I finally finished 'The Power Broker' after 4 months of struggle

I started this book back in April thinking it would take me maybe three weeks. But Caro's writing is so dense with names and places that I kept having to stop and look things up. Plus the book is 1,200 pages which is basically its own city. I finally wrapped it up last Tuesday and it took me 18 weeks total. My book club has been laughing at me because we switched topics twice since I started. Has anyone else spent way longer than expected on a single book for your group?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jordan21d ago

Did your book club give you a hard time about it too? I feel your pain. The trick I learned the hard way is to read it like a novel not a textbook, just let the story flow and only look up a name if you really can't figure out who they are from context. Caro's a great writer but that book is more of a marathon than a sprint, so breaking it into 20 page chunks with a timer helped me a ton. Don't let anyone give you grief about the time, finishing it at all is a serious accomplishment.

rubys8021d ago

Heard a podcast where the host called The Power Broker "the book that eats your life" and honestly that's the most accurate description I've ever seen. I tried reading it on my commute and kept missing my train stop because my brain was full of Robert Moses' bridge heights and park designs. Ended up borrowing the audiobook from my library to listen while walking my dog, that helped me get through the last 300 pages.

williamm8221d ago

Started reading it during lockdown and figured four weeks tops. Honestly I used to roll my eyes at people who complained about long books, thought they just lacked focus. But that book broke me. Had to keep a notebook next to me just to keep track of all the politicians and contractors Caro mentions, ended up taking almost five months.

-1