"Let the Great World Spin" by Colum McCann

A book review.

"Let the Great World Spin" is a beautifully written book which follows a number of characters connected by Philippe Petit's tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers in 1974. It's a book about everything that makes us human: love, loss, grief, and hope. And every sentence carries a greater resonance in our post 9/11 world.

My only complaints stem from the book being divided into four smaller books. I found the first book to be the most poignant, therefore, the following three feel somewhat anticlimactic. Also, a large portion of one of the books seemed unnecessary, wandering from our central characters and not having a satisfying payoff. But those criticisms are fairly trivial. McCann is a magnificent writer, capturing small moments in ways that often made me gulp (a good thing).

I'm glad I had seen the excellent documentary "Man on Wire" before reading the book. It was the perfect introduction to Philippe Petit and his walk between the towers, and definitely added to my enjoyment of the book. I also find the cover art on the book to be stunning. ***

Rating System:

**** = Amazing, Fantastic, Life-Changing
*** = Excellent & Worth a Read
** = Not a Complete Waste of Time but I Probably Wouldn't Recommend It
* = Blech!

And I don't do that half-star nonsense.