Aimee Heller is an author, editor, writing coach, copywriter, and meanderer who devotes a plethora of time to help kids with their college admissions essays.
Reader review
We’re inviting readers to share their experiences reading Marble on a Table: A Novel by Eugene Havens, published by The Writing Thing Press.
A Mesmerizing and Engrossing Read
by Aimee Heller
Eugene Havens proves himself a master of cosmopolitan microsociology in his book, Marble on a Table. He encapsulates the zeitgeist of New York City in the mid-1990s, a time during which the promise of limitless opportunity often collided with frustration, blockage, alienation, and ennui.
Neatly captured are the parrying interactions, heart and mind, between two very unique and well-defined individuals who really ought not to fall in love. Protagonist Rasmus Smith deeply feels that he is meant to serve a greater purpose, but he is challenged by his failure to live up to his own expectations.
Rasmus connects with a complete stranger, Alli, who offers him a change of perspective …
Unmoored and dangerously tempted by the siren song of the Empire State Building’s observation deck, Rasmus connects with a complete stranger, Alli, who offers him a change of perspective, which alters his course as she presents a mystery he must solve. He wants to get to know her despite the seeming clash between her religious beliefs and his worldly view. They disconnect and connect and disconnect and connect until both come away with a different sense of purpose.
I especially liked the dialogue. Rasmus and Alli challenge readers to think. Whether or not you find yourself sympathetic to Rasmus’s reasoning, one thing is clear: he is competently rational in an original way.
