MixedThe Chicago TribuneIn America, inspired by the life of Polish actress Helena Modrzejewska (who went by Modjeska in America), is packed with details about trans-Atlantic and trans-American travel, and about post-Civil War America. We walk the streets of New York City teeming with immigrants, hear the narrowness and rare generosity of Americans, see the marvels of modernity at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, and visit the California that once was … Like most experimental novels, In America is also about the act of novel writing, and the book itself tells us how to read it. Susan Sontag's intellect won't allow her dishonesty here, and much of what we're told is disheartening to readers looking for a story … Readers who make it through the fast-forward summary (apparently, alas, a catalog of leftover research) of Chapter 8 to the last chapter won't find a resolution of Maryna's story or of the many questions the text poses.
