Michael Cunningham
4/5 stars
Peter Harris, moderately successful art dealer, lives a normal life on the surface, but underneath it's roiling with uncertainty. His daughter currently hates him, his marriage seems stale, and suddenly, his much younger brother-in-law arrives to make Peter question everything.
On the face of it, I didn't particularly enjoy this book. Then, I realized that the uncomfortable feelings were intentional, a reaction to Cunningham's skillful portrayal of Peter's inner turmoil. Cunningham's stream-of-consciousness style and unquestionable talent made this book (that I didn't "like") a compelling read. By Nightfall isn't as powerful as his Pulitzer Price winning The Hours, but it is excellently plotted to tell a lot of story in a small amount of time, masterfully drawing the reader into Peter's vulnerability .
