The Illusion of Separateness by Simon Van Booy

I'm a huge unabashed fan of Simon Van Booy, so of course I had to request to be on the book tour for his latest book, a historical fiction novel called The Illusion of Separateness. The novel tells several stories, interwoven by time and space. Each story seems separate, but it is only the illusion of separateness which is finally revealed at the end of the novel.

I did find the novel a bit difficult to follow at times, and I think it would really have benefited from being read in one sitting (and at just over 200 pages, that's not an unmanageable feat) although I wasn't able to. What makes The Illusion of Separateness so easy to read though is the beautiful writing of Simon Van Booy, whose prose takes you into the world of a German solider who has had a bullet shot into his head, or a lonely British film director– each character in a different setting, in a different world, but ultimately connected.

It doesn't take Van Booy many words to say what is needed, and that's why I first fell in love with his writing through his incredible short stories. His words are brief, but passionate. Every once in awhile while reading it would catch me, a line I just had to write down, flawless and raw.

Love is also a violence, and cannot be undone.

This is a novel of beautiful characters and beautiful words. The Illusion of Separateness is complex and delicate, and at times I felt a bit muddled but what I constantly felt throughout was a connection to the text and to the people that inhabited it. I will definitely continue to pick up any future books from Simon Van Booy, and highly recommend that you do as well! 

Release Date: June 11, 2013  Pages: 224 Format: ARC

Source:  TLC Book Tours Publisher: Harper Buy It: Book Depository