Christia's review of The World to Come: A Novel
The World to Come: A Novel by Dara Horn
An absolutely exquisite, beautifully written book! I loved the Yiddish folklore included throughout the book (especially the story of the already born returning to heaven to prepare the not yet born for their lives) and the ideas of the not yet borns "eating" art and "drinking" literature in heaven in preparation for their future life on earth. The author tells the story of a Chagall painting and the impact it has on all the individuals within three generations of the family who come to possess it. Ben is a 30 year old Jewish man recovering from divorce who recognizes a Chagall painting formerly owned by his family while attending an art reception as urged by his twin sister Sara. He steals the painting, setting off a series of events that will change his life and the lives of those around him. At times painful to read, the author traces the lives and circumstances of Ben, his sister, their parents and grandfather, who as an orphan in 1920's Russia, was taught a...more
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