NEWS OF THE WORLD
by Paulette Jiles
Continuing this month’s theme (for me) of books that ended up surprising me, I heartily recommend News of The World. From the opening pages, I loved Jiles’ writing style. In fact, the author description on the jacket lists her first as a poet, second as a memoirist and third as a novelist. Her use of language is gorgeous--very poetic and very cinematic. The pace of the novel was where I had difficulty.
News of The World tells the story of Captain Jefferson Kidd, who is 71 and a veteran of two wars. Once a successful typeset printer, Kidd’s printing press was taken from him during the Civil War. The novel begins in 1870 and Kidd now performs live readings from various US newspapers to crowds who pay to hear him in unsettled territories in the Midwest and Southwest – crowds who don’t have access to a newspaper and who are hungry for news of the world.
Kidd is approached in Wichita Falls and agrees to deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. The book traces the 400-mile journey with the old man and the young girl. They have several interesting adventures along the way, but most of the book is more pastoral and slow-paced than adventurous. Truthfully, at times, I craved a little bit more action – and I am not one who needs a lot of action to stay interested.
When the two arrive in San Antonio, however, and the story is resolved, I fell in love with the novel. If you’re in the mood for a quiet, poetic, beautifully written novel, then this is a must-read! Thanks, Pam, for bringing this book to me! (Liz)
