Our somewhat sporadic book club met last night to discuss Everything is Illuminated. As usual, some of us loved it, some us, not so much. Also as usual, the conversation was stimulating; I always love talking shop with other readers, gleaning new insights and approaches, discovering anew how different the reading experience is for each reader.
I was particularly appreciative of Danielle’s invocation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez – despite how much I enjoyed Everything is Illuminated, I hadn’t taken the time to question exactly why. With the mention of Magic Realism, and in particular One Hundred Years of Solitude, everything was, indeed, illuminated. So, to add to my previous recommendation, if you liked OHYS, you’ll probably enjoy EII.
Our next book is George Singleton’s The Half-Mammals of Dixie, a collection of short stories set in the American South.