In Paterson
“A dazzling American tragedy. The characters who play out their fates here are indelible and hauntingly real . . . figures of the enduring legacy of immigrant life, its spectral humor and sheer tenacity.”
In Paterson
Miriam Levine
2002
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Miriam Levine gives us an eloquent novel that is an elegy to a past generation whose desire for love and tenacious battle for survival prefigure the passions of a new generation. Levine’s protagonist is European-born widower Ben Shein, a brilliant furrier reestablishing the family business in Paterson. The Sheins have come through the Great Depression and seem poised for success. But Ben’s life takes a horrifying turn. Suspenseful, driven by compassion, wisdom, and courage, this is a work from a vibrant new voice in American fiction.
“A wonderfully lyrical and naturalistic depiction of northern New Jersey during the 1940s. In Paterson portrays a sympathetic cast of relative innocents adrift in a time of war and psychological disruption. This is a deep-feeling and well-crafted book.”
“Riveting. Levine recreates a family tragedy with the surety of stroke of a Goya, a Rembrandt, bringing the reader from the deep, shadow side of human nature to the filtered light of redemption. I couldn’t put this book down.”
“A poignant tale.”
“Levine has succeeded admirably in writing a first novel that respects readers’ intelligence, tugs their heartstrings and, most importantly, through the sorrows of others, touches their souls.”
“In Paterson is written with a poet's ear for rhythm, restraint, and understatement and an artist's eye for significant detail. With a nod towards her predecessors' use of Paterson both as a site and subject, Levine succeeds in creating something well-constructed, original, and wholly her own.”
“Miriam Levine is a wonderful and wise writer. She has created a compelling story of everyday hopes, dreams, and tragedies in this psychologically complex novel.”