Walking_VVG the_AT Tightrope_NN1 of_IO Big_JJ City_NN1 Life_NN1 LET_VV0 THE_AT GREAT_JJ WORLD_NN1 SPIN_NN1 As_II the_AT narrator_NN1 of_IO Colum_NP1 McCann_NP1 's_GE new_JJ novel_NN1 sees_VVZ it_PPH1 ,_, Philippe_NP1 Petit_FW 's_GE tightrope_NN1 walk_NN1 between_II the_AT World_NN1 Trade_NN1 Center_NN1 towers_NN2 in_II 1974_MC triggered_VVD a_AT1 quietude_NN1 generally_RR unknown_JJ to_II New_JJ Yorkers_NP1 ._. 
"_" Those_DD2 who_PNQS saw_VVD him_PPHO1 hushed_VVD ,_, "_" McCann_NP1 writes_VVZ ._. 
"_" It_PPH1 was_VBDZ a_AT1 silence_NN1 that_CST heard_VVD itself_PPX1 ,_, awful_JJ and_CC beautiful_JJ ._. "_" 
In_II "_" Let_VV0 the_AT Great_JJ World_NN1 Spin_NN1 ,_, "_" Petit_FW 's_GE stunt_NN1 acts_VVZ as_II a_AT1 centerline_NN1 on_II which_DDQ McCann_NP1 hangs_VVZ the_AT stories_NN2 of_IO a_AT1 dozen_NNO spiritually_RR disheveled_VVD characters_NN2 ,_, each_DD1 searching_VVG for_IF an_AT1 alcove_NN1 of_IO silence_NN1 in_II a_AT1 clamorous_JJ city_NN1 ._. 
A_ZZ1 recovering_VVG drug_NN1 addict_NN1 wonders_VVZ if_CS Petit_FW ,_, famed_JJ also_RR for_IF his_APPGE juggling_NN1 ,_, can_VM keep_VVI aloft_RL the_AT shards_NN2 of_IO her_APPGE broken_JJ existence_NN1 ._. 
The_AT mother_NN1 of_IO a_AT1 soldier_NN1 killed_VVN in_II Vietnam_NP1 condemns_VVZ the_AT high-wire_JJ act_NN1 as_II a_AT1 reckless_JJ offense_NN1 against_II life_NN1 's_GE sanctity_NN1 ._. 
Only_RR to_II an_AT1 indigent_JJ Catholic_JJ monk_NN1 ,_, wrestling_VVG with_IW a_AT1 cryptic_JJ God_NP1 ,_, is_VBZ the_AT spectacle_NN1 simply_RR the_AT most_RGT beautiful_JJ thing_NN1 in_II the_AT world_NN1 ._. 
But_CCB unlike_II Rudolf_NP1 Nureyev_NP1 ,_, who_PNQS was_VBDZ the_AT focus_NN1 of_IO McCann_NP1 's_GE 2003_MC novel_JJ ,_, "_" Dancer_NN1 ,_, "_" Petit_FW hovers_VVZ on_II the_AT edges_NN2 ,_, a_AT1 spectral_JJ force_NN1 employed_VVD to_TO accentuate_VVI both_DB2 the_AT splendor_NN1 that_CST humans_NN2 can_VM create_VVI as_II31 well_II32 as_II33 the_AT muck_NN1 that_CST constitutes_VVZ our_APPGE quotidian_JJ lives_NN2 ._. 
McCann_NP1 's_GE forlorn_JJ cast_NN1 seeks_VVZ to_TO empower_VVI themselves_PPX2 ,_, to_TO swap_VVI the_AT muck_NN1 for_IF the_AT splendor_NN1 ._. 
The_AT author_NN1 is_VBZ not_XX known_VVN to_TO cut_VVI narrow_JJ slices_NN2 ,_, and_CC here_RL he_PPHS1 wants_VVZ to_TO glorify_VVI life_NN1 's_GE interconnectedness_NN1 ._. 
It_PPH1 works_VVZ like_II this_DD1 :_: Corrigan_NP1 ,_, the_AT Catholic_JJ monk_NN1 ,_, leaves_VVZ his_APPGE native_JJ Ireland_NP1 for_IF the_AT Bronx_NP1 to_TO labor_VVI among_II "_" the_AT whores_NN2 ,_, the_AT hustlers_NN2 ,_, the_AT hopeless_JJ ._. "_" 
His_APPGE brother_NN1 follows_VVZ ,_, and_CC when_RRQ Corrigan_NP1 dies_VVZ in_II a_AT1 car_NN1 accident_NN1 ,_, the_AT brother_NN1 befriends_VVZ the_AT addict_NN1 involved_JJ in_II his_APPGE death_NN1 ._. 
She_PPHS1 seeks_VVZ out_RP an_AT1 imprisoned_JJ hooker_NN1 whom_PNQO Corrigan_NP1 tried_VVD to_TO help_VVI and_CC whose_DDQGE grandchildren_NN2 are_VBR being_VBG raised_VVN by_II a_AT1 neighbor_NN1 ._. 
That_DD1 woman_NN1 lost_VVD a_AT1 son_NN1 in_II Vietnam_NP1 and_CC commiserates_VVZ with_IW another_DD1 grieving_JJ mother_NN1 ,_, this_DD1 one_PN1 an_AT1 Upper_JJ East_ND1 Side_NN1 lioness_NN1 ,_, who_PNQS ,_, as_CSA it_PPH1 happens_VVZ ,_, is_VBZ married_JJ to_II the_AT judge_NN1 who_PNQS sentences_VVZ both_RR the_AT hooker_NN1 and_CC Petit_FW ._. 
McCann_NP1 can_VM craft_VVI penetrating_JJ phrases_NN2 --_NN1 a_AT1 smoker_NN1 resembles_VVZ "_" his_APPGE last_MD cigarette_NN1 ,_, ashen_JJ and_CC ready_JJ to_TO fall_VVI "_" --_JJ but_CCB his_APPGE theme_NN1 is_VBZ stale_JJ ,_, and_CC the_AT exhaustive_JJ back_NN1 stories_NN2 he_PPHS1 gives_VVZ each_DD1 character_NN1 never_RR pay_VV0 off_RP ._. 
McCann_NP1 relies_VVZ on_II streams_NN2 of_IO short_JJ sentences_NN2 that_CST can_VM seem_VVI lazy_JJ and_CC distracted_VVD ._. 
"_" Pureness_NN1 moving_NN1 "_" describes_VVZ a_AT1 break-dancer_NN1 140_MC pages_NN2 before_II the_AT exact_JJ phrase_NN1 is_VBZ used_VVN again_RT to_TO describe_VVI Petit_FW ._. 
Perhaps_RR the_AT repetition_NN1 is_VBZ deliberate_JJ ,_, but_CCB ,_, either_DD1 way_NN1 ,_, the_AT line_NN1 does_VDZ n't_XX land_VVI a_AT1 punch_NN1 ._. 
By_II book_NN1 's_GE end_NN1 ,_, McCann_NP1 is_VBZ writing_VVG of_IO 9/11_MF and_CC Hurricane_NN1 Katrina_NP1 ,_, the_AT width_NN1 of_IO his_APPGE canvas_NN1 enhancing_VVG neither_RR the_AT plot_NN1 nor_CC our_APPGE concern_NN1 for_IF it_PPH1 ._. 
