Michael Cunningham Specimen Days A Novel

   In the book, Specimen Days the author uses a book composition new to me.  He divides the book into three different stories.  Each story takes place in a different time period but encompasses three similar characters.  A young boy named Luke, an older man named Simon, and a woman called Cat  go about their lives throughout the decaying worlds of each story.  Simon and Cat are seen as a couple in all the versions, and Luke is the boy they take care of.
 
   This writing method allows the reader to see the characters from different perspectives. This makes the book interesting in the long run because each character's role changes in each of the three stories.  The author's style prevents the characters and their choices from getting repetitive and annoying.  The author's use of vivid details gives readers a rich set of mental images.  These features are what made the book an enjoyable choice for me.