In "Great House," Nicole Krauss weaves a tapestry of stories that revolve around a mysterious desk that connects the lives of its owners across continents and decades. Each character, haunted by loss and longing, seeks a deeper understanding of their own existence as they grapple with memory, identity, and the weight of history. Krauss's prose is both lyrical and sharp, offering glimpses into the human condition that are at once poignant and profound. As the narratives intertwine, the true nature of the desk and its significance unfolds, drawing readers into a web of interconnectedness. What secrets does the desk hold, and how does it shape the destinies of those who encounter it?
By Nicole Krauss
Published: 2010
""A home is not just a place, but a vessel for our memories and connections, holding the weight of stories we carry within us.""
For twenty-five years, a reclusive American novelist has been writing at the desk she inherited from a young Chilean poet who disappeared at the hands of Pinochet’s secret police; one day a girl claiming to be the poet’s daughter arrives to take it away, sending the writer’s life reeling. Across the ocean, in the leafy suburbs of London, a man caring for his dying wife discovers, among her papers, a lock of hair that unravels a terrible secret. In Jerusalem, an antiques dealer slowly reassembles his father’s study, plundered by the Nazis in Budapest in 1944. Connecting these stories is a desk of many drawers that exerts a power over those who possess it or have given it away. As the narrators of Great House make their confessions, the desk takes on more and more meaning, and comes finally to stand for all that has been taken from them, and all that binds them to what has disappeared. Great House is a story haunted by questions: What do we pass on to our children and how do they absorb our dreams and losses? How do we respond to disappearance, destruction, and change? Nicole Krauss has written a soaring, powerful novel about memory struggling to create a meaningful permanence in the face of inevitable loss.
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“"A home is not just a place, but a vessel for our memories and connections, holding the weight of stories we carry within us."”
Great House
By Nicole Krauss
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Nicole Krauss is an acclaimed American author known for her intricate narratives and profound exploration of themes such as love, loss, and identity. She is the author of several notable works, including 'The History of Love', which received widespread critical acclaim and was a finalist for the National Book Award, and 'Great House', which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Krauss's writing is characterized by its lyrical prose and deep psychological insight, often interweaving multiple perspectives and complex characters. Her other books include 'Man Walks Into a Room', 'The Collapsing Empire', and 'Forest Dark', further establishing her reputation as a prominent voice in contemporary literature.
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