4/4 ( )

What a strange book. A house is burning, and as the stories of the lives of each tenant are told, I was struck by how many similarities there were in the stories - which, I will tell you frankly, I didn't even start to comprehend until probably two-thirds of the way through the book. Now that I realize what the author was up to, I would have to read the book again to gain a clear understanding of the scope of his efforts. It's rather an astounding achievement - however, I don't think I can go through this again as the writing was somewhat tedious in parts. Several professional reviewers called this the author's "masterpiece" - not having read any of his other works, I could not agree or disagree. It was definitely different! ( )

A little slow to rev up, but racing by the time you reach the end. It will be very hard to not spoil the surprises in any review. The author hits again and again on memory and the brain and the self there in. A substantial attempt that I like more the more I reflect on it. ( )

This poetic book is told in a series of interconnected vignettes. As an apartment building succumbs to fire, the reader visits each resident in turn, from a neurosurgeon to a priest, a young boy to a naturalist. With each chapter, we learn a little bit about each tenant, their pasts, futures, hopes, and dreams.

The interconnectedness of each vignette is not immediately obvious, but as you read further and further on, you begin to experience small niggles at the back of your brain, a sense of deja vu. Each chapter teases out a little bit more about the nature of memory and the fragility of the self.

This synopsis is a bit vague, and I apologize. But the nature of the book makes it hard to summarize succinctly without spoiling the book. Let me tell you instead that the book is extraordinarily well crafted. Layers of meaning underlie each chapter, and the nuance of words and names are well done. The writing style is on the poetic side, but not dense.

This book is not at all what I typically read, but it was a lovely trip outside of my comfort zone. I really had no idea what to expect when I opened the cover, but I’m incredibly glad that I took the time. I think most people who enjoy books that require some extra thought will enjoy this book.

An advance copy of this book was provided via a Powell’s Indiespensable book box (seriously, you need to subscribe). Night of Fire will be available for purchase on January 17th, 2017. ( )

There's some beautiful writing here, as well as an intriguing exploration of memory, death, and reincarnation — but overall I found NIGHT OF FIRE rather tedious. ( )