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Book Review of Let the Great World Spin

Let the Great World Spin
Chocoholic avatar reviewed on + 291 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 11


You know, I wasn't going to write a review of this book at first. At first, I was ready to quit and say I tried, and give it up for a lost cause. I am so glad that I stuck with this book! It is a real treat to read.

This book is about a dozen people living in NYC in 1974 and how their lives intersected on one fateful day. There is a religious zealot, an artist, a judge, a housewife, a prostitute, a nurse, and a few others. On this particular day, a tightrope walker decides to take a hike across the urban canyon between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. A lot of people saw this tightrope walker do his thing, and parts of his story are interspersed with the others, and how one small act has reverberations throughout many lives.

Now, I almost quit this book because the first story (about the religious zealot) didn't really seem to make sense in the grand scheme of things. The second story, likewise, but if you stay with it, and keep reading, you will see the pattern that emerges.

Now if you're looking for mystery, or action, adventure, and thrills, then look elsewhere, because this book is totally not about any of those. It's very much character-driven. One would even say that the characterizations are very rich and inclusive.

It is a really great story and I'm glad that I read it. I was sorry to see the ending though, it rather sprung up more quickly than I had anticipated.