The passing boom of big New York gay male voices joking and laughing. The clandestine lovers, tentative and delicate like deer. The Pines is heaven and hell on the beach, in the woods. In White’s novel, Fire Island takes on mythic dimensions. There are lines that you will reread multiple times for the pure joy of their music. It’s easy to forget how fulfilling and inventive his ideas and characters are as his language and storytelling have never been simultaneously more satisfying, precise, and alert. Though his prose moves the compelling plot along swiftly, White surreptitiously whittles away toward a psychodynamic core. One of White’s innumerable gifts is that he can write frankly and graphically about sex and still find nuance, sanctity, and elevation. Credit: Linda RosierĪmid the rigorous discussion of antiques, classical music, ancient civilizations, Mediterranean mythologies, and high contemporary culture, there are considerable sexual exploits that are titillating but never vulgar. The ferry pulls in during 'Low Tea' at the Blue Whale in the Pines at Fire Island, July 28, 2018. And since the novel is set nearly 30 years into the future, contemporary news like the coronavirus pandemic is old history that is reflected on. Not just present, but rich, vital, and necessary. The life in 'A Previous Life' is so vibrant that everything from Greco-Roman lore to the Renaissance and on through all movements in art, philosophy, and society leading to the 19th century are present in White’s 21st century. She’s been raped by an abusive ‘uncle,’ she’s been robbed by her first husband and humiliated by the second.' 'She may be young, but she’s already lived through so much exploitation and abandonment. 'No wonder Constance is so insecure around me,' writes Ruggero. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy.

A previous life edmund white review