Title: Adverbs: A Novel
Author: Daniel Handler
LC Rating:
I only put this book down last night because I literally could not keep my eyes open anymore. Then I woke up, made an omelet and finished reading Adverbs. Daniel Handler delights in language, and plays with it liberally. What’s so impressive is that it never becomes intrusive or confusing; and that is really saying something about a novel told in short chapters where there is simply no way of knowing if the Andrea you are currently reading about is the Andrea from an earlier chapter or some new person entirely; at times each will seem plausible.
I know to some of you that must sound dreadful, but Adverbs is about love, which can be both confusing and dreadful. These shifting characters experience a quite sizable sampling of the flavors and styles of love; its bitter endings, eager beginnings, missed opportunities, cruelties and beauties. It’s not all chaos, there are stories woven in here, themes and motifs repeat as the characters move through their moments and the author waxes almost philosophical about love.
As I said, Adverbs glued itself to my hands, it’ll probably stick to yours.