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The Narrows [Paperback]

Alexander C. Irvine (Author)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

Price: $13.95 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Book Description

September 27, 2005
From award-winning author Alexander C. Irvine comes a compelling, fantastical riff on history and World War II. The Narrows takes place in Detroit, where Henry Ford’s factories have been retooled for America’s grand war effort. But there are also more clandestine operations under way–including a top-secret effort to produce golems–powerful beings fashioned from the earth–to destroy Nazis. Here lurk strange spies in unlikely places–and a not-so-extraordinary man who is inadvertently poised at the bizarre, urgent center of it all. . . .

Spared fighting in Europe because of a bum hand, Jared wishes he could join the cause, instead of mindlessly sifting clay to be made into golems. But there is something that preys on his dreams: the devilish dwarf known as the Nain Rouge. In his youth, Jared once actually saw the Dwarf–a chilling creature that shows itself to individuals just before their demise. Now the Nain Rouge appears to be coming back for Jared himself.

Many have a profound interest in Jared’s childhood run-in with the Dwarf–including a German spy, Jared’s hateful foreman at the golem factory, and a shape-shifting Indian shaman. But what could a simple man who earns a meager living possibly have to do with espionage and dark deeds? While Jared toils invisibly in the bowels of Ford’s plant, the answer is about to reveal itself in a cataclysm of mythic and sinister proportions.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mixing the fantastic with the historical, Irvine (A Scattering of Jade) shows that heroism is as likely in the factory as on the battlefield in this novel set in WWII-era Detroit. Jared Cleaves, unable to serve in the armed forces due to a childhood hand injury, becomes entangled with factory politics and military espionage. Selected by the Office of Esoteric Investigation to work on the Ford golem production line (the "Frankenline"), Jared remains unsatisfied with his contribution to the war. Looking to do more, he falls into a complicated series of plots to unearth a supernatural power trapped below Detroit. Drawing his supernatural elements from folklore, Irvine convincingly imagines a world in which sabotage is as likely to be caused by imps as by German agents—and makes the 1943 Detroit race riot a scarier monster than any of the fantasy creatures stalking the city's streets.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“The entire novel, from characters to settings, is imbued with the magic of life.”
–Jeffrey Ford, World Fantasy Award winner and New York Times notable author

Product Details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Del Rey (September 27, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0345466985
  • ISBN-13: 978-0345466983
  • Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,255,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Native of Ypsilanti, Michigan. Writer of books, comics, games etc. Fan of Detroit sports, any and all soccer. PhD, former professor. Father of three. Resident of Maine. Favorite writers, in no particular order: Cervantes, Borges, Murakami, Dick, Pynchon, Herriman, Chaucer, Kelly. Ask me again tomorrow, the list would be slightly different.

Some favorite books, not written by people on the previous list (but all written by people who might have been on the list on a different day), and again in no particular order: Sarah Canary, Gould's Book of Fish, Geek Love, Midnight's Children, Song of Solomon...

 

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (2)
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Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying and exciting!, November 8, 2005
By 
This review is from: The Narrows (Paperback)
It's World War II and Hitler's army is marching across Europe. The United States is at war, and they're using everything in their arsenal, including magic. Jared Cleaves wants to do his part, but a childhood accident keeps him from the front lines.

Instead he is put to work at Henry Ford's (yes THAT Henry Ford) plant in Detroit. He is one of a select few who spend their days shifting through clay, clay that will be used to make golems who will be sent over to fight on the front lines. What Jared doesn't know is that he's being watched by secret powers, and soon, he is reluctantly drawn into spying for different parties that are all vying for an edge that will bring the war to a close.

Alexander C. Irvine spins a masterful tale that is one part history lesson and another part fantasy. His is a parallel world where golems are raised from clay, Indian shamans can transform into ravens, and a mysterious dwarf, whose appearance portends destruction for the city of Detroit and maybe the world, makes an appearance.

Armchair Interviews says: The Narrows takes a bit of getting use to. It's not a fast read since the main action is broken up with poetic interludes. At times these breaks in the action can be distracting when they lean towards the surreal, but in Irvine's hands it all comes together in a satisfying and exciting ending.


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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, November 30, 2005
By 
Seth_Saoirse (Jacksonville,FL) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Narrows (Paperback)
It takes me weeks often several months to find a book that is just right, one that has the right combination of skilled writing and atmosphere. Irvines' "The Narrows" is such a book. The poetic asides, characterization and the elements of the supernatural which are blended so skillfully are just pitch perfect. I read the blurb, and decided against purchasing it from Amazon, but then I had an opportunity to actually begin reading it in my local bookstore and decided that I had to purchase it. The plot is an odd one, Golems, Nazis and Henry Ford but this book is wonderful and a great addition to my collection of "magic realism".
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A real page-turner with a fresh hook, March 28, 2006
By 
S. L. Dale (Oklahoma, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Narrows (Paperback)
I'm not much of a war story reader, and I haven't read many spy thrillers, but this book is sort of a mix of both of these things with a heavy dose of cynical fantasy thrown in, and I really loved it.
I think you can truly judge the merit of a book by the opinions of the crossover readers who might not usually pick up such a book. I couldn't stop turning the pages, as there was an intriguing revelation every few pages or so. The dialogue was very natural and the description was minimalist but well done. The character development also was pretty good, but the book really shines on its action.
I found the golems to be very interesting characters and was fascinated by their actions throughout the story.
If Irvine was able to get me reading about one aspect of life in America during World War II, he's a brilliant writer indeed, because I usually avoid that sort of thing. I'll definitely be looking for more of Irvine's writings.
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