I'll Let You Go

I read "I'll Let You Go" four years ago and it still haunts me.

First, let me say that this book can be read for the story, for that story is just short of fanciful and truly beyond interesting. But slow down; take in the language, the crafted sentences, and the wonderful puns. Take this book lightheartedly, please. I think that is what we are meant to do--Wagner tells us of much death and misfortune but his comical tone suggests that this is not meant to be a book to cry over. So, don't be pretentious and write this novel off because you wanted it to be serious or because you don't understand the puns. This is simply a wonderful satire of all socio-economic levels.

Plenty of books are described as "Dickensian", which usually indicates that they are teeming with characters and probe the seamy side of a particular world. Bruce Wagner understands what the Dickensian appellation actually means-to expose the ordinary reader to worlds so completely new that they might as well be on different planets. In "I'll Let You Go," the reader meets not only the desperate indigent, but also the out-of-sight rich. To most of us in the middle, either of these worlds might as well be on Mars. Wagner's Pip, (or David, or Nicholas) is Tull, son of the daughter of the 18th richest man in America. He stays at his grandfather's fairy-tale estate with his drug addicted mother and two cousins. One of his cousins is hideously deformed but brilliant, and the other is an equally brilliant, funny girl who sees herself as a writer and makes things happen. By happenstance, they meet Amaryllis, a homeless girl who clicks with them. But before Amaryllis can be safely woven into their world, fate whisks her away on a nightmare journey. One of the most appealing thing about this novel is that the children are treated equally. Tull and his cousins are not demonized because they are rich, nor is Amaryllis sainted because of her heartbreaking background. "I'll Let You Go" is full of quirky, interesting characters, surprising plot twists, and elegant prose. It is not a party-trick book, where the author shows off by demonstrating how many links he can make between Dickens' London and Tull's L.A. It is an affecting work with enough deep emotion, humor, and surprises to keep you hooked from start to finish.

A ripping good yarn, intriguing mystery, sympathetic characters. I also found myself Googling on the Internet to learn more about Apert's Syndrome, the Broken Column (and other follies of 18th Century France), and the difference between labyrinths and mazes. The novel itself could be said to be either, but I would classify it a maze since it does have "tricks," "false leads" and a reward to be had at the end. And it definitely does not end at the same place that it begins.

What an amazing ride this book is. I am not surprised that review after review compares Wagner to Dickens, though having read both, I'll take Bruce Wagner's writing any day. This is a story I coudl not wait to get back to, and Wagner delivered every event, every development in language so clear and evocative that i went back and read some apssages twice. If you love books, this will give you another reason.