In "Winter's Tale" by Mark Helprin, readers are taken on a journey to a magical version of New York City where a love story unfolds between a middle-aged Irishman and a young girl who is dying. The book is described as a fabulous urban fairy tale that defies labels, with characters that are vividly drawn and belong to a more magical time. The author's writing style is praised for its beautiful descriptions of surroundings and events, capturing the essence of the city and creating a sense of wonder and magic.

Characters:

The characters are often exaggerated and symbolic, with Peter Lake as the primary focus, but many others appear briefly and abruptly, leading to a lack of emotional connection.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is lush and descriptive, often poetic, but can be overwhelming and intricate, leading to a slow pacing that overshadows the plot.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot is characterized by a convoluted and incoherent structure, intertwining elements of magical realism, and spanning different time periods with multiple characters, lacking a singular narrative focus.

Setting:

The setting is a fantastical, wintry version of early 20th century New York City, serving as a vital backdrop that enhances the magical realism present in the narrative.

Pacing:

The pacing is slow and tends to drag, especially in the latter parts, with abrupt shifts between characters and timelines making it harder to follow.

THERE was a white horse, on a quiet winter morning when snow covered the streets gently and was not deep, and the sky was swept with vibrant stars, except in the east, where dawn was beginning in a li...

Notes:

Winter's Tale is set in an alternate universe version of New York City during the Belle Epoque.

The novel features magical realism elements, including a flying horse named Athansor.

Peter Lake, the protagonist, is an Irish burglar who falls in love with Beverly Penn, the daughter of a wealthy man who is dying of tuberculosis.

The book is known for its lush, poetic language and extensive descriptions, which some readers found beautiful while others considered tedious.

It spans over 700 pages and is divided into parts that shift focus and time periods, which can be confusing for readers.

Helprin's writing style includes long, elaborate descriptions that some readers feel detract from the overall plot.

The novel explores themes of love, loss, redemption, and the struggle between good and evil.

Many readers felt a disconnect between the characters and the story, leading to mixed reviews.

The book was adapted into a movie in 2014, but the film received poor reviews and differed significantly from the book's plot.

Winter's Tale is often described as a haunting and beautiful narrative that blends elements of fantasy, romance, and philosophical reflections.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Triggers/content warnings include themes of death, illness (tuberculosis), loss, and violence.

Has Romance?

There is a significant and central romantic storyline between Peter Lake and Beverly Penn.

From The Publisher:

A #1 New York Times Bestseller: Mark Helprin's masterpiece transports you to New York of the Belle Epoque, to a city clarified by a siege of unprecedented snows…

One winter night, Peter Lake??-??master mechanic and second-story man??-??attempts to rob a fortress-like mansion on the Upper West Side. Though he thinks it is empty, the daughter of the house is home. Thus begins the affair between a middle-aged Irish burglar and Beverly Penn, a young girl dying of consumption. It is a love so powerful that Peter, a simple and uneducated man, will be driven to stop time and bring back the dead. His great struggle is one of the most beautiful and extraordinary stories of American literature.

"Utterly extraordinary . . . A piercing sense of the beautiful arising from narrative and emotional fantasy is everywhere alive in the novel . . . Not for some time have I read a work as funny, thoughtful, passionate or large-souled . . . I find myself nervous, to a degree I don't recall in my past as a reviewer, about failing the work, inadequately displaying its brilliance." ??-?? Benjamin DeMott, New York Times Book Review

Ratings (16)

Incredible (4)
Loved It (4)
Liked It (3)
It Was OK (2)
Did Not Like (1)
Hated It (2)

Reader Stats (54):

Read It (13)
Want To Read (35)
Did Not Finish (2)
Not Interested (4)

What can you read after
Winter's Tale?

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About the Author:

MARK HELPRIN is the acclaimed author of Winter's Tale, A Soldier of the Great War, Freddy and Fredericka, The Pacific, Ellis Island, Memoir from Antproof Case, and numerous other works. His novels are read around the world, translated into over twenty languages.

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Winter's Tale

Mark Helprin