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Winter's Tale
Winter's Tale
Author: Mark Helprin
New York City is subsumed in arctic winds, dark nights, and white lights, its life unfolds, for it is an extraordinary hive of the imagination, the greatest house ever built, and nothing exists that can check its vitality. One night in winter, Peter Lake--orphan and master-mechanic, attempts to rob a fortress-like mansion on the Upper West Side....  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780156031196
ISBN-10: 0156031191
Publication Date: 6/1/2005
Pages: 768
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 20

3.8 stars, based on 20 ratings
Publisher: Harvest Books
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

SASgirl526 avatar reviewed Winter's Tale on + 12 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
The language used to tell this story is wonderfully descriptive, at times philosophical about the nature of time, human nature, and the mechanics of global give-and-take. Not quite historical fiction, not quite fantasy fiction, not quite science fiction, this story is a mix of all three. I would definitely read this book again, because the story is a good one, though the plot can be a bit choppy.
arianna avatar reviewed Winter's Tale on + 21 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I think Nelda P. had it exactly right with the word "ethereal." Beautiful, dreamlike book that weaves an interesting story. Fantastical in a lot of things (hence the "dreamlike" description), but while I usually dislike that, I didn't mind it in this book -- it fits. Gorgeous prose and imagery. I read this book several years ago & still remember things from it.
reviewed Winter's Tale on + 26 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Gorgeous writing! Helprin seems to know everything about everything, and his descriptions are like little gems.
mavinci avatar reviewed Winter's Tale on
Helpful Score: 2
This is one of the most magical, lovely books I have ever read. I never wanted it to end. Helprin's writing, his words, left me breathless.
reviewed Winter's Tale on + 10 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A love affair between an Irish burglar and an upper middle class young woman. Beautiful prose transports you to an ethereal New York City.
Read All 21 Book Reviews of "Winters Tale"

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reviewed Winter's Tale on
I loved this book and have read it twice so far. Wonderful fantasy of New York that made me see it with different eyes. I find myself in Grand Central Terminal, looking up at the celestial ceiling, trying to find the little window.
reviewed Winter's Tale on + 5 more book reviews
I love Mark Helprin and his writing style, and because I appreciate his language in his literature, I was absolutely entranced by this novel. It is beautiful, it is magical, it is fantastical, and I LOVED IT! I'm also a native New Yorker and the locations and his descriptions of them transported me to the city I adore, all the while imagining myself standing in the shadows watching this epic tale unfold.


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