Looking back on the books I've read in the last year or two I've come to realize that I'm not a fan of books that are beautifully written and meticulously constructed but that don't seem to grab me and hold my interest in terms of storytelling. I need more from a book than just virtuous writing craft; I need compelling narrative.

Which is why this is, for me, a three-star book. The writing itself is wonderfully crafted, and especially impressive given the youth of the author and that this is her first novel. Many of the images and characters and stories that Obreht creates in this book are spectacularly beautiful and well-drawn, with a magical otherwordly quality: the deathless man, the family digging holes looking for an unmarked grave, the tiger's wife of the title. But the stories interleave and move back and forth in time somewhat confusingly and the plot never seems to connect in a meaningful way. I was left with a feeling of distance from this book, as if I was gazing on something wondrous that I was not allowed to stand too close to for fear of breaking it or maybe even getting germs on it. Beautiful but unsatisfying.