Overall, what did you think of Mercy? (No spoilers in this thread, please!)
Once I started reading, I couldnāt put it down. Tough plot themes but totally engaging.
I am sorry I did not really like the book. The first charter was hard to read. What Ivan did at the hospital was wrong, thinking about himself. Later his lifestyle, too many drugs, including selling. I really only liked the last two chapters of this book.
For me it was up with my best reads of 2025 - compulsive and captivating stories
1 Like
I rated it 
. I was immediately drawn into the story, and found it engrossing. Ultimately, Silberās themes coalesced into not just a solid series of stories, but meaningful ones. There are lots of threads to ponder and discuss in a book club.
My disappointment lies with the bookās description of āa moment of fear and abandonment that will reverberate across decades and change the course of many lives.ā Thatās an exaggeration and, unfortunately, established expectations that were not met.
This was a book I liked well enough to want to keep reading but I also found it somewhat depressing and difficult to relate to. I found it interesting though to see the different characters mature.
I found it mesmerizing. I read Secrets of Happiness, one of her other books, and the set up is similar. It is almost like watching through a window and seeing a persons private life unfold right in front of you. It gives me a sense of exclusivity, as if I am privileged to see this, as if I am alone and privy to things others are not. It is a very addicting 
, and transportive experience .
1 Like
This was a well written story on a tough subject. I enjoyed the different perspectives and assembling and weaving the stories together.
Iām still mulling over my reactions to this book. A few first thoughts. Each chapter is devoted to a separate character and thatās not a style I tend to enjoy. Ivanās retreat from Eddie does have ripples through time, like a pebble dropped in a pond. Yet, itās harder to connect the characters further from the center to the initial incident, again like the diminishing rings of the rippling pond. On the more positive side, I applaud tackling the dire straits Eddie was in when Ivan bolted while questioning what mercy means throughout the novel.
I agree with all that you have said here and how you have said it. Ripples in a pond for sure. I lost the interconnections between the characters too. It kept me from being too invested in any of them.
Paula, I felt the same way. Maybe it has something to do with my age. During the 70s I was busy raising three little kids, so life in NYC at that time was not on my radar. This book just wasnāt a good match for me personally, so Iām enjoying reading the positive reviews.
When I started reading it I wasnāt sure where it was going and if the story was for me. I kept going and started to like it especially Eddieās chapter at the end. I didnāt see the āreverberations,ā which set expections I didnāt see. The story was enjoyable dispite the tough subject matter.
I enjoyed it very much. The writing style maintained tension throughout the entire story. The characters were multi dimensional and I was intrigued by each individual storyline and the interweaving of experiences. The concept of mercy and the its meaning, value and grace, left a lasting impression.
I felt exactly the same way. I just donāt care about these selfish kids wasting their lives away, thinking of no one else. I couldnāt finish it! Couldnāt care about the characters either. Iām 82 and love a good book!
I enjoyed this very much. Her writing is skillful; each characterās voice is so distinct (cadence, wording, etc) and efficient as well. The world needs more mercy, both towards each other as well as ourselves. I will be reading her backlist.
For me, Mercy was a totally captivating reading experience that I devoured in just two days. How often does one wonder about what happened to previous friends and acquaintances? In Mercy, we find out directly from them in their own POV. Their lives, careers, successes, and failures all come vividly to life thanks to Joan Silberās eloquent writing style. For sure, one of the best books I have read this year, causing me to seek her earlier works, none of which I have yet read. I look forward to them.
I grew up in the 70ās so I could relate to what was happening at the time. I did kind of get lost with the next few chapters and how they related to what happened to Eddie. I did enjoy there stories but struggled with, where is the connection.
I probably would have enjoyed it more had I known up front that the chapters were previously published as separate stories. Itās not that I didnāt like the book - I thought it was very well done - but I kept waiting for more of a connection to happen. I think I expected Eddieās story at the end to tie everything together.
I enjoyed reading this book, but for me it was a collection of short stories when I was expecting a novel. There was not a strong arc that ran throughout the stories and brought them all together, and for me, that was disappointing.
I had high expectations for this book but I, personally, did not like it. I couldnāt relate to the characters at all. I had trouble keeping track of all the sexual partners. The only character I liked was Eddie. He was concerned about Ivan and what might have happened to him. There was a lot of betrayal and guilt in the book and not much mercy.
1 Like