“The Narrows,” by Ann Petry is the type of book one could easily discuss in a College Literature class for a week or more. It is the type of book that a Professor could have his students write an essay on, allowing them countless directions and possibilities that they could choose to expound upon.
It is a novel filled with amazing, unforgettable characters, many whose presence in the book only take up a few pages of the 430 pages that compromise the book.
It is a book without a conclusion because one is left with many unanswered questions, but whose characters are so well defined that you could come up with countless possibilities of how they will seek revenge.
It is a book that focuses on the racial divide between blacks and whites, the divide between the super rich and the people living on the other side of the river. It is about the destructive nature of tabloid journalism, and the social stereotypes that still exist to this very day.
It is a book I wish never had to end. It is simply brilliant.
A Curious View 