Owen is guilt-ridden, depressed, ultimately suicidal. He dwells on the most wrenching moment of his life, when he causes the death of a man he dearly loves. His relationship with this man is complicated by the fact that he is black, and that Owen's love for him goes beyond the platonic. But even this section of the story leaves the reader flat. Owen has repressed the ability to feel anything deeply, and so he is incapable of evoking strong emotion in his readers.
Banks is capable of writing surpassing works of fiction.
Let's hope that in future endeavors, he returns to the present, where his immeasurable gifts reside. Alan Gottlieb, a former Denver Post staff writer, is a program officer with the Piton Foundation. Reviews will appear on The Denver Post Online.