Michael Cunningham is probably best known to readers for his novel The Hours, which was turned into a pretty decent movie starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman. I enjoyed the movie so much, I made sure to read the book, which was pretty decent. So when I stumbled across a copy of By Nightfall by the same author, I couldn’t resist picking it up. It was also a pretty decent read.
Peter Harris is a SoHo art dealer in his mid-forties, married to Rebecca and going through a mid-life crisis. While on the outside his life is seemingly perfect – good job, lovely wife, beautiful home, etc. – Peter finds himself beginning to question his judgment in art and whether the artists he’s been making his living showcasing are really worth anyone’s while. Then there is Rebecca’s 20-something younger brother Mizzy who comes to stay with them. A striking resemblance to his wife combined with drug problems, Mizzy represents Peter’s lost youth and all the possibilities that could have been, culminating in a bizarre attraction that threatens to unravel Peter’s marriage as he battles the self-doubt inherent in his mid-life crisis.
Examining the way we live now and the value of art and love in our lives, By Nightfall is well worth a read.
Till next time, happy reading!
L
“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.”
~ Phillip Pullman
No comments:
Post a Comment