具体描述
Farro Fescu is the proud and observant concierge of Echo Terrace, a condominium in New York City. Passing through his lobby at all hours of the night and day is an exotic cross-section of the world's population: an Egyptian-born plastic surgeon who lives on the fifth floor and specializes in gender reassignment; a fighter pilot, on the eighth floor, who flew for Nazi Germany during World War II; an Iraqi spice merchant and the world-famous crazy-patch quilter with whom he's having an affair; the adulterer's son, dreaming of becoming an undertaker; and the widow whose apartment is a jungle Eden filled with a menagerie of specimens - finches, canaries, a defanged cobra, a monkey named Joe - that had been the subject of her dead husband's research.
Farro Fescu knows them all, knows all their secrets. He knows what happened to Yesenia Rivera, the nineteen-year-old staff housekeeper from Queens, when she took a fateful ride one evening on the Staten Island Ferry. He alone knows the truth behind the mysterious mishap that befell the fashion designer Ira Klempp, a resident of the twelfth floor. And he knows - and would like to know much more - about the alluring Maria Gracia Mono, sometime lover of Harry Falcon, the brilliant captain of industry who lives in the penthouse and is dying of cancer.
He is keenly attuned to the building and the people in it, yet he does not know what is in his own heart - why, after a long, hard life, he is still alive, and still alone. Nor does he know what he will be capable of in the face of sudden, overwhelming tragedy.
From Publishers Weekly
Intertwining stories by the author of The Jukebox Queen of Malta offer subtle portraits of the residents of Echo Terrace, a fictitious Battery Park building in which the condominiums are named after the likes of Mae West, Susan B. Anthony and Grandma Moses. At the book's center is the inimitable Romanian concierge, Farro Fescu, who watches with keen eyes the comings and goings of the intriguing inhabitants, including Karl Vogel, a Luftwaffe pilot engaged in an affair with a journalist whose grandfather was killed by a Nazi fighter pilot ("She is making peace with the enemy," Karl thinks); Yesenia, a captivating 19-year-old housemaid who is brutally raped on the way home to her Queens apartment; and Theo, a plastic surgeon who falls for a widow whose husband admitted to an affair and shortly thereafter died of a heart attack. Devastated, the woman, Nora, poisons her exotic pets ("Whatever I love, I make it die") and then walks into traffic. With Nora in a coma, her young actress niece, Angela, moves into her apartment and enters into an unlikely affair with a poem-quoting undertaker who is convinced that love can conquer all. Among a few bizarre twists, a young designer falls (or is pushed) from a window, and Theo is drafted by the FBI to perform a sex-change operation on one of Augusto Pinochet's collaborators. These are complex, moving stories without straightforward resolutions-as one character remarks, "Life is heavy, it weighs"-and if they feel a bit overwritten sometimes, Rinaldi compensates for this with multifaceted and memorable characters.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Through the microcosm of a large cast of international characters residing in a condo building in lower Manhattan during the years 1992-2001, Rinaldi summons no less than the pageant of the human tragicomedy. Each of them, at times, lonely and isolated, harbors an incredibly rich interior life in which the past is fully alive and readily accessible. Karl Vogel, a highly decorated WWII German fighter pilot, recalls his hatred for Hitler, while Farro Fescu, the proud Romanian concierge, still misses his uncles, who may have been killed in one of Vogel's bombing raids; nevertheless, the two men share a cordial relationship. Egyptian-born plastic surgeon Theo Tattafruge, who specializes in transgender operations, obsessively researches Teddy Roosevelt's adventurous life, finding in it an intoxicating mix of decisiveness and optimism that is so lacking in his patients' lives. Artist Maggie Sowle is commissioned by the UN to make a memorial quilt and puts her long-dead, much-loved husband's handprints at the center. In this way, Rinaldi effortlessly intertwines the political and the personal. With lavish and loving detail, he invokes the human experience--weddings and wars, art and commerce, births and funerals. A beautiful, emotionally uplifting tribute to the human spirit.
---Joanne Wilkinson
Publisher Comments:
Within the walls of
Echo Terrace, the world ...
A beautifully resonant novel with a dazzling array of characters whose life stories are woven together into a breathtaking braid of love and memory.
