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A review by anitaashland
Thirteen Ways of Looking by Colum McCann
4.0
The book opens with a 143 page novella about the last day in the life of a judge. The scenes switch back and forth between his thoughts as he goes about his day and the police investigating his possible murder and the future trial. A very interesting structure for a novella.
The first short story is about a writer composing a short story for a magazine. His brainstorming for the story is the story, which is a unique twist. Basically, the rough draft he writes in his head is the story we read.
The next short story is a suspenseful one about a divorced mother spending Christmas in Galway with her 13-year-old son who is dead and was adopted from Russia.
The final short story is my favorite one. The main character is an aging nun who smokes. While staying temporarily at a retreat to recover from exhaustion she catches a glimpse on TV of a man who raped 37 years ago. She is intent on confronting him, which leads to a gripping showdown.
The first short story is about a writer composing a short story for a magazine. His brainstorming for the story is the story, which is a unique twist. Basically, the rough draft he writes in his head is the story we read.
The next short story is a suspenseful one about a divorced mother spending Christmas in Galway with her 13-year-old son who is dead and was adopted from Russia.
The final short story is my favorite one. The main character is an aging nun who smokes. While staying temporarily at a retreat to recover from exhaustion she catches a glimpse on TV of a man who raped 37 years ago. She is intent on confronting him, which leads to a gripping showdown.