Akiva Reads

by Isaac Fellman

Really extra brilliant and gorgeous in some places, but I can't decide if it actually hangs together as a narrative. Am I missing something? Is it fragmented for a reason? Do I need to reread it again---and if I do, do I want to?

Update: I'm going to stop my skim reread, because it's making some symmetries clear but falling short of a structure, and now I'm even more conflicted. There are some really wonderful insightful bits in here though, e.g.:

"Well, that's how empire works," said Ariel, and somehow he was glum, muddy, in just the right way to remove any sting from this. "It puts out this mythology that it's the only really safe thing. The myth's meant strictly for the rich and native-born---warm house, outsiders out---but sometimes people on the outside get caught by it too, by that sticky promise of safety."