Farro Fescu is the proud and observant concierge of Echo Terrace, a condominium in New York City. Passing through his lobby at all hours of the night and day is an exotic cross-section of the world's population: an Egyptian-born plastic surgeon who lives on the fifth floor and specializes in gender reassignment; a fighter pilot, on the eighth floor, who flew for Nazi Germany during World War II; an Iraqi spice merchant and the world-famous crazy-patch quilter with whom he's having an affair; the adulterer's son, dreaming of becoming an undertaker; and the widow whose apartment is a jungle Eden filled with a menagerie of specimens — finches, canaries, a defanged cobra, a monkey named Joe — that had been the subject of her dead husband's research.
Farro Fescu knows them all, knows all their secrets. He knows what happened to Yesenia Rivera, the nineteen-year-old staff housekeeper from Queens, when she took a fateful ride one evening on the Staten Island Ferry. He alone knows the truth behind the mysterious mishap that befell the fashion designer Ira Klempp, a resident of the twelfth floor. And he knows — and would like to know much more — about the alluring María Gracia Mo?o, sometime lover of Harry Falcon, the brilliant captain of industry who lives in the penthouse and is dying of cancer.
He is keenly attuned to the building and the people in it, yet he does not know what is in his own heart — why, after a long, hard life, he is still alive, and still alone. Nor does he know what he will be capable of in the face of sudden, overwhelming tragedy.
As the narrative eye of Between Two Rivers floats from one apartment to another, revealing the characters' private histories and tracing the dramatic intersections of their daily lives, a lush tapestry of experience emerges. The story, in beautifully textured prose, is laced with wit and humor, subtle ironies and haunting echoes, and everywhere a profound sense of the resilience of the human spirit.
Book Dimension
Height (mm) 236 Width (mm) 169
作者简介
目录信息
读后感
评分
评分
评分
评分
用户评价
