Book Review: People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks - Page 2

You get the idea. Hanna is strident, opinionated and a bit blustery – but never boring. Ah, I wish all of the characters in People of the Book were as well constructed as Hanna and her mother. But the historical interludes that make up around half of Brooks’ story are hardly so engaging. Her characters in these sections of the book often come across as stick figures, who are assigned predictable roles as heroes and villains. But when Brooks returns to Hanna, she writes better, and her story takes on more life.

Brooks makes up for these defects by demonstrating her mastery in the pacing and structure of her novel. And her historical research is acute and fascinating without getting in the way – as one sometimes encounters in historical novels, where arcane details can distract from the narrative. Not so with People of the Book. Even a book conservator is as exciting as a master-spy by the time Brooks has worked her magic.

Novels dealing with inanimate objects may strike you as bit of a snooze. Some people swear them off after a few pages of Henry James The Golden Bowl — they never get far enough into the text to learn that the bowl only makes a cameo appearance. I can’t make the same claim here: the book does take center stage in this novel, but it lives up to the starring role. Give Brooks’ story a chance – it is definitely a page-turner about a page-turner.

Article Author: Ted Gioia

Ted Gioia is a writer and musician. He is the author of Delta Blues, The History of Jazz and, most recently, The Birth (and Death) of the Cool.

Visit Ted Gioia's author page — Ted Gioia's Blog