Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish
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David Rakoff's "Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish: A Novel" is a poignant and beautifully crafted book that spans the landscape of American history from early-twentieth-century Chicago to present-day California. Through interleaving stanzas of poetry, the novel paints a vivid portrait of America's citizens, who are linked together by a complex web of generosity and cruelty. Irish slaughterhouse workers, hobos, office girls, young men, and couples all feature among its pages, each navigating the freedoms and brutalities of their time with equal measures of humor, sympathy and tenderness. Rakoff masterfully presents the idea that, even in a world where materialism overshadows kindness, beauty and the importance of human connection cannot be ignored. This novel is a testament to Rakoff's skill as a wordsmith, and his ability to convey some of the most profound and complex emotions using the economy of verse.