Tatyana Geshkovich of The Village Voice feels that Siri Hustvedt’s The Sorrows of An American is not as intriguing as her past work.
Hustvedt has a keen eye for visual detail and a sure handle on narrative structure. Her well-crafted prose and impeccably paced story pull the reader along as her characters uncover the secrets of the dead and probe their own subconscious desires. So it’s disappointing when—after eagerly following her characters through brilliant psychic landscapes—we arrive at a place that’s neither surprising nor satisfying: The secrets uncovered are too ordinary, and the characters’ epiphanies too often dissolve into easy tearful exchanges.