这本书的语言风格，给我一种非常舒服的感觉。它不是那种刻意追求新奇或晦涩的文字，而是朴实而又充满韵味，仿佛一位经验丰富的老者，用最简单纯粹的语言，讲述着最深刻的道理。作者的遣词造句，精炼而又富有表现力，能够准确地传达人物的情感和内心的状态，同时又不会显得过于冗余。我尤其喜欢作者在描写场景时所营造出的那种氛围，即使没有华丽的辞藻，也能让人身临其境，感受到那种特有的气息和意境。这种“润物细无声”的叙事方式，恰恰是许多现代作品所缺乏的。它让我感受到一种回归，回归到文字本身的力量，回归到那些最本质的情感和思考。在阅读的过程中，我仿佛能感受到作者对每一个字、每一个词的用心，这种严谨的态度，让我对书的内容更加充满了信心。我期待在接下来的阅读中，能够继续沉浸在这种舒服而富有力量的语言之中，继续被那些朴实而深刻的表达所打动。
评分这本书的字体大小和排版设计，在我看来，是作者对读者阅读体验的极致追求。许多书籍在字体上显得过于拥挤，或者字号过小，长时间阅读容易造成视觉疲劳，从而影响阅读的连贯性和沉浸感。然而，《Between Two Rivers》在这方面却显得尤为用心。文字的大小适中，清晰而富有力量，每一笔一画都仿佛经过精心雕琢，传递出一种沉静而专业的态度。行距的设置也恰到好处，既保证了文字之间的呼吸感，又不会显得过于疏散，让读者能够流畅地跟随作者的思路。更让我惊喜的是，页边距的设计也考虑到了握持的舒适度，不会因为过窄而挤压手指，也不会因为过宽而显得空洞。这些看似微小的细节，却构成了整体阅读感受的重要基石。在一个信息爆炸的时代，能够静下心来阅读一本书，本身就是一种奢侈。而当书籍本身的载体也如此令人愉悦时，这种体验就更显珍贵了。我确信，作者在这本书的物理呈现上倾注了大量的心血，这预示着书的内容本身，也一定同样值得细细品味。
评分我得说，这本书的书名《Between Two Rivers》着实触动了我内心深处某种难以言喻的共鸣。它不仅仅是一个简单的命名，更像是一个意象，一个引发无限遐想的引子。在我翻开这本书之前，光是这个名字就在我脑海中勾勒出无数个画面：或许是两个民族的界河，或许是两种信仰的交汇点，又或许是人生旅途中某个必须做出生死抉择的岔路口。这种模糊性反而充满了吸引力，因为它给了读者足够的空间去填充自己的想象，去与作者的意图进行一场无声的对话。我一直对那些能够捕捉到人类普遍情感和困境的书籍情有独钟，而“Between Two Rivers”似乎恰恰指向了那种处于某种“中间状态”的境遇，而这种境遇，恰恰是人生中最具张力和最富戏剧性的时刻。我期待这本书能够深入探讨这些“中间状态”所带来的困惑、挣扎、希望和成长。它是否能够帮助我更好地理解自身在面对不同选择和不同环境时的心理变化？它是否能够提供一些关于如何在纷繁复杂的现实中找到自己立足之地的启示？这些都是我在阅读之前，对这本书抱有的最大期待。
评分这本书的封面就足以吸引我，它不是那种浮夸的、色彩斑斓的设计，而是沉静而富有质感。淡淡的水墨晕染，仿佛一幅写意的山水画，隐约可见两条河流的轮廓，它们的分隔，又似乎是某种连接，这种意境让我对书的内容充满了好奇。拿到手后，纸张的触感也相当好，厚实而温润，翻阅时有一种踏实的愉悦感。我喜欢这样的书，不仅仅是内容，更是它作为一件物品所带来的仪式感。在阅读之前，我花了些时间仔细端详封面，想象着作者想要通过这个“Between Two Rivers”表达什么。是两个截然不同的世界？是选择与挣扎？还是某种融合与对立？这种未知的期待，让阅读的旅程显得格外令人神往。而且，这种设计往往意味着作者在文字内容上也会下足功夫，不会是那种“快餐式”的读物，它可能蕴含着更深沉的思考和更精妙的叙事。我尤其喜欢那种能够触及心灵的书籍，它们能够引导我去审视自己的内心，去理解那些隐藏在生活表象之下的复杂情感和深刻道理。我期待这本书能够带给我这样的体验，能够像一股清泉，涤荡我浮躁的心绪，让我重新审视那些被我忽略的细微之处。
评分在挑选下一本读物时，我总是习惯性地会被那些名字本身就充满故事的书籍所吸引，《Between Two Rivers》无疑就是其中之一。它没有直白的陈述，没有刻意的渲染，仅仅是简洁的几个字，却能在脑海中激荡起层层涟漪。我想象着，两条河流，它们可能并行，也可能交错，也可能截然相反。它们代表着什么？是过往与未来？是理想与现实？还是两个同样重要却无法兼顾的选择？这种“夹缝”中的状态，总是最能触动人心，因为我们的人生，何尝不是充满了这样的“夹缝”时刻？我们总是在各种选择、各种观念、各种境遇之间摇摆、徘徊、寻找方向。《Between Two Rivers》这个名字，仿佛为我打开了一扇窗，让我得以窥探那些可能隐藏在水面之下，却影响着我们生命轨迹的暗流。我期待这本书能够深入挖掘这种“夹缝”中的人性，它会讲述一个关于坚持的故事，还是一个关于妥协的故事？抑或是，一个关于如何在两者之间找到平衡的故事？我对这种能够引发深刻思考的叙事方式，有着近乎痴迷的喜爱。
