The Fortress of Solitude
by Jonathan Lethem
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jonathan LethemEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-08-24
ISBN: 0375724885
Number of pages: 528
Publisher: Vintage
Book Reviews of The Fortress of Solitude
Book Review: A Place and Time Gone By
Summary: 5 Stars
I virtually never read fiction, but I loved this book.
As several reviewers have noted, The Fortress of Solitude does a beautiful job of evoking a time, place, and people that will never be the same. Jonathan's eye for detail and the cultural minutiae that characterized the 70s-90's in Brooklyn is amazing. That said, even a Southern California raised whiteboy such as myself could relate strongly to the story and experience nostalgia for a place I've never been. I attended schools in a predominately white suburb of Los Angeles. A good 25% of our school population was African-American kids, bused in from other parts of the Los Angeles school district. I knew several "Minguses" -- cool kids whose language, speech patterns, and humor were so different than my own. Although I was never yoked, I can recall many times where someone asked to "take a look" at something of mine, or uttered a "**** you looking at?" to me. I grew up much richer for those experiences, knowing there was something way different and deeper than the sun, sand, and blondes that dominated our corner of the country.
Contrary to some other readers, I feel Jonathan did an excellent job developing the characters. It also took me a bit to really wade in to the book, and I laid it down at one point for a few weeks. But before long, the characters hooked me and never let go. The FOS brought my teen years back, with a wallop.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
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