The Four of Us
A moving chronicle of friendship spanning twenty-five years, following four college friends as they navigate adulthood, career choices, romantic relationships, and the subtle class tensions that both bind and divide them over decades.
Style Over Substance
I wanted to love this book. The premise - a surreal exploration of grief through magical realism - seemed perfectly tailored to my tastes. And indeed, there are moments of genuine brilliance scattered throughout. The scene where the protagonist encounters her deceased mother in the form of various household objects is both heartbreaking and strangely beautiful.
However, the author's insistence on experimental prose often obscures rather than enhances the emotional core of the story. Entire chapters unfold in stream-of-consciousness fragments that, while technically impressive, keep the reader at arm's length from the characters' experiences. The constant shifts between first, second, and third person perspective feel more like literary showing-off than meaningful narrative choices.
The middle section, where the protagonist retreats to an isolated cabin in the woods, drags considerably. Pages upon pages are devoted to minutely detailed descriptions of her daily routines, which I suppose is meant to reflect the monotony of grief but ultimately tests the reader's patience.
There are flashes of insight about how loss reshapes our perception of reality, but these moments are buried under too many metaphorical layers. By the time I reached the conclusion - which introduces yet another conceptual framework involving parallel universes - I found myself more exhausted than moved.
I appreciate artistic ambition, but in this case, I wish the author had trusted the inherent power of their story rather than overwhelming it with stylistic flourishes. Sometimes less is more, especially when dealing with themes as universal as grief and memory.
TLDR: Occasional moments of profound beauty marred by excessive experimental techniques and self-indulgent prose that prioritizes cleverness over emotional connection.