The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano - B+

The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano is an extremely well-written (and phenomenally translated from Italian) novel about two tortured souls suffering from childhood tragedies.  I call this a "highlighter novel."  Giordano's language is almost flawless which is all the more impressive in a novel translated to English.

So why the B+, you ask.  A couple of aspects keeps The Solitude of Prime Numbers (an international best seller) from an A.  First, Giordano suffers in my eyes as I compare Solitude to the novels of Carlos Ruiz Zafon, another author translated to English (in this case, from Spanish).  For me, the difference is in the plots of the novels.  Each of Solitude and Zafon's Shadow of the Wind and Angel's Game are essentially character studies.  Zafon goes a bit farther than Giordano as his plots are tighter and more engaging.  Zafon also captures the time period and setting (pre-1950 Barcelona for both Shadow and Angel's Game) while the setting (primarily Italy from the 1970s to the present) for Solitude is not a factor in the novel.

Another issue for me with Solitude is that the novel was so powerful and disturbing out of the gate.  Gripping and tragic.  Giordano does an excellent job in creating his dual protagonists, Alice and Mattia.  After detailing their childhood traumas, Giordano takes us through their adolescence and adulthood.  The character development is excellent.  The problem, for me, was that Giordano seemed to rumble, stumble, bumble for the finish line.  He never quite recaptures the power from his opening chapters.  After 60 pages, I was enthralled.  I wouldn't say that the novel "dragged."  It didn't.  I would just say that the novel was uneven.

Also, I feel some responsibility to anyone out there actually reading this blog entry.  Solitude is not exactly "the feel good story of the year."  I didn't downgrade it for that reason, but at the same time, I want to be honest about the fact that many will view the novel as a "downer."  As a result, I can't "recommend" this novel unless you are prepared for a disturbing read.  We could discuss for hours whether the novel ends on a "happy" note or a "sad" note (which is a mark of a "book club book").

In the end, I suppose that this blog entry is as uneven as its subject novel.  There is a lot to love here--compelling characters, skilled writing--just not a lot that everybody will love.

Live long, read and prosper.  We'll leave the lights on for you.