Book – The History of Love
By Nicole Krauss

This was the second novel in the pack of 3 that I bought recently. The linking theme seems to be the effects of World War II on Eastern Europeans and the follow-on effects in contemporary society.

The History of Love is based around 2 vividly drawn characters. A Polish writer in his 80s now living in New York and a 14 year old girl who is named after the female character in a book called The History of Love. The writer is lonely and does all he can to make sure he is noticed before he dies and the young girl is desperately trying to find a way (preferably a man) to make her mother happy. The story unfolds from a number of perspectives, constantly shifting location and period but the characters hold it together. In many ways, the structure (and themes) of the novel are very similar to Jonathon Safran Foer’s Everything Is Illuminated and it was a surprise to find that Nicole Krauss is Safran Foer’s wife. It is interesting how similar their works seem, but in interviews, Krauss suggests that it is because of their similar ways of thinking and interests, rather than collaboration.

This is a beautiful novel and once again, I feel I read it too quickly. The way the stories interweave is enchanting and often suspenseful – one story picks up just as something important is to be revealed in another. The characters are very real and the language and style is very readable – the sort of literary fiction that you can read without a thesaurus on hand. It is also a beautiful statement about the power of literature and the art of writing.

I would definitely recommend this novel and I am looking forward to reading Krauss’ first novel and Safran Foer’s 2nd (which apparently discusses the bombing of Dresden, which I am particularly fascinated by at the moment).