Play Book Tag discussion

Thirteen Ways of Looking is a collection comprised of one novella, for which the collection is named, and three short stories What Time Is It, Where You Are?, Sh'khol, and Treaty. This collection would have gotten 5 stars for the novella and Sh'khol alone. Both were incredible. The others while also good, did not rate quite as highly for me, pulling my final rating down to 4.5 Stars.

The novella introduces us to a retired New York Supreme Court judge on the last day of his life. The man is an interesting character, living on Madison Avenue with his nurse Sally, arrived there via Brooklyn, Dublin, France, and originally Lithuania. He married the girl to whom he lived next door for two years in Dublin, a girl to whom he never spoke a word until he left and began writing her daily letters. The philosophical musings on his love for his departed wife are the most beautiful sort of love story. Each chapter of the novella opens with a stanza from Wallace Stevens's poem Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, and alternates between the point of view of our judge, and the investigation into his death. I was instantly captivated by this story, and though it has one of those inconclusive sort of endings, the type in which a single sentence could have cleared it all up, I was not bothered by this. McCann has left it to the reader to make their own final judgement.

What Time Is It... was my least favorite of the three short stories. It examines the writing process of an author contracted to write a short story about New Year's Eve, and the process by which he comes to know his characters. While I loved the concept, I just didn't feel there was enough there. It is the sort of short story that for years had me saying I don't like short stories. Sh'khol on the other hand is everything I love about short stories, richly developed characters and emotions that immediately pull you in, a complete story in a bite-sized piece. This story opens on Christmas morning with the gift of a wet suit to an adolescent boy, deaf and a victim of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. McCann ripped my heart out and stitched it back together in this tale of loss and love. The final inclusion, Treaty is the story of an elderly Irish nun and her journey towards forgiveness. I was left dumbfounded how he was able to move from describe, though describe is not a strong enough word - I felt every emotion with her, confusion, desire, anger, and indifference so fluidly.

I had the pleasure of listening to this book, read by the author himself. It was literal music, from McCann's lilting Irish brogue to his ability to perfectly ennunciate the Spanish of the nun. While I greatly desire a copy of my own so I can delight in the masterful wordcraft, I strongly feel the best way to experience this collection is through the author's own voice. It adds an extra layer of beauty and pain that elevates each of the stories.

I'm excited to give this a try. I keep saying, I need to read this author. He's been recommended to me a few times. This one and Colm Tóibín which I seem inclined to confuse.

But I never know what to pick. I'm kinda on a short stories kick, so thinking this would really work . . .

Anita wrote: "I'm excited to give this a try. I keep saying, I need to read this author. He's been recommended to me a few times. This one and Colm Tóibín which I seem inclined to confuse.

But ..."

This was my first McCann and I think it was a great introduction. I definitely recommend it to you. I am personally really looking forward to reading one of his full length novels now. I just can't decide between Let the Great World Spin or TransAtlantic.

Well, I should have gone with this as opposed to Fishing the Sloe-Black River. I can tell by your description I would have had a more positive reaction.

Regina wrote: "Well, I should have gone with this as opposed to Fishing the Sloe-Black River. I can tell by your description I would have had a more positive reaction."

Probably. I highly recommend you give him another chance.