Book Review: Run by Ann Patchett - Page 2

In Run, she only has twenty-four hours – reminding us of the old Aristotelian rule that drama should elapse over the course of a single day. But as in Bel Canto, Patchett allows each of her characters the space to grow and evolve in response to the crisis in their midst. This is Patchett’s strong suit. The scenes and people she creates are always dynamic, always on a path of self-discovery that is both believable and engaging.

If Patchett has a weakness, it comes at the conclusion of her novels. Run, like Bel Canto, offers a short epilogue at the end, which tries to tie up the loose threads of the story. But these pat endings lack the credibility that is so much evident earlier in the books. The conclusions seem rushed, as if a hundred pages of story were squeezed into a few paragraphs.

But the rough patch at the finish line doesn’t eclipse Patchett’s achievement in Run. She is like a director who has carefully staged each scene, cast each character, edited each moment, and pulled everything together without any wasted action. In a year of many outstanding novels, this is one of the finest.

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. You can follow Ted Gioia on Twitter at www.twitter.com/tedgioia.

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