I am nearly 100 pages into Teju Cole's meditative Open City, and am really enjoying it so far. It is not a loud book, nor is it dull. From what I can see, the only action that takes place in the novel is a man walking around New York City and thinking, and I don't expect this to change. It is quiet. Because of this, it is also easy to put down. I started it at the beginning of last month, and closed it to read Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood. I am always afraid to put books down, because it usually spells death for them, but this one is different. I found myself thinking about it while driving to work, moving over some of the ideas it presented. I picked it up today and peacefully read 5o or so pages. And what is nice about this book is that I may put it down again, but I know for certain I will finish it, even if I move to something else before. Some books are like that. They don't need to consume you, or demand every ounce of your attention. They are happy to let you go about your business and trust you know when to visit. This is a first for me, and for that Open City is a roaring success.
I finished Open City last night in a long sitting and found the novel more rewarding than I initially realized. I said this earlier, but it is such a quiet novel, which at first seems off-putting, but does serve a very definitive purpose. It is an ending that needs to be read to discussed. It is haunting and provocative, a surprise given how it begins. Teju Cole's first novel is powerful and well worth your time.
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