A unique and interesting novel, a true literary mystery. Set in Cambridge, the story follows a group of loosely linked students, professors, a policeman, and their families, as they encounter a series of odd occurrences, disappearances and even murder. The plot is Gothic in nature, full of family secrets, hidden pasts, and violent passions.
But the unique part of the novel is the manner of telling the story. It's a first person serial, with each character telling their share of the story from their own viewpoint. That's nothing new, but usually the first person serial characters return over and over, as in Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying". In "The Whole World" each character has their say only once. It's an effective technique, and generates a real page turner of a novel as the complicated plot unfolds layer by layer.
An excellent read, on many levels.
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