When "Let The Great World Spin" came out, in 2009, it received a lot of attention. I read it, and, at the time, I was not blown away. I had no intention of reading it again.
Then, my workplace chose it as the subject of a massive, staff wide book discussion. My first thought was, "Why did they have to select that thing?" But, on second thought, I decided to give it another try, because, not always, but in some cases, I have found that I respond more to books on a second reading. Maybe my head was in the right place, emotionally, the first time.
Well, this turned out to be true, because, on a second reading, I found Colum McCann's novel engaging and moving.. It was also surprisingly Joycean, in structure and lyric style, weaving a group of New Yorkers--a living saint (Corrigan), some prostitutes, a Park Avenue widow and a group of mothers who lost their sons in Viet Nam, with the story of Philippe Petit's wire walk across the twin towers. Sounds crazy, here, I know, but it works, thanks to McCann's skill, and not overreaching his hand. Not one moment or character is allowed to upstage anyone or anything else, so what he creates on print is an epic tapestry that is a social microcosm for the city at this time.
I found it surprisingly poignant, though not a doggie downer, like Joan Didion. But, then, nobody writes like Joan, anyway, and you may take that both ways, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Leave it to the Irish when it comes to lyricism. Here I dissed my workplace for not selecting something more classic, like Henry Roth's "Call It Sleep," or Betty Smith's "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn." Yet, on a second reading of this work, I discovered the selection was today's equivalent of these two earlier works of New York life,
Not such a bad choice, after all. And thanks for giving me a second chance to discover that for myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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