Crenshaw's Books & Decks

The novel tells the story of a couple of New Yorkers, who are separating and in a process of personal alienation from each other, which see their lives turned upside down by the events of September/11. The novel also reflects on the different ways that different people cope when destruction and trauma hits their lives.

The novel is well written, well composed and with a great atmosphere; it is also raw and honest, but emotionally engaging. DeLillo uses a concise but precise English, and he is able to describe emotional and psychological states in few words still portraying the depth of the character's feelings, emotions and thoughts with credibility. They feel real and close to the reader, even if the reader is not an American or has lived the trauma of the 9/11.

My favourite part of the book is the first one of the three, in which the husband narrates in first person his experience, physical and emotional, when the attacks happened, and also the account, in the 3rd person, of what happened to a female friend who happened to be in the World Trade Centre.

I did not find necessary, the pages devoted to the recreation of the terrorists' planning and psychology. These chapters are really distracting, they do not help to build atmosphere or chisel better the main characters; also, they drive the reader away out of the main story without necessity. We don't need to know what motivated the terrorists, but on the effects of their attacks on the people who suffered them. On the other hand, we have to praise DeLillo for not letting himself be carried away, because he does offer a non-judgemental realistic composition of these characters and their own process of alienation.

I found the third part of the book -in which we see the outcome of the situation between the couple- a bit different in mood and connectivity to the other two, not as believable, and a bit of let down.

A very good read, overall.