Can mere mortals civilize a monster?

This question was certainly not on the minds of two bookish grad students when they fell in love in mid 20th century Iowa City. What each craved was sanctuary from troubled home life, and together they found it all over town -- in a remote nook in the university library, at the bus station diner, in Eveline's bedroom and other settings as redolent of the past as a great aunt's attic. Musty stairwells, stubborn old windows opening to the smell of spring rain and in winter growing skins of ice: love it or loathe it, this Iowa City was as safe, sad and eternal as a gazebo in winter. Yet as they huddled over meals, made love and confessed and confided, Malcom and Eveline become convinced that a catastrophic storm is closing in, not just on them but the whole distracted nation.

We are entering into Melville and Conrad territory -- as reimagined by Cormac McCarthy: rage, bloodlust and chaos. So far it is all cerebral, confined to the minds of young lovers steeling themselves for the test of their lives. And yet the Goliath who embodies this evil and who they have dedicated themselves to taming seems to be just another professor in another small town, though he also happens to be --- Well, find out for yourselves.

Larsen's gift for bringing to life people, places and the Midwestern countryside in all its moods and seasons is as keen as ever. The Book of Reading is a complicated but compelling tale. Be prepared for time travel, cross-country hikes, for wine, cheese and summer sausage shared on grassy hillsides as the two lovers trek toward a confrontation that carries them and the reader into a uniquely American heart of darkness.

After the lives of two strangers abruptly intersect in a peculiar parallel universe, they embark on an epic journey to save the world from destruction in Larsen’s latest novel. Though born in different years—Eveline Stahl in 1909 and Malcolm Reiner in 1941—their paths were destined to cross. A chance meeting in Iowa City, Iowa in Autumn 1933 leads them to fall in love. With the fate of the nation on their shoulders, they go on a grand adventure to West Tree, Minnesota with one goal: prevent the formation of the CIA and the onset of the Cold War, thus avoiding JFK’s assassination and averting the long descent of the nation into tyranny. Will they succeed? Larsen takes a joyous approach to his story, although not much of note occurs outside of transformations, time jumps, and Malcolm and Eveline trying in vain to save the country before ultimately being thrown apart and never reuniting. Nevertheless, Larsen successfully creates several timelines across which the plotline progresses, unveiling surprises as it moves towards its climax. Malcolm and Eveline’s relationship is authentic, adding emotional depth to the tale. Malcolm’s father, who is shrouded in symbolism, makes for a formidable adversary. Pleasantly amusing and satisfyingly ambiguous, as befits a meandering tale of time travel jumps.

Eric Larsen’s The Book of Reading marks the conclusion of his Pentology series, blending elements of time travel, romance, conspiracy thriller, and autobiographical nuances. This novel follows the journey of protagonist Malcolm Reiner, who grapples with involuntary time travel, a complex love story, unresolved issues with his abusive father, and the repercussions of his choices. Larsen skillfully intertwines poetry, quantum theory, and everyday experiences in a narrative that impresses with its coherence and meticulous construction.

Reiner, as a character, embodies a realistic portrayal of depression, anxiety, and trauma, offering readers an intimate glimpse into his worldview. Larsen’s detailed character construction allows for a resonant and sometimes uncomfortably relatable experience for those familiar with similar struggles. A notable aspect of Larsen’s writing is his rich, albeit challenging, vocabulary. Readers less accustomed to such linguistic complexity may find themselves frequently consulting a dictionary. Larsen’s use of an advanced vocabulary adds a layer of richness to the narrative, providing an opportunity for readers to deepen their linguistic knowledge. This sophisticated lexicon complements the intricate story, filled with complex themes and quantum theory. This is a rewarding journey for the enthusiastic reader, filled with depth and texture, creating an unforgettable reading experience. Larsen has succeeded in blurring the lines between fiction and reality, crafting a narrative that is at once lifelike and abstract.

The Book of Reading offers a rich and rewarding experience filled with thought-provoking content and a unique storytelling approach. This story stays with readers long after finishing the book and leaves them with questions they can relate to their own lives.

Can love and truth survive when history and memory collide?

The Book of Reading by Eric Larsen is an ambitious, engaging, and sometimes even mind-boggling exploration of the profound impact of literature, the complexities of history, and the enduring power of love. At its core, the novel presents an unusual yet strangely convincing thesis—namely, that works of literature possess the innate ability to serve as guardians of the American nation and people, thereby shielding both from the imminent dangers posed by the wider world.

Of course, a phenomenon that momentous, that potentially earth-shattering, cannot occur organically; rather, it has to be set in motion by an individual or group of individuals able to see beyond the mundane and risk grasping the extraordinary. In this case, the driving force is Malcolm Reiner and his reticent discovery of the possibility of time travel: “I’d been in Iowa City for a month-and-a-half or two months when I discovered that time there existed not in a single plane, as it did everywhere else, but in two parallel planes separated from one another by thirty years.”

This discovery allows Malcolm to travel from the Iowa City of 1963 to the Iowa City of 1933. Once there, good fortune causes him to meet Eveline Stahl, a fellow graduate student, albeit one born some 33 years before him. Still, despite the decades that should customarily separate them, the pair feel an instant attraction and determine to engage in a time-defying relationship. What’s more, Eveline’s unwavering belief in the power of literature coupled with Malcolm’s knowledge of how history will unfold inspire them to pursue a truly bold enterprise.

