PositiveBookPageThough intrigue and suspense are powerful ingredients in this fascinating novel, the real pull is its locale. Lethem\'s ear for street-level vernacular and his eye for gritty urban detail lend color to this imaginative portrait of Brooklyn, its history and its people. As Lionel slowly works his way through this challenging case, this inventive novel offers up a complicated vision of a place alive with mystery and crime.
Ian McEwan
RaveBookPageIan McEwan writes like no one else. As his newest novel Amsterdam shows, McEwan holds few peers ... Amazingly lucid prose aside, the power of Amsterdam lies in McEwan\'s devilishly clever narrative plan. He somehow manages to draw suspense out of two men\'s professional and personnel breakdowns, revealing a twisted horror story lurking underneath a tale seemingly meant to address undying friendship and love ... By utilizing alternating chapters and dueling points of view, McEwan develops his study in friendship into a dark psychological portrait of descent. There is true genius not only in McEwan\'s plan for Clive\'s and Vernon\'s stories but also in their relationship to each other and to the plot ... McEwan\'s adroitness at characterization and his deftness at dialogue show through these astounding chapter-length psychological studies. As author, he handles the transitions between his two characters\' view points with astounding stylistic assurance ... All in all, this relatively short novel supports great writing with a masterful narrative design.
