Apeirogon

Apeirogon is such an incredibly clever and affecting novel. With great skill and attention to every detail, Colum McCann delivers 1001 vignettes that come together seamlessly in the story of two grieving fathers, Bassam and Rami. There are so many pieces in this novel–all related to one another, but many loosely. It's fascinating how McCann successfully pulls together all this material–including nods to his own earlier novels–into a cohesive narrative.

And yet, it's so terribly convoluted for a reader. It's a little like viewing a huge mural shaped around a specific theme, and trying to mentally put all the pieces together. Because of this, I wonder if Apeirogon is a novel best read slowly, and repeatedly. It's a difficult task to take everything in. This is a novel that is brilliant and incredibly touching, but so meandering that it is too easy to get lost. I won't be surprised to see McCann net a nomination for a couple large Prizes with this one, but it's not likely to ever be regarded as one of his more accessible works.