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Title: Consuming, Provocative, Forgivably Didactic
Review: Perlman's novel, written in dense yet fluid prose, is rich with suspense, empathy, and wit. The seven strands of narrative - each chapter written in the voice of separate yet intimately connected characters - propel forward a plot that is at once gripping and grave. Often Perlman's novel takes a narrative detour into the realm of the Socratic, with characters engulfed in 'casual' conversations on topics ranging from healthcare to literary criticism to the obligations of a human being to his or her community. While the book can sometimes get bogged down in excesses of ideology, it is the type of novel that both affects emotionally and intrigues intellectually. Upon putting it down, the reader can't quite decide whether to voraciously read up on the literature and ideas spotlighted in the book or to ponder the emotional echoes of the characters' choices and, ultimately, their fates.
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