Banyan Tree Abridged

Rating:
Summary: BUY IT, READ IT, LOVE IT
Review: WHY AREN'T BOOKS LIKE THIS ON THE BESTSELLER LIST? A BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN BOOK, THE LANGUAGE TAKES HOLD OF THE READER AND DOESN'T LET GO.

THE STORY ISN'T, PERHAPS, TERRIBLY NEW. THE WAY IN WHICH IT'S TOLD IS BOTH OLD AND NEW, NOSTALGIC AND REFRESHING AT THE SAME TIME.

IT TOOK ME TWO DAYS TO READ BANYON TREE; IT TOOK THE AUTHOR TWELVE YEARS TO WRITE IT. SIMPLY WASN'T A FAIR TRADE, SO I'LL READ IT AGAIN AND AGAIN. I WALKED AROUND HOLDING THE BOOK TO MY CHEST WHEN THE TALE WAS TOLD.

Rating:
Summary: Hurrah for purple prose
Review: You'd think that some readers need to be hit between the eyes by the fact that stories are made of WORDS. And that sensuous attention to the sounds and textures and overtones of words are as an important part of a writer's story as the plot. Nolan wants you to slow down and savor life, so why don't you do it? Ah, heaven defend us from these latter-day puritans who want nothing but the facts!