SYNOPSIS

At a reunion of former students, Nathan Zuckerman meets Jerry Levov again, who tells him about the problems of his elder brother Seymour, nicknamed “the Swede”, who at that time was a very popular boy in town for his sports skills and his good looks that did not go unnoticed. Deeply affected by the tragic events of Seymour’s life, Nathan decides to reconstruct his biography, based on his memories of two brief meetings with the Swede, on Jerry’s story and on newspaper clippings. The narrative then develops around the period of his first marriage and his daughter Merry who will cause so much turmoil in the quiet and orderly life of Seymour Levov.

REVIEW

The plot is a labyrinth of long thoughts and time leaps that make the story lose its fluidity and the desire to continue reading. The beginning promises well but then the endless digressions and the father’s obsession in trying to help his daughter led to a more tortuous path that puts the reader’s patience to the test.
Throughout the story, and in a somewhat confusing way, the narrator takes on the voice of some characters, even in the same chapter, creating at times, difficulty in following the narration. The regular presence of chaotic thoughts of the protagonist slows down the reading and often, when he moves from thought to action, one does not even realize how he got there. A point in favour of the author are certainly the dialogues that flow smoothly and give meaning to everything that is happening.