In Sunlight and in Shadow

by Mark Helprin

Hardcover, 2012

Call number

FIC HEL

Collection

Publication

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2012), Edition: First Edition, 720 pages

Description

Returning home after serving in World War II to run his family business in New York, paratrooper Harry Copeland falls in love with young singer and heiress Catherine Thomas Hale, who risks everything to break off her engagement to another man.

Media reviews

It’s incredible that this story — or, to be more precise, these stories — hasn’t been told before. Except that, of course, it has, and they have . . . though never before in more than 700 consecutive pages, between the covers of one book.
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Wall Street Journal
"In its storytelling heft, its moral rectitude, the solemn magnificence of its writing and the splendor of its hymns to New York City, the new novel [In Sunlight and in Shadow] is a spiritual pendant to 'Winter's Tale,' and every bit as extraordinary. . . . [T]he writing throughout 'In Sunlight and
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in Shadow' sounds as though it were scored to some great choral symphony."
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Elegant, elegiac novel of life in postwar America, at once realistic and aspirational, by the ever-accomplished Helprin. ... A fine adult love story—not in the prurient sense, but in the sense of lovers elevated from smittenness to all the grown-up problems that a relationship can bring.

User reviews

LibraryThing member froxgirl
My first Mark Helprin. Too long. Everyone is too beautiful, too smart, too lyrical, too showing-up-just-in-the-nick-of-time, too evil. There was one fine point midway when both of the main characters faced major dilemmas. Exciting, but ended up being resolved by some kind of magical fairy dust men,
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not at all realistic or logical.

I did enjoy many parts of this but oh for an editor with a hatchet.

I will try Winter's Tale.
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LibraryThing member Poindextrix
I have been a fan of Helprin's since some time in high school when I first picked up Winter's Tale. Though it took me a while to get into it, this new book did not disappoint.
LibraryThing member Brianna_H
What had promise of being a grand and beautiful story was a sluggish is so mired in overly verbose prose
LibraryThing member MarshaKT
Many people complain about there being too many words - face it - Mark Helprin loves words - he loves language. I found it delightful to join him in his playful adventure with words. He loves weaving stories, and you can tell there are things he's just observed about the world, little gems, that
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are wonderful to come across in the middle of a story. He takes, for instance, short detour into the name Harry, and you know that these are the musings of Mark Helprin given to his hero.

Part romance - his hero's love affair with a woman and Helprin's own love affair with the city of New York, and part suspense story, as we discover that Harry's business is being driven out of business by "protection money", the tales weave together beautifully. The plot is helped along with the type of magical deus ex machina that Helprin loves to insert in his novels.

I admit, there were a couple of places where I was too engaged in the story and passed over some of these passages - and a very long, albeit engaging and well-written description of a battle came at a very inopportune time in the story - and I glossed over that as well - now that I've finished the book, I may go back and reread those sections.

A wonderful story up there with "Winter's Tale" and "Soldier of the Great War"!
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LibraryThing member jo-jo
Well this is by far the longest audiobook I have listened to yet. And although I found it difficult at times to want to pay attention, I found it easy to pick up on things later when it got interesting again. I think Runnette did a great job of narrating, because even when the story didn't have my
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attention, I still found I wanted to listen to the narrator. I wouldn't have listened for 29 hours otherwise!

When Harry first sees Catherine, it is love at first sight. He knows they are meant to be together, but since she is engaged he knows it will be a battle to win her heart. Harry is up for the challenge as he fights for the woman he loves, and earns her friendship, love and respect. We have a front row seat to Harry and Catherine's courtship, marriage, and regular life together. Shortly after their relationship becomes serious, Harry's personal business venture is compromised and he must figure out a way to correct the situation before he loses everything his parents built and passed on to him.

There were so many lines within this novel that made me think, "Wow, that was just beautiful." Often when I read books I find myself going back and reading parts over again, just to have the chance to pour over those lovely words again. So there were many times during this audiobook that I wished I had a physical book to do that.

I think my favorite part of the book is when Harry looked up an army friend, Johnson, who happened to live in Bayfield, Wisconsin. Bayfield is just a little town, probably has a population of about 500 people, located about 30 miles north of me. So it was fun to listen to him describing the ice cold winters and how difficult it was for Johnson to meet him in Chicago since there isn't much public transportation in Bayfield. It is still that way up here in Northern Wisconsin.

The novel takes quite a turn when Harry makes the decision to protect what belongs to him. He spends time formulating a plan in an effort to protect his business. He is not in a hurry to put his plan into action, as he knows it could even take years for completion. I did find myself enjoying this story and got rather wrapped up in the ending. With themes of love, war, and honor this book had much to offer for a variety of readers. Although I did enjoy the audioversion, I believe I may have enjoyed the physical book more. I also think book clubs would have a great discussion from this novel.
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LibraryThing member jpe9
As I was reading this over-the-top paean to paratroopers, feminine beauty, love across class lines, the theatre, and New York after the Second World War, I kept rolling my eyes and wishing the author would get on with it. As the plot alternates from one arena to another the reader is treated to the
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bombastic musings about life of just about every character, and the author's keen sense of place. I kept with it down to the end, which was somewhat satisfying if highly predictable. After finishing, I wondered what the NY Times had to say about it. Michiko Kakutani called it "laughably awful." Ouch! I still think I am going to recommend this to my spouse -- and not because I want to punish her....
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LibraryThing member briandrewz
Long and slow in some places. Description deserves an A+, but the story went on a lot longer than it needed to. Some of the scenes were so beautifully described, I didn't want them to end. I somehow get the feeling that this author can be a bit overrated.
LibraryThing member LiamKincaid
Helprin's writing is as beautiful as ever, perhaps more so. I was disappointed with the ending, because to me it seemed merely to stop, rather than resolve. Still, an excellent read. Mark Helprin writes like no one else.
LibraryThing member Pmaurer
Massive book that should be read slowly and pondered as you work your way through it. I made the mistake of thinking I could listen to this tale Harry and Catherine, and decided I'd rather read and ponder it. Set in post WW2, it describes some of the changes in society that formerly well-to-do
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families and businesses had to adapt to. Only made it to Chapter 20, before I decided I was missing many ideas I'd like to spend more time thinking about.
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LibraryThing member VashonJim
Beautiful writing, fast-paced, well-developed story. A tale of a love affair which spanned several decades.
LibraryThing member kwskultety
Typical Helprin prose, lyrical and magical.

Pages

720

ISBN

0547819234 / 9780547819235
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