McCann crafts Apeirogon out of a universe of fictional and nonfictional material. When Bassam and Rami learn of each other’s stories, they recognize the loss that connects them and they attempt to use their grief as a weapon for peace. Their worlds shift irreparably after ten-year-old Abir is killed by a rubber bullet and thirteen-year-old Smadar becomes the victim of suicide bombers. They inhabit a world of conflict that colors every aspect of their daily lives, from the roads they are allowed to drive on, to the schools their daughters, Abir and Smadar, each attend, to the checkpoints, both physical and emotional, they must negotiate. Genre: Historical Fiction, Literary Fictionįrom the National Book Award–winning and bestselling author of Let the Great World Spin comes an epic novel rooted in the real-life friendship between two men united by loss.Ĭolum McCann’s most ambitious work to date, Apeirogon-named for a shape with a countably infinite number of sides-is a tour de force concerning friendship, love, loss, and belonging.īassam Aramin is Palestinian.There is nothing more necessary to remember as we navigate the world, each of us in our individual spheres desperately seeking connection.
Fans of more traditional, linear narratives, however, may find his latest offering a struggle.Īt its core, Apeirogon is a complex, at times heartbreakingly beautiful reminder that shared humanity trumps hatred, violence, war, difference, and time. I recommend committing to it in a shorter time frame so the narrative threads don’t unravel.įor those interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or history and art enthusiasts looking to be mesmerized by McCann’s vast and seemingly endless allusions, the novel is a home run. The structure is demanding and can be difficult to follow-particularly the core stories of Rami and Bassam-if the book is read over a long stretch. Written in 1001 sections, counting up to 500 and back down to one, the novel is a hybrid of interlocking narratives, historical accounts, metaphorical explorations, photographs, and philosophical musings. The title, a geometrical term expressing a polygon with an infinite number of countable sides, conveys the structure of the book. Israeli Rami Elhanan and Palestinian Bassam Aramin are grieving fathers brought together by losses that unite them across cultural and spiritual divides in National Book Award-winner Colum McCann’s latest novel, Apeirogon.
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