Review: Thomas Trofimuk's Waiting For Columbus

I finished Waiting For Columbus the other day and I'm pretty sure Thomas Trofimuk is one of my new favorite authors. I gulped this thing down. And it was SO yummy! As I've stated in earlier posts, I've had my eye on this book for quite a while now, all thanks to The Book Lady's Blog. I started reading it as soon as I could after getting it for my birthday.

The main story is about a man who is brought to a mental hospital. He doesn't have any ID on him, and he claims that he is Christopher Columbus. Nurse Consuela sits with him as he starts to tell her his story, but this isn't the "true" story of how he ended up in the hospital. Instead, it's the story of "Columbus", taking place in the 1400s (although Columbus is really straddling two worlds..he'll be talking to Queen Isabella and then a phone will ring). Throughout the book, both the reader and Nurse Consuela are trying to piece together what could have happened to this man to make him suddenly start thinking he was Columbus.

The writing in this novel is fantastic! As I read, the words seemed to glide through my brain like silk. I'm not sure if it was the words Trofimuk used or the beautiful sentences he was able to string together, but something about his writing made me swoon! I also loved how he was able to (seemingly so easily too) intertwine the time Columbus thinks he's living in (the 1400s) and the present time that he is really living in. It takes a great author to do something like that. And Trofimuk's got it.

Basically I loved this book and it's all I've been talking about at home and with my friends and boyfriend. I can't wait to see what Trofimuk will put out next!

Some favorite quotes:

"Imagine a man standing on a rocky shoreline looking out to sea, pondering the question, the same question we whisper when we look up at night into a star-crazed sky-swirls of light millions of years old-everything moving away, or toward, or around: What's out there?" pg.1

"Morning does not come quickly when one is looking for it. It becomes a lugubrious, lumbering animal that moves only when it wishes. Yet mornings are inevitable." pg. 83

I usually don't like to give "star" ratings, but this book definitely warrants one. 5 out of 5 in my book.

For more info on the author and to read some of his poetry (which is really good), check out his Official Website.

Title: Waiting For Columbus

Author: Thomas Trofimuk

Date of Publication: 2009

Number of Pages: 324

Source: Birthday Gift

 

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