Second Nature

Rating:
Summary: Lyrical and wonderful as always, Hoffman brings us more
Review: This was the first Hoffman I've read via audiobook, and I must say, it had a different feel to it than reading her work with my eyes.

The story is also quite different from most of her tales, though I've noticed there's a murder or death in nearly all of her books now. Basically, in this tale, a 3 year old boy survived a plane crash, and lived in the wild for very many years. He is found when some hunters accidentally 'trap' him with one of those cruel and terrible beartraps, and taken to mental institution, where he is slated to be locked away.

The sister of one of the psychiatrists goes to visit him for advice, and sees this 'wolfman' and - on random impulse and affected by something the wolfman says - takes him home.

This is the spark to the story - what sets everything else in motion, a trick that Hoffman has down pat. From there, everyone in the book has their lives ricochet off from this one event, and as always, Hoffman delivers wonderful metaphors, allegories and pathetic fallacy to an almost magical level. It's a beautiful piece of prose to read (or listen to).

Though I didn't quite find it as wonderful as 'Local Girls,' 'Practical Magic,' 'The Blue Diary,' or 'The River King.' Perhaps I'm overloading on Hoffman, or - more likely, as I adore her writing - it is the 'abridgement' that took some of the shine from her words. I may have to find the physical book and read it as well.

'Nathan