Makkai's writing style requires some effort from the reader, especially as this story visits previous years and the author makes connections between them. The "ghost story" that launches the book is non-existent and the focus is on the unique lifestyles of artists and their need for a balance of independence and community. But there are a lot of characters (and their idiosyncrasies) to keep track of and I never developed a sense of caring for any of them. Some parts resonate but the 1929 section is disjointed and off-putting. I feel like I missed much of the greater meaning the author was trying to communicate. ( )

I'll be honest and say that at first I was a bit skeptical of this book. My public library listed this among the many female authors to-be-read and I took a chance and checked it out. The summary of this book does it not justice, because by then end I was relatively pleased at the way the book had ended.

However, I give it four stars out of five because I feel that some of the characters in the book were underdeveloped and fell short of intriguing. I speak mainly of the first part of the book, which ironically was the longest part of the book. Half way through the book, I found myself looking at the different reviews this book received--and I find that I've been doing that a lot lately with books I check out at the library--and now have to agree with some of those who stated that everything except for part 1 would have made a better story and should have been more developed. I would have to say that part 3 was my favorite of the book because this is the part where the story really comes to life and that you fee like you're spying the lives of those living in this 100 year old house.

I will say this, I thought it clever the way the author portrayed the story-line. Any doubts I had before, or any missing pieces I had encountered in previous chapters, made sense in the end. And that is a wonderful feeling.

I want to be clear and say that it is a good read, and that it does merit being read. And it does take a lot of talent to write. Period. So, I do feel that Rebecca Makkai should take pride in her work. ( )

An interesting conceit that didn't fully work for me. Not because the structure failed, but because my investment did, in some ways, and I was disappointed by the ending (beginning?). Mostly I left feeling sad about the things we lose. Still an interesting author I will continue reading. ( )

This is the story of a house that has been in the wealthy Devohr family for generations. It is supposedly haunted by the ghost of the original builder's unhappy wife, who hanged herself, but there are other ghosts and secrets. Most of the story involves those living there as the year 2000 approaches: Zee, a Marxist literary scholar who lives in the carriage house with her husband Doug, an unemployed PhD who has prolonged completing a book on poet Edward Parfitt (rather a one-poem success) that he believe will launch his career; Zee's mother Grace and her stepfather Bruce, who is preparing for the worst to happen at midnight on 12/31/99. Bruce's athletic but accident-prone son and his wife, a collage/mosaic artist, end up sharing the carriage house for a time as well.

From 1920 to 1950, the house was an artists' colony, and Doug is sure that the locked attic must hold a Parfitt treasure that will push him towards completion of his book. Much of the contemporary story focuses on his efforts to get into the attic, his fascination with Mariam, Bruce's daughter-in-law, and Zee's attempt to push an unpleasant colleague out of her department to make room for Doug. But there are also many secrets and mysteries to unveil, including Grace's true identity and the men in a provocative photo found in the attic files, one of whom appears to be Zee's grandfather. So, of course, we also go back in time to learn about all of the residents--family members, artists, employees--who lived in Laurel House.

It took me much longer to get through this one than it did Makkai's later books. The signature style is there, but I think the novel may have been going in too many directions. I got lost in some parts of the earlier story and wished that she had stayed with 1999, a plotline that was already fairly busy and complicated. Ultimately, I enjoyed this book, but not as much as The Great Believers or Music for Wartime. ( )

Strengths: Good prose. Great satire of academia in the first section.

Weaknesses: Too long. The ending sections are info dumpy. ( )