All Souls
by Christine Schutt
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Book Summary Information
Author: Christine SchuttEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-06-08
ISBN: 0156033380
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Mariner Books
Book Reviews of All Souls
Book Review: Brevity is the Soul of Schutt
Summary: 4 Stars
This quiet little book is about a group of girls (and their families) who attend an elite all-girls' school on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The fulcrum of the interconnected, multi-viewpoint tales is the character of Astra, who is absent from school for much of the schoolyear due to a rare cancer. Each of the characters reacts differently to Asta's absence, and from these reactions, we are able to glean something telling about their personalities.
Christine Schutt's writing style is the most memorable facet of the book, as she uses a series of vignettes that appear to be chapters within themselves, yet some are only a sentence or two long. At first, the quickness and brevity of these snapshots was off-putting. I generally enjoy books that allow a character to be revealed through detailed descriptions and implications through their speech and actions, yet these vignettes are all too brief, and I felt like a famine victim being taunted with Saltine crumbs.
Saltines, however (even crumbs)expand eventually if they sit long enough and give you the feeling of being satiated. In other words, as I kept turning the pages, I got into the groove of Schutt's writing. Like a dancer getting into the flow and rhythm of an unfamiliar song. Because isn't that kind of what we do as readers after all? We bring a little something to the table (or dance floor) as readers and make meaning of what's there. We are an active part of the process. That's the thing about "All Souls." There's so much implication and not much explication, the reader fills in the gaps much for himself.
In the end, I liked the book. It is clear that Schutt got started as a short story writer. The conciseness and lyricism of that craft comes through. This story concept could have been done in an 800-page tome, but in this case, less definitely is more.
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