Steal this Book...

Actually, do not steal this book, but everyone should try to read this book. I read it for D-Rock's class my first semester in Grad School and was not all that impressed with it. It was good, but did not really stick with me. However, I began rereading it after attempting to begin Second Hand Smoek by Thane Rosenbaum, and once again getting sidetracked, and I was much more impressed this time around. Richard Powers has a fabulous style. I get the distinct impression that he is an author that places great importance on his craft, and conducts meticulous research before writing.

This is one thing I have always respected about Philip Roth. He always conducts great research, and places a great emphasis on a very clear, distinct, and well worded style of prose. This is one thing I always liked about Hemingway, also. Of getting proper wording Hemingway famously stated that he rewrote the end to A Farewll to Arms like a thousand times. An interviewer then asked him what caused him to rewrite it some many times, and Hemingway casually responded, "Getting the words right." I think getting the words right, and dedication to the actual craft of writing is becoming a lost art and I respect authors who show a devotion to their craft.

Powers shows this type of dedication to his craft. In this work he has taken as single portrait from a train station in Detroit and written an intricate novel about three people woven together around this portrait. The name of the book comes from an actual portrait taken by famed photographer August Sander in 1914 just before the start of War World I. The book is about history, biography, and the things that make the 20th century different from its predecessors. As he weaves this tale (and not in chronological order) he mixes real people with the fictional. As a review on the internet states, "If you have ever looked at an old photograph and wondered about the circumstances as to when it was taken, you will appreciate the approach of this writer." From one photo, Powers has written a book about the entire twentieth century. To be honest I am not sure this book will be for everyone because it is kind of high brow and intelluctual, but I think it is fabulous.