Annie Dillard is one of the most brilliant writers of our day. Her style verges on perfection, poetically evocative and emotionally honest. I was first introduced to her writing by a French woman, who was taking English as a second language. Her teacher had recommended Annie Dillard's essays as an example of the very best writing to be found in the English language (specifically Teaching a Stone to Talk). I read the essays that my foreign friend recommended, and agreed with her teacher. Her essays are exquisite.
That being said, I must say that this was not an enjoyable read for me. In her essays, that I love so much, Dillard comes to a point. She expresses her reaction to a given situation, and we go away understanding what it felt like to have lived in her shoes for that moment of time. Somehow, that just doesn't come across in this novel. There are plenty of lovely passages evoking emotion, but often I was left pondering upon what exactly had caused that emotion in the character. There seemed no connection between characters and events. It struck me as one long prose poem without rhyme or reason. Beauty without meaning does not appeal to me. By the time I got to the end, when an enormous act of sacrifice is made, I no longer cared enough about any of the characters to feel the sacrifice.
In a nutshell, if you loved the English Patient, then you may love this book. Otherwise, try reading Dillards brilliant essays. You won't be disappointed.
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