In 2000, Michael Cunningham’s The Hours won the Pulitzer Prize. Those who did not read it probably ended up seeing the spectacular movie by the same name featuring many contemporary Hollywood faces. Now, Cunningham has written another novel, entitled By Nightfall, this time based on the life of an art gallery dealer in New York City.
Set in current day times, Cunningham does a great job of describing the SoHo art district and the thin walled loft inhabited by the 40-something protagonist Peter and his disillusioned editor wife, Rebecca. All rocks along in their rather non-spectacular, often boring existence, until Rebecca’s wayward much younger brother Ethan settles in at their loft for a three week stay. His cunning personality mixed with his inability to “find himself” rocks the status quo and sends chills and questions into the hearts and minds of Peter and Rebecca. This short, but appealing, novel expands on the nature of contemporary wealthy city life, its characteristics and dilemmas, and the role of all kinds of love in the twenty-first century.
-Nan
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