book review: When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman
The backstory: Jackie's review made me eager for the U.S. release of this one. The basics: It's challenging to sum up a unique and quirky novel, but at its most basic, When God Was a Rabbit is the story of Elly and her brother, who grow up in England in the 1970's. It follows them over four decades. My thoughts: Let's start with the basics: I loved this book, but it's not for everyone. Winman's writing is remarkably fresh and unusual, and her characters follow suit. If I were a bookseller, I'd be hard pressed to find a match for the "if you liked this one, then try this one" display. If pressed, I'd build a display of McSweeney's writers. If unique, original, funny, serious, and completely engaging are your thing, then stop reading and pick up When God Was a Rabbit . For years I loved coming of age novels (especially as I was coming of age.) Then I began to enjoy them less, as they became a bit more emotionally predictable. I'm...