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In Sunlight And In Shadow (2012)

by Mark Helprin(Favorite Author)

3.41 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0547819234 (ISBN13: 9780547819235)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

review 1: The setting is Manhattan, just after World War II. Harry Copeland recently has returned from four years as an elite paratrooper, having fought the Nazis over an entire continent. He has known mortal peril, fought bravely, and witnessed suffering. Back home, he finds that he has inherited his family's leather goods factory, as his father passed away while Harry was overseas. The business is in trouble, especially since the Mafia is extorting a crushing sum each month. Harry struggles to find a way to preserve his birthright, which he believes is a promise to his father's memory. When Harry meets Catherine Hale on the Staten Island Ferry, they fall in love at first sight. Both are stricken and fall hard and fast. Catherine is an heiress to a Wall St. banker with an immense f... moreortune. Harry and Catherine's early relationship is complicated by the problem of Victor Marrow, her fiancee, who is also the son of Catherine's father's chief rival. The couple is able to overcome this obstacle, but the spiteful Victor uses his influence to make other problems for them. Harry and Catherine struggle with the forces that have been set against them and fight to preserve their relationship and their honor. The final chapters are very tense and exciting as the action comes to a dramatic close. Some readers will not appreciate the numerous interludes, epiphanies, reveries, and reflections of the characters that, at times, slow the pace. However, I enjoyed them, for the most part. True, there is some melodrama and over-indulgence by the author, but Helprin's lyrical language and vivid imagery can be breathtakingly beautiful.
review 2: Mark Helprin's In Sunlight and in Shadow is a spiritual odyssey. While not as magical or captivating as Helprin's magnum opus, Winter's Tale, Helprin's writing remains as deep and important as any modern writer. His work is not to be taken lightly. In fact, his writing demands more than our fleeting attention as his readers. This book, much like Winter's Tale, is a powerful commentary on human nature and the enduring fighting spirit of the greatest generation. Harry Copeland returns from fighting in the Second World War, having successfully survived his experiences with the 82nd Airborne. When he meets Catherine Hale, his life takes on an almost mystical turn. Rich in romantic undertones, it would be a great injustice to describe the love story Helprin writes for Harry and Catherine as anything less than deeply profound and beautiful. Helprin has a command of language often missing in novels of any kind today. He rises to new lyrical heights in In Sunlight and in Shadow. For anyone looking to read a thought-provoking, emotionally touching, and richly evocative tale of life and love, this book is for you. less

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