I chanced upon his book at the local library and picked it up, mostly because I had heard of favourable responses to the Meryl Streep- starring film adaptation. Turned out to be a rewarding impulse! It is a work of art, beautifully constructed.
The book is narrated by the author. It is based on the time period he spent in Brooklyn, and the two friends he makes there, Nathan and Sophie. It is his take on Nathan and Sophie's tumultuous, exhausting relationship that we perceive. There is some element of autobiography, which adds to the credibility of the world he creates.
He manages to engage the reader instantaneously and it is almost as if you are magically transported into his world, being permitted to gaze at the chain of events unfolding as he narrates. Escaping into the world of 1960s Brooklyn doesn’t seem like the most inviting of prospects at first, but the characters he peoples his world with strive to make it so. The author writes parts of the book in Sophie’s Polish-accented English, allowing the reader to visualise her clearly in his/ her imagination. Flashbacks to Sophie’s past work wonderfully well as a device in both fleshing out her character and adding to the suspense culminating in the story’s climax. Ultimately, you’re left wondering as to what proportion of the book is autobiography and whether Sophie really existed...
