
As the New York Times critic Marilyn Stasio has said: “Donna Leon can do no wrong . . . [Earthly Remains] is one of her best.”
Towards the novel’s conclusion, Powers gives us several moments of transcendent insight such as only he can produce. Despite my complaints, I’m glad I read this book and am tempted to read it again, as I did The Overstory. You can’t successfully grasp Powers’ conception of what’s possible in the universe, on both the inner and outer frontiers, in one go.