A great author has the ability to create multiple characters who aren't just archetypes, stereotypes, or one-sided, boring creatures. Colum McCann not only has the ability to rise above the common character but to create people who are so lifelike that you feel like you have met them before and have known them, off and on, for years.
This book is great fiction because it seems so real. I can't put a book down when the writing not only puts you into a specific time and place, but puts you into a quasi-memory. The settings and dialogue of the characters creates a new reality that you find it hard to pull yourself away from.
Each character exhibits a certain amount of sadness and curiosity that I think most people probably feel on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis, but is incredibly hard to write about. This is where I think great fiction helps us as individuals, to take solace in the fact that we are not alone, and to help us understand how other people feel. Even though we interact with people every day, we know very little about how their minds and emotions work. Fiction gives us small glimpses into how humans operate.
Plus, I liked how McCann connected the characters together without going overboard. I highly recommend this book to folks looking for a good fiction.
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