Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

This is an interestingly constructed book. Years ago my father made me read EM Forster’s Aspects of the Novel, which outlined half a dozen plot styles and proposed that all novels fall into one of the categories. There is nothing new, according to Forster. The most intriguing plot style for me was the one used in Thornton wilder’s Bridge Over San Luis Rey, which described a single incident (the bridge collapsing) and the impact that event had on the lives of people on the bridge. Let the Great World Spin uses the same technique: a tightrope walker strings a line between the two World Trade Centre buildings (it really happened) and walks across. Various people see it and the event is woven into their lives. Eventually they all seem to intersect one way or another. It’s quite a fascinating take on the plot style, though it takes all novel to get there. Enjoyable, nicely written, interesting characters.