A novel written entirely in sonnets
Seth tells a full contemporary story in hundreds of Onegin-stanza sonnets. The strict form is sustained through plot, dialogue, and even the acknowledgments.
The Golden Gate
4 ideas
Love and loneliness among Bay Area yuppies
John, Liz, and their circle navigate romance, career, and meaning in 1980s San Francisco. The plot follows their tangled relationships and losses.
Verse form heightening everyday life
The disciplined sonnet form lends irony and lyricism to otherwise mundane modern lives. Ordinary events acquire music and distance.
Modern success leaves emotional emptiness
Professional achievement in the novel coexists with isolation and unmet yearning. Material comfort does not resolve the characters' loneliness.