The History of Love - Nicole Krauss

When they write my obituary. Tomorrow. Or the next day. It will say, LEO GURSKY IS SURVIVED BY AN APARTMENT FULL OF SHIT. I'm surprised I haven't been buried alive. The place isn't big. I have to struggle to keep a path clear between bed and toilet, toilet and kitchen table, kitchen table and front door. If I want to get from the toilet to the front door, impossible, I have to go by way of the kitchen table. I like to imagine the bed as home plate, the toilet as first base, the kitchen table as second, the front door as third: should the doorbell ring while I am lying in bed, I have to round the toilet and the kitchen table in order to arrive at the door. If it happens to be Bruno, I let him in without a word and then jog back to bed, the roar of the invisible crowd ringing in my ears.
I often wonder who will be the last person to see me alive. If I had to bet, I'd bet on the delivery boy from the Chinese take-out. I order in four nights out of seven.

I seem to be on a roll with good books and this one certainly deserves my highest rating. Krauss writes a very creative story which gives the reader a satisfying and enriching experience. Her style is refreshing and contemporary. It is imaginative and fresh from beginning to end while remaining driven by the story and characters.

I found myself smiling a lot when I read this book. It isn't so much humorous as it is surprisingly unique throughout. The main character is unlike any I have seen in other books. It is about love, but not in the typical way the title might imply. It shows the mystery of a strange mind along with a real mystery the characters must solve. This is a book that makes the reader ponder love lost and lost possibilities rather than warming the heart with love fulfilled. However, it is one that is well worth spending some time reading.