The New York Trilogy

1. Published in 1986,originally as 3 single works before compiled into a single trilogy.Few weeks ago reviewed on BFM (Tuesdays at 2pm),and dozens of copies hit MPH with the "Recommended by BFM" sticker on the cover.In the first place it didn't get a stellar review (nor was it deemed a bad read),but its ridiculous how every book mentioned on the show now ends up on the main shelf with a the same damn sticker on it.

2. Anyway,this book is astoundingly well-written.Split into three parts,with each meant as a retelling on the same detective story.We first meet Daniel Quinn who is hired to stalk a Peter Stillman, soon the case gets complex and in the second book each character is codenamed a color and all details of the story are masked in a similarly opaque fashion.But by the end of the second,you'd be able to speculate certain answers for the first story,except the third story puts into question whatever you may have assumed.

3. So the big problem is that the author deliberately holds back answers. But getting past this is easy,the trilogy offered is in no way convoluted-he knows what he's writing about and where he intends to go,very few other books have this vicious sense of control.Each paragraph is tight and very specific,playing its unique role in the big picture.The narrator is highly self-aware,and in times when the author describes the anxiety and paranoia of his character it is deep and written in a manner that was loyal to the book's feel of mystique and espionage.

4. So I finished this book in a day.Usually that means one of two things.Either like any of Chuck Palahniuk's books,which I usually read in a day or two,because the book itself was simple to finish and written in a way that completely lacks depth.Or,in the rare occasion when a book commands you to continue reading for a better reason-which is where The New York trilogy belongs-you don't get any easy answers,but its not confusing and convoluted or totally meaningless,within the big framework you get a lot of precious,smaller stories on family,friendships and obsession.

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