2006 book 103

Dara Horn's In the Image
I know, I know, this really seems like one of those books I should have read before this point in my life, but somehow the description just didn't seem that interesting. It's hard to explain why the stories of an elderly man who attempts to befriend his deceased granddaughter's best friend, and how their lives intersect, are so engaging, but as each character's story unfolded I got more and more involved in the story. The only false note is a story-related retelling of the book of Job, which breaks up the narrative and makes the novel lose some momentum. Still, it was one of those books I read all in one sitting, so it definitely had plenty of redeeming qualities. My favorite character was the Spinoza scholar, but I think I'm predisposed to like those sorts of characters. :)