When people ask me what my favorite book is, I often have to pause for a moment before I can give them a reply. When people ask me for a book recommendation, the first one I give to them is The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. I’ve read it three times, and each time the writing and story is so poignant that it stays with me long after I finish reading it.
At first glance, it seems like a rather simple story: an old man is waiting for death and a young girl is trying to find love for her mother. However, this book is anything but simple. It twists and turns, its characters fail and have tremendous growth, it makes genuine connections. All I can really say is it is worth your time.
So, without further ado, here is my spoiler free review on why The History of Love is worth your time.
Characters:
Through a majority of the book, you follow two characters: Alma and Leo Gursky. There are other characters who occasionally steal the spotlight, but the relatively small cast really allows you to get to know these two characters. Their hardships become yours to bear and their triumphs leave you soaring. You want them to succeed because they have become part of you.
Writing:
A lot of what makes this book so good is its writing. It’s simple in that it leaves everything on the page. You read it and you know that is what it is meant to be. It does what it needs to do, even if it means breaking conventional form. However, when it does break the conventional, it seems so natural. There is no other way it could be. There is no other way to describe it but beautiful.
Ending:
No matter how many times I read the ending, it never fails to leave me with tears in my eyes. It’s an ending that requires you to read it more than once, not because you didn’t understand, but because you need to experience it again. You forget everything you were hoping might happen because you realize it was never about that. Everything that happened was driving toward this one moment. It’s pure character. It’s pure truth. It’s pure acceptance. I think I’ve read the ending at least nine times, but it never fails to blow me away with its beauty. Believe me when I say the last 15 pages are worth it.
I could talk about the beauty of this book for hours, but that would require spoilers, and I really want you to experience this book for yourself. It’s a book that needs to be read. I only hope that this little snapshot of this small, poignant story will leave you wanting more. This book deserves a read and you owe it to yourself to do it.