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Book Reviews The World to Come by Dara Horn
Horn introduces readers to the thief and protagonist of the novel in the very first chapter of the book, a middle-aged former child prodigy by the name of Benjamin Ziskind, a man whose physical infirmities have directed his life on an interesting path. The narrative thread then jumps around, following different episodes in the lives of various members of the Ziskind family tree. Location changes as well, with the reader spending time with Benjamin's maternal grandfather in a Russian orphanage in the 1920s, with it then whisking the reader off to the jungles of Vietnam to follow along with Benjamin's father. All the while, the novel asks the reader to ponder the meaning of the idea “the world to come,” and how certain choices in life are capable of molding a person into who they do or do not want to be, and how one can go about changing. The World To Come is an involving read, one that begins to fly by once the reader gets into the meat the story. It becomes one of the those special books that is difficult to put down as one tries to discover the fate of characters like Benjamin, his sister Sara, her husband Leonid, and Benjamin's love interest Erica. Some of the answers are satisfied by book's ending, while others will leave the reader with answers that will have to be decided by the reader themselves. Even with a lack of traditional resolution, The World To Come does not prove any less satisfying a tale. Instead, it allows the reader to discover more about themselves as they ask themselves what the book really meant. If somehow you missed out on this wonderful offering by Dara Horn, take the time to go back and explore The World To Come , as it truly is one of the most enjoyable and involving books of 2006, with a unique story idea loosely based on a real event. More likely than not, one will decide that The World To Come was well worth the time and effort. For those interested in other works by Dara Horn, the author does have a website at www.darahorn.com. Katelyn Wazny A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon
Haddon’s brilliant talent for showing his character’s idiosyncrasies and faults while not rending the character unbelievable and ridiculous is again on display. The voice that worked so well in his writing of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time makes the situations of all the central characters very understandable. The reader will find relatable moments to each of characters as they all ask themselves the basic question of “Why am I here, and what do I want out of life?” The book’s pacing is good, with chapters alternating between the viewpoints of the various family members. It makes the plot all the more striking when you can see how the characters each try and deal with the struggles everyday life in their own way. In his first novel truly aimed at an adult audience, Haddon’s voice for each of the characters is spot on. One should be warned however, as a A Spot of Bother really is an adult novel aimed at an adult audience, so the novel is much stronger in its adult language and content than the author’s previous offering. Much like his past work, A Spot of Bother has a slightly open ending. The events of the book are not packaged neatly, and not all issues have been resolved. But one does get a sense of where the characters are now heading, and this proves deeply satisfying in the sense that it’s always nice to have a vague hint of where one’s life is heading. For fans of Mark Haddon’s first novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, A Spot of Bother is a must-read. The story is engaging, the pacing is quick, and the tale itself has been artfully crafted by the author. For all fans of good storytelling, A Spot of Bother is well worth the time to sit down with. Katelyn Wazny |
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In the onslaught of the holiday season, it's easy to forget to take time for one's self and curl up with a good book. With the holidays winding down, and winter settling in, take time to investigate one of the best new books of released in the fall of 2006, Dara Horn's novel The World To Come . A mystery story in more ways than one, this novel is far from the typical whodunit; instead, the reader is immediately given view of the theft of a priceless Marc Chagall painting by a former child prodigy convinced that the painting had once hung in his family's living room. The mystery of the book is instead a winding tale spanning several decades, exploring the history of the thief's family and the novel's titular question: what exactly is the world to come? 
For avid readers, the discovery of a talented, new face in a burgeoning book-world with the emergence of Mark Haddon was like stumbling upon a fabulous gemstone covered by gravel. Haddon made a splash with his debut novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Now the celebrated initial entrance is followed up by his latest offering A Spot of Bother.