评分这本书的文字，给我的第一印象是那种不动声色的力量。它没有刻意去追求华丽的辞藻，也没有使用过于复杂的句式，但每一句话都仿佛经过反复打磨，精准而富有穿透力。它像是一位沉静的智者，娓娓道来，却能轻易触及你内心最柔软的地方。我尤其欣赏作者在描述情感时的细腻和真实，它不是那种煽情的堆砌，而是通过细微的动作、眼神和对话，将人物内心的起伏勾勒得淋漓尽致。读到某些段落时，我甚至会停下来，默默地回味，仿佛看到了自己曾经的影子，或者那些我熟悉的人们。这种共鸣感，是衡量一本书是否成功的重要标准，而《Between Two Rivers》在这方面，无疑是达到了相当高的水准。它让我感觉到，作者不仅是一个讲故事的人，更是一个深刻的观察者，一个能够洞察人性和生活本质的思想者。我期待在接下来的阅读中，能够继续体验这种不动声色的力量，继续被那些真实而细腻的情感所打动。
评分在书店琳琅满目的书架上，《Between Two Rivers》的封面设计，以一种低调而又极具吸引力的方式，抓住了我的目光。它没有采用当下流行的鲜艳色彩或抽象图案，而是用一种写意的手法，勾勒出两条河流的意象。这种留白和含蓄，反而让我觉得它蕴含着更加深沉和丰富的内涵。我反复端详着封面，想象着那两条河流可能代表的意义。它们是地理上的界限？是文化上的隔阂？还是人生中无法避免的两种选择？这种“之间”的状态，充满了无限的可能性，也暗示着某种探索和求索的过程。我一直喜欢那些能够引发读者深度思考的书籍，它们不仅仅是消遣，更是一种精神的滋养。而《Between Two Rivers》这个名字，以及其简约而富有诗意的封面，都让我预感到，它将是一本能够触及灵魂、引发共鸣的作品。我期待它能够为我打开一扇新的视野，让我能够以更广阔的视角去理解那些关于人生、关于选择、关于连接的议题。
评分我不得不承认，《Between Two Rivers》这本书名，在我心中种下了一种难以言喻的好奇。它不仅仅是一个标识，更像是一个邀请，邀请我去探索那些可能隐藏在“两条河流之间”的未知领域。我脑海中浮现出各种各样的画面：或许是两条河流在某个节点悄然汇合，又或许它们永不相交，只是默默地平行流淌。这其中的隐喻，可以是生活的选择，可以是人生的境遇，也可以是人与人之间复杂的关系。我一直相信，好的书名能够预示着作者在内容上的深度和广度，而《Between Two Rivers》显然具备了这样的潜质。它没有提供明确的答案，而是抛出了一个引人深思的命题，让我不由自主地想要去寻找答案，去理解作者想要表达的那个“之间”的含义。我期待这本书能够带领我进行一场深刻的探索，它是否会讲述一段跨越鸿沟的故事？抑或是关于如何在看似对立的观点中找到共通之处？我对此充满期待。
评分当我第一次看到《Between Two Rivers》这本书名时，我脑海中立刻涌现出许多画面。仿佛两条河流，一条是奔腾向前、充满激情的，另一条则是沉静内敛、静水流深的。它们之间，必然存在着某种张力，某种对话，也可能存在着某种必须跨越的障碍。这种意象，让我联想到人生中无数的抉择和困境。我们是否常常会发现自己处于两个重要的方向之间，必须做出一个选择，但又无法完全割舍另一个？我们是否会因为内心的矛盾和挣扎，而感到迷茫和不安？我希望这本书能够探讨这些普遍存在的人性议题，它是否能够提供一些视角，帮助我理解那些在选择中挣扎的自己，或者那些在不同河流之间徘徊的人们。我期待它不仅仅是一个故事，更是一种对生命状态的深刻洞察。它是否能够教会我如何更好地面对那些无法避免的“夹缝”时刻，如何在矛盾中找到清晰的方向，如何在不同的力量之间保持内心的平衡？我迫切地想要一探究竟。
评分说实话，我在拿起《Between Two Rivers》这本书之前，就被它的书名深深吸引了。它不是那种一眼就能看透的标题，而是需要细细品味，才能领会其中深意的。两条河流，它们之间究竟是怎样的关系？是分隔？是交汇？还是某种微妙的共存？这个意象，给我一种非常强烈的画面感，同时又带有一种深刻的象征意义。它让我联想到了人生中那些重要的十字路口，那些必须在两种截然不同的道路中做出选择的时刻。我们常常会发现自己身处在一种“之间”的状态，渴望向前，却又留恋过去；追求理想，却又受到现实的束缚。《Between Two Rivers》这个名字，就如同一个谜语，让我迫不及待地想要去解开它。我希望这本书能够深入探讨这种“之间”的境遇，它是否会讲述一个关于勇气的故事，关于如何跨越阻碍的故事，或者关于如何在矛盾中找到和谐的故事？我对此充满了期待。
评分 评分 评分 评分 评分相关图书
本站所有内容均为互联网搜索引擎提供的公开搜索信息，本站不存储任何数据与内容，任何内容与数据均与本站无关，如有需要请联系相关搜索引擎包括但不限于百度，google,bing,sogou 等
© 2026 book.quotespace.org All Rights Reserved. 小美书屋 版权所有