Both Eyes Book Blog

“Snowdrops”

A. D. Miller’s Snowdrops seems to have riled up at least a few critics following the announcement of the Man Booker short list.  I don’t know what the fuss is about because I thought it was great.

The problem is that it’s a decadently easy read, almost an airport novel.  It has many of the elements of a spy thriller:  sexy women, mysterious men in suits, fancy cars, corrupt politics.  It’s like a James Bond story in which James Bond is kind of a dork and doesn’t have a gun.

It also has a great minimalist sensibility.  It made me think of Kawabata’s Snow Country.  It’s atmospheric and thoughtful, with that great Russian sense of depressive nostalgia.  Granted, it won’t win the prize this year, but I think it’s deserving of its spot on the short list and I’m curious what Miller will write next.