"Sometimes it seemed to me that you had planned your own life, Lawrence, that you had sown it in rows like a field, so that later, in exactitude, it would appear before you. I wonder how much of what we knew about you in those years -- the years you moved so calmly through the world -- was an invention."
-- Blue River by Ethan Canin.
Ethan Canin is an excellent writer. But his debut novel suffers, as so many do, from trying too hard. Instead of telling a story, he strives for images. His words keep getting in the way of what he is trying to say.
Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.
