Asymmetry is a novel told as a pair of seemingly unrelated stories that are finally linked together in the third part. Part 1, Folly, is about a romance between young twenty-something assistant editor Alice and the much older, renowned author Ezra Blazer. The story follows their unconventional, secret relationship from their meeting in a New York City park through clandestine encounters in Ezra's nice apartment to summer weekends spent at Ezra's house on Long Island, where Ezra finally introduces Alice to a friend of his. Their love grows, though it also seems limited by the restrictions they have placed on it. In Part 2, Madness, the story of an entirely different New Yorker is told. Amar is an Iraqi-American man who holds dual passports, having been born on the plane over Cape Cod as his parents were emigrating to America. He is entirely American, though his older brother chose to return to Iraq as an adult. Amar is on his way to visit his brother in Kurdistan during the end-of-year holidays of 2008 when he is detained at Heathrow, unable to meet the friend he had planned to connect with in London and stuck in a detention room at the airport for the weekend. Though his story takes place entirely within Heathrow airport, Amar uses his time there to think back on his childhood, college years, and past visits to see family in Iraq. Part 3 shows the connection between the first two parts of the novel, in an unexpected and clever way that pulls the whole story together.
Halliday pulled me into each story immediately, with her vibrant characters, realistic dialogue, and intriguing plotlines. I guessed the connection between the two disparate parts of the novel before it was revealed, but that in no way spoiled it for me (just made it more fun). The stories are also connected by the city of New York, which plays a large role in Alice's story and a role in Amar's as well. While these are quiet stories, without a lot of action, the author has vividly created these worlds and these people, such that I was immersed in them from the very first pages. I always love novels with two separate stories that gradually come together, but this one is done in a unique way. The author's writing is brilliant; she made me laugh out loud, nod my head in recognition, and mark passages, like the one where she describes the late-night waiting room of an ER so perfectly (and hilariously) that I read it aloud to my husband. She also includes many literary allusions and quotes, adding another layer of depth to the novel. The Iraq war provides a backdrop for both stories: a distant current event in the news for Alice and a very real, central event for Amar, as he visits his family both before and after the ravages of war. I loved every moment of this engrossing and thoughtful novel and can't wait to read her second novel.
271 pages, Simon & Schuster
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Sounds like a book I must read! Great review.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Beverley - hope you enjoy it, too!
DeleteWhat a clever way to write a book. It sounds like three short stories that are connected at the end. I haven't heard of this one before but you've made it sound really good.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Helen - if you decide to read it, I think you'll like it.
DeleteI do like the sound of this, and if you're still thinking about it after you've read it, that says something very significant about the book.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Davida! Those books that stick with you like that are rare and special.
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