Darlington's Fall: a novel in verse, by Brad Leithauser (TPB, 2003, $2.50)
Ok, this is weird. A novel in verse? Leithauser has in the past written four volumes of poetry, and five novels, but not anything like this. He writes," It's long, I know for a poem (5708 lines) but short for a novel (46,265 words, my computer tells me), and a novel's what I aimed to create here."
OK, let me say from the beginning that I dislike poetry intensely. I would have used the word "hate", but it goes against my character to say I hate anything. This is a work of poetry, and so, true to my bias, I don't like this novel. But for a poem, it is not bad. Which really means that to anyone who likes poetry, this is probably a good read. Still, why would someone write a novel in verse? Liethauser says he is just coming up on his 50th birthday. Well, it makes you wonder what he will do for his 60th.
Look for this novel... poem.... oh, heck, look for this "thing" in the PB/TPB fiction section. Avail. 3/14.
