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May 27, 2018VaughanPLAlyssia rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I’m of two minds about this book, because I loved the first three quarters or so but found it went in a weird and, quite frankly, boring direction towards the end. I don’t know how it happened so quickly. I think it’s because Pinch becomes more isolated, and I just don’t find him a compelling character on his own. He’s a man who’s never grown out of father’s shadow; all of his self-identity is tied to his relationship with his father. As Pinch gets older it becomes harder to root for him when he is still so dependent. But aside from that, I greatly enjoyed most of this novel. I’m a sucker for books about artists, and I won’t lie and say I wasn’t drawn to this book by its gorgeous cover. Tom Rachman’s writing is perfunctory (no frills) but his characters (aside from Pinch) are all vivid, from Bear to Natalie to Pinch’s friends in Toronto. He also really brings to life a sense of place, particularly the segment in Rome.