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Title: A visceral experience
Review: Although this novel is unrelentingly depressing, it remains vivid two weeks after I finished it and have moved on to other books. Why? O'Nan's use of the second person point of view is the primary reason, but his stark, descriptive prose is also memorable. Because "you" are the main character in this unusual novel, the reader finds himself or herself immediately involved in Jacob Hansen's fight against diphtheria, fire, self-doubt, and fear. Through Hansen's eyes, "you" see the disintegration of Friendship, both as the Wisconsin town he loves and as the loss of companionship and trust inherent in true friendship. Many of the events and desriptions are gut-wrenching, truly visceral, and made more so because they happen to "you." Beautiful prose makes even the more sickening scenes powerful. If the true worth of a book is the effect it has on its readers, then "A Prayer for the Dying" is indeed a worthy novel.
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