Review by City Manager Amy Nelson
Sometimes an author has an
ability to mash two unrelated
things together. Just when you
think you are reading about one
subject, you realize you are actually
exploring something entirely
different. The result is that the
reader receives knowledge about
both subjects and, sometimes, a
deeper understanding of self. In
his poignant and moving work
“Levels of Life” Julian Barnes does
this beautifully, enticing those who
check it out to devour its 144 pages
in one sitting.
Levels of Life masterfully
intertwines the history of
ballooning (something most of
us know nothing about) and grief
(something all of us will at some
point certainly know something about) in this poignant memoir. This
book pulls at the heart strings and stretches our capacity to understand
how we elevate ourselves through life, love, and letting go.
Through his words, Barnes unveils how man consistently attempts
to rise up to gain perspective. Whether you’re an aspiring “balloonatic”
interested in the human obsession of flight or a person struggling in the
depths of understanding loss, this book is a must read. Before you turn
on your burner and start turning pages, be prepared. The last chapters of
this emotional aerostation will land you hard and make you bounce a few
times before you reach the end.
Levels of Life was chosen as National Public Radio’s Best Book of the Year
in 2013 and has received multiple British literary awards. It is available at
the Yankton Community Library.
• Literary Speaking •
Levels of Life
HERVOICEvJULY/AUGUST 2016v13