as a "main story," there isn't one, really. In fact, the characters seem to revolve more around shared thematic issues of absence: at one point, one of the narrators talking about his wife says that, "at the center of her was her abysmal loss," and this comment is telling of the story's center as well.

Yes indeed. Loss, memory, doubt, grief...all of these nebulous issues penetrate the four loosely yet essentially interwoven narratives presented in Great House, forging an intricate and paradoxical spider web of shared emotions connecting rather solitary individuals. Interesting (to me at least) is that these issues--especially memory--have continually resurfaced in my own pursuits, including my thesis studies and fellowship work. Perhaps these shared interests are part of what draws me to Krauss' writing...when I read her novels, I feel like I'm hearing echoes of my own thoughts--except the inverse of an echo, because her words are more polished than mine, her ideas more penetrative.

Bottom line: I totally have a friend crush on Ms. Krauss, and kind of think we could be besties (except for I can't imagine her using a word like "bestie"). I actually came across a brief but superb interview of my new BFF at PBS, and if you check it out you'll see: a. why she is so crush-able; and b. the many reasons this novel is so intriguing, so unique and richly layered. While Great House does not blend deep loss with the same kind of raucous humor and romantic love we find in History, loss does rub elbows here with familial ties, with the deep and imperfect love we are born into and carry with us...

FYI-Next week's BOW will be Leif Enger's So Brave, Young, and Handsome--"a voyage of redemption and renewal into the great heart of the American west." I hope you'll join me in reading this follow-up to the masterful Peace Like a River.