A Lover's Almanac

Maureen Howard's "A Lover's Almanac" is not an easy, pre-packaged, "pop-culture" read. Although the base of this story is a simple love story: boy loves girl, boy gets drunk and proposes marriage, girl gets [angry] and dumps boyfriend, and finally they reunite. This, however, is not what is important about Howards narrative. Whats amazing here is the claims she makes about the characters ties to history -- the importance of history in allowing live as they should. If you're a reader who demands an author of high intellect and wit Maureen Howard is for you. Hopefully, she will one day gain the recognition she deserves

It is shocking to come across a writer so wonderful and yet so unknown to most readers. This is surely one of the great books of the past 25 years. There are times, when attempting to describe a book, that words absolutely fail in relaying the complex beauty of the work. The prose is perfect, inventive, expansive, brilliant. It restores a sense of time to our contemporary age that so likes to imagine itself cut adrift. If Howard had a million readers, the world would be a better place.

This is a fantastic novel that is satisfying on so many levels. Milan Kundera has said that he believes the contemporary novel is stuck in the 19th century, and has not lived up to its potential for play and wonder. I hope he has read "The Lovers' Almanac" because this book is a splendid amalgamation of poetry, philosophy, and good storytelling. While not shying away from weighty subjects, it is Howard's light touch, the way she flits from idea to idea, that makes this such an exciting read.