A New York Winter's Tale - a mini-review

I never usually write book reviews, I leave that to the other excellent reviewers on Goodreads. However, every now and again a book comes along that I seem to have a difficult relationship with, and Mark Helprin's A New York Winter's Tale is one of those books. 

I first came across the book on a "what to read before the adaptation hits the cinema" list, and to be honest, I love to read book-film adaptations. After seeing the film, I made sure that Helprin's book was my next read.  Firstly, the book is really nothing like the film, they only share themes and a loose story line connection so if you adored the film and wanted to see how it read on the page, maybe you will be disappointed. The second thing I couldn't help but notice is that the book is really quite long, so if you are looking for an easy, quick read, again, it might not be for you. 

A New York Winter's Tale is a book that needs time to be dedicated to it and is for those who are willing to give a book time to unfold a complicated and intricate storyline, that jumps to different periods of time where the character's lives criss cross and intertwine. It's a book for readers that truly love to read, those who want a book to challenge them and provide more than just escapism in it's purest form. Of course, there is nothing wrong with books that you can fly through and lose yourself turning each page as you easily absorb each word without consciously realising, I love those books too! 

One of the most memorable things about this book is that it is truly beautifully written, as I said, it challenged me, I found myself looking up words (miasma!) and getting lost in the descriptive passages of the city and the landscape: I felt that New York City was alive, a creature growing, evolving, and hiding many secrets in its complex and diverse streets. It was a treat to read passages so lush and creative in their language.  As beautiful as it was, it sometimes served as detrimental to the storyline itself, I got so lost in the descriptions that I forgot how it drove the story or for what purpose. 

The writing works well alongside the book's genre of magical realism. I understand that this genre is either love or hate for a lot of readers, and for me personally, I quite enjoy it but you have to suspend your disbelief. A story about the stars, people who live for hundreds of years, a mythical horse and lake people that blends with the hustle bustle of mythic New York City during the industrial era as well as a modern day version, though distinctly different from our own.

It's difficult to sum up this book in a quasi review and my main problem is that I didn't feel satisfied at the end of the 700-odd page book. I had been through a journey with these characters but I didn't feel complete at the end. Maybe this book deserves and needs a second read in order to unravel the detailed commentaries on life, love, and morals. All and all, a remarkably written piece of magical realism, but one that requires a lot of time to truly immerse yourself in the story.