Four Letters of Love
by Niall Williams
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Book Summary Information
Author: Niall WilliamsEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1998-11-01
ISBN: 0446674931
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780446674935
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Four Letters of Love
Book Review: A Poetic Novel on Love and Life
Summary: 5 Stars
Rich with metaphor and hyperbole, "The Four Letters of Love" is a poetic novel which explores man's relationship with God, with the creative force within himself, and with a beloved. Most compelling is Williams' portrayal of the narrator's father: does he "hear" God speak, and does this voice compel him to leave his family and create his beautiful artwork, or is he "mad", driven by some darker force? The connection between man's spiritual self and his creative self is a large and meaningful part of this novel, as is William's decision to tell two parallel stories: one as told by the first person narrator, whose father struggles with the voice of God and his own art, and the other a third person narrator who describes the life and struggles of an island family. Masterfully, Williams' weaves together these two stories, in a way that is a tribute to synchronicity and to the power of art.
The love story itself is a metaphor of how people can become enraptured in another and in the power of love itself. To counterbalance the tribute to love, Williams gives us an unforgettable character, Margaret Gore, who sees that her daughter has become the beloved of the narrator, and who knows that love, in her experience, means trouble. She is both good-hearted and cynical at once: will her thwarting of this love prevent the two lovers from connecting? Williams prose is intensely poetic in addressing love, calling to mind jani johe webster's collection of poetry "sound of a shadow" and the philosophical novel "Written on the Body" by Jeanette Winterson.
A most beautiful and powerful example of Williams' prose is this description: "He was burned to the very rim of his soul, his fingers tingled, his hair stood on end, and he moved from teh studios that was already alight with the beckoning of God. At last ther He was again. God had come to him. The immensity of the rapture and vision beggared everything, and momentarily my father flew through the air. He cruised on the immaterial lightness of the spirit world like a moth and arched esaily across the hallway, the thinness of himself now see-through and clear .... The heavenly chariot was stalled outside in midair above the garden, the steeds breathing the August air, their flanks rising and falling in recovery from the speed of the long journey and their swett falling in the form of apple blossoms."
Williams' prose and this novel are unusual: he combines poetry with straightforward prose: "There is no such thing as chance"; he weaves togther two stories and also poses philosophical questions as he writes on. To read this novel is truly to be on a literary and poetic journey.
Summary of Four Letters of Love
A tale of destiny, acceptance, & the tragedies & miracles of everyday life.Literary Books
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