Thirteen Ways of Looking

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From the National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author comes a novella and three powerful stories. On a cold January day, J. Mendelssohn awakens in his Upper East Side apartment, frail and dependent on his carer. As he waits for the heating, the sounds of clacking pipes evoke memories of his childhood in Lithuania and Dublin, his esteemed career as a judge, and his late wife, Eileen. He later meets his son Elliot for lunch, but when Elliot leaves mid-meal, Mendelssohn continues alone as heavy snow falls outside. Shortly after leaving the restaurant, he is brutally attacked. Detectives investigate the case, examining footage of Mendelssohn’s movements captured by cameras in his home and on the street. Their work mirrors that of a poet, seeking the right word to make sense of the chaos. Told from multiple perspectives in lyrical prose, this groundbreaking novella resonates deeply. It is accompanied by three equally compelling stories set in Afghanistan, Galway, and London, celebrating humanity’s quest for meaning and grace. The author, at the peak of his craft, captures the vastness of life’s moments, even in the smallest details.