Chicago

Smitten. Brian Doyle was smitten by Chicago, and the love song he writes from that besotted state is novel titled appropriately, Chicago. An unnamed protagonist moves into a north side apartment after college and works at a job he likes. He walks around the city and shares the sights, sounds and people of this place. I liked the ways in which Doyle drew readers into what it takes to build and maintain a community. While the love song is to the city at large, the core of the novel is the story of the people in one apartment building, whose lives separately and as a community provide a paradigm for us all. One of the loving characters is Edward the dog, as complete a character as any of the humans, and even more complex than many. If you like Chicago, or if you like dogs, and if you have a thing about community, chances are you will love reading this novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Chicago from amazon.com.