The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem

A sensitive boy struggles with being different in Brooklyn
This book had scene after vividly written scene, opening with a beautiful image of two girls roller skating. The hero the child of artists, the only white child in the neighborhood. As a result, he is harassed in nearly every scene. The problem is that these scenes don’t build – nothing happens. Over and over our hero keeps getting beat up, stoned or runs around in a Superhero outfit. The prose was excellent, but I stopped reading around page 250. Just didn’t feel like investing the time anymore. The hero of this book, I now think, is the neighborhood. But I prefer people.