Suspension

This is merely a stunning debut novel from a wonderful writer -- it alternately juggles humor (which is very funny) with drama (which is deeply moving) while keeping an interesting storyline going with richly crafted characters. One of the finest novels of the year. One can't write much about the plot without revealing spoilers - better to just settle down in front of the fire and start to read...I loved this novel.

other than to say that I'm somewhat astounded that this is a first novel. Characters, plot and story, and beautiful writing (isn't it just fabulous when a writer actually uses the English language well?) make this one of the best novels I've read in recent years. One of the things I noticed (and found interesting) from reading the interview with the writer at the end is how he ascribed various elements of his life to different characters in the novel -- not as if any character is Westfield barely disguised, but he uses his own experience to animate the other (infinitely interesting) characters. I can't wait to see what's next after this absolutely satisfying debut.

Yesterday, while watching the canned media spectacle of the five year 9/11 anniversary, I kept thinking of Westfield's book. For most New Yorkers, remembering that day has little to do with flags, weeping eagles, & endtimes. It was, for many, simply a very very very bad day in the city. It's a personal thing. This is just a tiny part of what I love about Westfield's novel. That such an incomprehensibly large event serves merely as a backdrop to a larger, personalized, comedically suspenseful page turner - with enough twists and turns and back stories to ensure that the book never leaves your hands until they're all resolved. Perfectly. Suspension is a unique and interesting perspective on the New York City of today. And as far as I'm concerned, the most authentic one i've read to date.

As a busy mom, there is nothing more frustrating than making time for a book that doesn't grip you. Fortunately, that wasn't the case with "Suspension." I found myself repeatedly plopping my toddler and preschooler in front of videos and locking myself in the bathroom to steal time with this book. Couldn't put it down. The prose has a wonderful cadence and is very smart, in a learned sense -- but without making the reader feel he must run for the dictionary or encyclopedia. It's accessible. The characters really stay with you. And you don't need to be from or know New York to appreciate the story. The personalilities and themes are universal. I loved this book and have recommended it to a bunch of people. I can't wait for Westfield's next book!

In a keenly-crafted first effort seemingly generated by a more seasoned pen, Robert Westfield tells a story of isolation and the repercussions stemming from both the choices we make and those we're unwilling to. It is a story that, although set primarily in New York City, moves easily beyond and applies a hand to us all. There is an immediate sense of familiarity with the characters - an indication the author has succeeded establishing empathy - and then the gaining of an even deeper appreciation and understanding as those comfortable layers that worked to lure us in are stripped away to reveal the foundations and motivations justifying actions most of us consider disagreeable. Also impressive is Westfield's ability to take those delicate social matters we are reluctant to discuss and infuse within a humor that somehow lightens the load without affecting their necessary impact. Suspension is a novel that continues to gain momentum throughout, never letting up, even when we have closed the book and are left with its powerful echoes. It is authors such as this tackling issues such as these that makes for the fascinating, thought-provoking literature I often search for yet seldom find.