EGAN'S NOVEL

Manhattan Beach by Jenifer Egan – I was very excited by the first half of this book. Egan write beautifully with detail and wisps of wisdom. The characters are thoughtful, well drawn and real. I could not wait to get on to the reading. The world of Brooklyn, the depression and the mob were gripping. She gives us soon a long complex essay on deep see diving and the dangers and the prejudice against women. Then there is section of one of the characters who has gone to sea and whose ship has been torpedoed. Then a switch back to how an untrained man goes deep sea diving with no previous experience. Then the absurd picture of a man surviving being tied up in chains, thrown into the river and surviving.

Egan won a Pulitzer Prize for her earlier book Goon Squad. She is no slouch of a writer and this book shows us that. But the absurdity of the plot makes me cringe. I have some more pages to finish Eagan’s book. I sure am disappointed.

THE CROSS

America’s Unholy Trinity is

Militarism, Patriotism and Sports.

All depend on winning through power.

Christians see a cross that wins by losing.