Rating: 
Summary: It is a sad and compelling story well worth reading.
Review: The reviewer on National Public Radio who spoke of being deeply moved by "The Fall of a Sparrow" was right. This book reminds us of how life continues and yet seriously falters after personal tradgedies invade. Hellenga's novel also educates about many things Italian, about the Classics, and about the foolish politics of higher education. I recommend reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: I could not put it down!
Review: I loved this novel more than 16 Pleasures, and that was a marvelous book. There is so much pathos in this story. And the writing-- ah! -- vivid. Hellenga is a master storyteller.
Rating: 
Summary: An exceptionally thought-provoking novel, full of emotion.
Review: Robert Hellenga writes like the English professor he is--and this is a good thing. In an age when the American novel is too often riddled with meaningless explosions, Hellenga's second opus, _The Fall of a Sparrow_ has just one explosion, and it is very meaningful. A bomb destroys an Italian train station in 1980, and with it, the daughter of American classics professor Alan Woodhull. What follows is a passionate study of grief and redemption, of love and passion and lust. Hellenga imbues his prose with countless literary and musical references, forcing the reader to give each chapter real thought. Unlike some novels that you just can't put down, I felt myself stopping after each chapter, to reflect on the significance of what I'd just read. To synopsize this novel would not be possible in 1000 words. There's simply so much happening. Suffice to say the book isn't for everyone. If you're looking for a light read, a fluff piece, look elsewhere. If you wan! t to be challenged and rewarded with each page, pick up _The Fall of a Sparrow._ It is well worth the brain power.
Rating:
Summary: A grasping, intelligent novel
Review: From the start I was captured. I went through a series of emotions and the next thing I knew it was over!
Rating:
Summary: This is a great book.
Review: You'll love it.
Rating: 
Summary: San Francisco Chronicle Book Review, 6/14/98
Review: "Irresistible. . . .THE FALL OF A SPARROW is more complicated than its poised predecessor and. . . satisfying in a more overtly ambitious way. Tossing around metaphors with abandon, it re-creates the sense of wonder and rightness we have when the world cycles our private imagery back to us. Many subplots advance simultaneously, but Hellenga handles them all so skillfully that the book seems multilayered rather than overfull. . . .this book is a compendium of delights, overflowing with insight and passion. The funny parts are absurdly hilarious, the painful ones moving and perceptive. . . .Hellenga moved beyond his first book to ask, and provisionally answer, some harder questions, always seeking a way to accept death's place in life."(excerpt from review by Rebecca Radner)
Rating:
Summary: Chicago Tribune Book Review, 6/14/98
Review: ...Fortunately for readers who seek a more nuanced treatment of Italy, author Robert Hellenga defies these considerable hazards without sacrificing passion in THE FALL OF A SPARROW, his intelligent and deeply epicurean new novel. Hellenga's North American protagonists speak Italian fluently and are well-versed enough in the culture to worry about making 'brutta figura,' a bad or disgraceful figure. Further, the novel draws on a dramatic event from Italian history, a formula that served the author well in "The Sixteen Pleasures," his innovative and acclaimed 1994 first novel. . . ." (excerpt of review by Carolyn Alessio, deputy editor of the Books section)
Rating:
Summary: Advance Praise for Robert Hellenga's THE FALL OF A SPARROW
Review: "It's hard to imagine the person to whom you wouldn't recommend THE FALL OF A SPARROW, as it is about everything--bats, science, city, philosophy, country, infidelity, Italy, literature, guitars, sex, nuns, politics, Persia, Plato, Son House, love, dogs, death, and the state of the mortal living in vital dialogue with the timeless dead. Robert Hellenga's great gift to the world of letters is his ability to breathe sensual life into a complex and rewarding cross section of all worlds--ancient, contemporary, sacred, bodily, silly, sublime. This is such a fine book." --Antonya Nelson, author of NOBODY'S GIRL
Rating:
Summary: Advance Praise for Robert Hellenga's THE FALL OF A SPARROW
Review: "Robert Hellenga's characters insist on being remembered long after the book is closed. The story touches the heart, while at the same time it amuses. I had vowed chastity in the matter of blurbs, but have come out of the monastery to speak for this wonderful book." --Richard Selzer, author of TAKING THE WORLD IN FOR REPAIRS
Rating:
Summary: Advance Praise for Robert Hellenga's THE FALL OF A SPARROW
Review: "THE FALL OF A SPARROW is a wonderful novel, boldly and brightly demonstrating the pleasures that good fiction alone can offer: a powerful, moving and relevant story, places summoned up with the authenticity of vivid memory, a rich diversity of characters, an admirable central figure, and dazzling and adventurous storytelling. Robert Hellenga has created something perfectly real and true that was not there until he made it so." --George Garrett, author of THE KING OF BABYLON SHALL NOT COME AGAINST YOU
|
