January Colours

This easy read chronicles the reconsiderations of both spouses in the midst of a Dublin marriage. But don't let that fool you. This isn't a divorce book, or an angry book, or even a very sad book. Although it may be wistful, it is, at its core, a wonder book. Paul and Margeret, through their separation, rediscover the wonder in their lives, the wonder of their love, and the wondrous variety of life in Dublin.Through their friends and acquaintances we see through to the heart of things, where sometimes there is kindness, sometimes there is hardness and greed, and sometimes there is something enduring and profound. These men and women illustrate the richness of the city and its neighborhoods, as they run the gamut from upper to lower classes, from conservative to liberal, from upright to criminal.If you've been to Dublin, you'll see the character of the city in this text. If you've always wanted to go, you'll see the spirit of the place opening up to you. I just finished Roddy Doyle's _A Star Called Henry_ before I picked this up, and I'd say the two serve well together as Dublin bookends. Where Doyle is rough and dirty and biased toward the north side of the city, Adler is polished and quiet and more at home on the south side of the Liffey.