Usually it takes me a while to get into a book, to really get hooked and unable to put it down. Yet occasionally a book can immediately grab my interest and keep me dangling mercilessly. Téa Obreht, the gifted author of The Tiger's Wife, had me from her first word. The mystery surrounding the main character Natalia's grandfather's death immediately pulled me in, and the stories of The Deathless Man did nothing but tighten the novel's grip on my attention. I'm not sure if these stories are meant to be real real, or a folk tales, but Obreht writes in such a matter-of-fact way that I can't help but believe what she says. Many of the grandfather's stories intertwine with the plot, which you would think would be confusing, but the author writes with such talent that it causes no distraction.
I've already found a quote that left me dazed for a while: "Is your heart a sponge or a fist?" I don't know if I would want my heart to be either of the two. I mean, would you rather have a soft, malleable sponge or a stubborn fist? The richness and complexity of the novel is already so clear, and so amazing for someone who is only 27. It's no wonder she's already won a few prizes; she has talent beyond her years.
Many strings have been woven together in this novel, and Obreht has already spun the perfect web in only the first couple chapters. The fact that she has produced such a wise piece of literature so early in her career is inspiring. I'm reading this book on Kindle, so I have no idea what page I'm on, but I actually prefer it this way. I'm not going to be counting the days or pages with this novel, but instead am going to relax and enjoy a work that some are calling the "most thrilling" literary discovery in years.
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