Convinced that they are better able to steer the fate of the United States than those who originally did the job, Malcolm and Eveline set out to change the timeline and so avert the catastrophe that they feel the nation faces. To accomplish this, they have to prevent two great disasters: the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency, which they consider to have triggered the Cold War, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which they feel launched the country on the path to dictatorship and decrepitude.

“Eveline and I were being given the opportunity to undo an immense wrong. If we could succeed, then other subsequent wrongs, even greater ones, could in turn be avoided.” As their quest for both change and preservation intensifies, the story seamlessly transitions between pivotal historical events and the intimate moments shared by Malcolm and Eveline. Here, Larsen’s eloquent prose not only evokes the pair’s unique sense of patriotism but also delves into the intricacies of human emotions, underlining the enduring nature of love and sacrifice in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.

The gifted and spirited Eveline fervently believes in the ability of literature not only to connect all aspects of life but also to protect her, Malcolm, and the country they both love from harm. “In this sense of a connection, at whatever distance, lay the seeds of Eveline’s later perception of the earth-protecting tendrils. The sense of communion or connectedness, the sense of touching another being… the touch going both ways, from the reader all the way back to the originator of the book, and from the originator all the way back to the reader.” Alongside the determined and passionate Malcolm, she unhesitatingly embarks on a daring mission that spans decades, attempting to alter the course of history and shape the destiny of their nation, and despite the hubris of their plan, they largely remain a likable and stalwart pair.

Through a neat blend of intricate storytelling and intellectual contemplation, The Book of Reading emphasizes the profound impact that literature can have on individual and national identity. Larsen navigates the complex interplay between literature and history, highlighting the subtle yet potent ways in which the former shapes the political and social fabric of society. His exploration of the transformative power of words serves as a poignant reminder of the lasting legacy of storytelling and its ability to inspire change and resilience in the face of adversity.

In addition, Larsen’s merging of real historical events with the fictional exploits of Malcolm and Eveline, particularly when viewed through their bespoke philosophical lens, renders The Book of Reading highly immersive and surprisingly fast-paced. The novel’s emotional resonance is heightened by Larsen’s vivid depiction of Eveline and Malcolm’s deep connection, revealing the life-changing and redemptive qualities of love against a backdrop of uncertainty and tremendous change.

Given its thought-provoking exploration of love, destiny, and the timeless influence of literature, The Book of Reading is a powerful and resonant novel that explores complex issues with a light touch and always stresses the human element of portentous events. Larsen’s intricate plotting exposes the complexities of history and the enduring spirit of patriotism, highlighting the transformative role of literature.

The Book of Reading examines paradox, interconnected lives, and new possibilities through the lens of a relationship between an older man and a young woman. It introduces the setting and influences of past and present through an intriguing introduction that challenges readers to consider the boundaries between fact, fiction, "what if," and possibilities that depend on a blend of circumstance, conjecture, and intersecting influences.

The preface sets the story in 2028. The narrator is now over eighty years old, and reflects on events that exemplify six ongoing themes in his life: love, time, memory, meaning, destruction, and evil. Keep these themes in mind, because they recur and emerge in unexpected ways as the story unfolds. They are also important to note because "...from the moment human beings stop being able to perceive or understand meaning in themselves or in the things and elements around them; from that moment they become incapable of producing anything other than destruction and evil."

With this in mind, readers enter a milieu in which time travel becomes relative as journeys of heart and soul emerge from encounters with love and experiences of the contrast and clash between past and present.

During these transformative moments, "what if" and "what is" are suspended animations in which everything is possible:

"The translocation returned, suddenly, unexpectedly, brutally - and finally. I was wrenched away, absolutely. I never saw, knew, felt, or sensed the existence of Eveline near me again. And there was something else, something almost as bad, empty, lifeless, and hollow as being torn from her. This was the fact that at the same time I was hurled forward to where I'd begun, into the murderous, bloody, doomed emptiness of 1964. At that time, Eveline and I were in West Tree, in September, in 1947. So suddenly did the disaster take place that I was allowed not so much as a final lungful of the air from that time, air that still had the scent of promise in it, the scent of past and future joined together.

The air in 1964 was hollow, empty, without aroma - ex-cept for a thin scent of blood."

As aged, lonely, and defeated narrator Malcolm Reiner reviews the circumstances which led to his involvement with Eveline at a point in time that proved impossible to change, the heartbeat of a nation heading towards a tyrannical future emerges with the concurrent pulse of a personal transformation that always holds promise, but seldom the riches of achievement.

As the narrator considers the ultimate harm he may have to do to get the nation back on track, the moral and ethical quandaries of his decisions come to light in a narrative that is eye-opening, engrossing, and replete with choices at every turn, from a father's influence and relationship to a fellow traveler's experience of and control over the ultimate death of a nation.

Eric Larsen's time-hopping moves between the personal and the political, possibilities and realities, and between redemption and resolution make for a thoroughly engrossing story that will not only captivate readers, but creates many discussion points for book club involvement.

Libraries and readers interested in a story that juxtaposes individual lives with bigger-picture thinking and possibilities in a way that reflects the current careering course of American democratic interests will find The Book of Reading compelling, thought-provoking, and hard to put down.