The Brothers K

I just finished David James Duncan's The Brothers K, a recommendation from my literary friends, the Priests. I was awestruck about what an amazing piece of literature this book was. By turns hilarious, insightful, and just plain heartbreaking, the novel follows the individual and collective lives of the Chance family, especially the four brothers, from the Fifties into the Seventies as they come of age. The novel is so huge that I don't even want to begin to explain the plot other than to say that the family is torn apart by religion and their own personalities only to be brought back together by force of tragedy. It is a novel of epic scope with a unique narrative style that jumps around a great deal and occasionally changes voices. A warning: this novel has some sensitive, controversial subject matter and language and is not for the faint of heart. But if you are a fan of fantastic writing, strong characters, and a plot that grabs you immediately, this novel was written for you. Grade: A.