Julia Paradise: A novel

I was first introduced to "Julia Paradise" when I was working at the Scribner Book Store in New York in 1986, and found a pre-publication reviewer's copy among a box of "freebies" offered to employees. I was instantly captivated by the beauty and complexity of Rod Jones's poetic prose, and the power and depth of the story itself. Although superficially a love story (of sorts) set in Shanghai in the '30s, the novel is, on another level, a retelling, in more modern terms, of Coleridge's unfinished long poem "Cristobel," and a dreamlike, mythic quality prevails throughout. I loved this novel so much that I immediately bought the hardcover when it was released, despite the fact that I had already read it. Then I read it again. Having said all this, I am not surprised to find that some of the people I've recommended this book to over the years have failed to appreciate it. It is an intricate--and often daunting--reading experience; casual readers could easily miss much of the richness that is here. Most of those I've suggested it to have loved it, by the way. And there is more than ample reason to love a book so exquisitely made.

Never read such a short novel that was so thickly woven absolutely brilliant