"I read a book one day, and my whole life was changed." - opening line of The New Life, by Orhan Pamuk

Saturday, October 26, 2013

SERVANTS OF THE MAP, by Andrea Barrett

Servants of the Map is an interesting collection of stories that share the theme of 19th century scientific inquiry. I find the stories uneven - my favorite is the first story, about a cartographer mapping the Himalayas. Several of the stories are interconnected as they share characters. The stories are well-written and the best ones sustain interest and open up a window onto 19th century mindset. In this sense, the stories ring true. The writing is vivid at its best and a bit flat at worst. The book was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 2003.


For a review of the book from NY Times, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/11/books/books-of-the-times-scientists-plumb-life-s-mysteries-with-minds-and-hearts.html?smid=pl-share


No comments:

Post a Comment