The Confessions of Max Tivoli
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keeping this copy
Oh my! This has to have been one of the most gut-wrenching and heartbreaking stories I've read in a long time. The author's prose style is absolutely exquisite, and by the end of the book, don't be surprised if you're reaching for a tissue. I don't think I'll leave this one behind mentally for some time. Very highly recommended.
The premise of the book (which, if I had to classify it in a genre, I don't know if I could do so -- maybe along the lines of "fanstastical" if that's any help) is that when the main character, Max Tivoli, was born, he was born with the physical traits of an old man and as he aged chronologically, he became younger. So that when he was 14, he looked like he was in his late 50s, and then steadily grew younger looking as he got older. Max's story begins with his birth, then takes us through childhood, his teens, middle age, and then his last years. It is the story of Max finding and losing the love of his life, not once, but three times. Each time he finds her, he is a different person to her, because of course, he changes backwards in time; each time he finds her, the relationship changes. It is his overwhelming love for this woman that transcends his own condition here -- and it is this that really is the main thrust of the story.
An absolutely delightful and thought-provoking novel; it hit me right in the gut. To be honest, there isn't that much fiction over my lifespan that has left me with this kind of reaction; when it does, I consider it a great book. I very highly recommend this one.
Oh my! This has to have been one of the most gut-wrenching and heartbreaking stories I've read in a long time. The author's prose style is absolutely exquisite, and by the end of the book, don't be surprised if you're reaching for a tissue. I don't think I'll leave this one behind mentally for some time. Very highly recommended.
The premise of the book (which, if I had to classify it in a genre, I don't know if I could do so -- maybe along the lines of "fanstastical" if that's any help) is that when the main character, Max Tivoli, was born, he was born with the physical traits of an old man and as he aged chronologically, he became younger. So that when he was 14, he looked like he was in his late 50s, and then steadily grew younger looking as he got older. Max's story begins with his birth, then takes us through childhood, his teens, middle age, and then his last years. It is the story of Max finding and losing the love of his life, not once, but three times. Each time he finds her, he is a different person to her, because of course, he changes backwards in time; each time he finds her, the relationship changes. It is his overwhelming love for this woman that transcends his own condition here -- and it is this that really is the main thrust of the story.
An absolutely delightful and thought-provoking novel; it hit me right in the gut. To be honest, there isn't that much fiction over my lifespan that has left me with this kind of reaction; when it does, I consider it a great book. I very highly recommend this one.
