'Let_NN1 the_AT Great_JJ World_NN1 Spin'_NP1 :_: mesmerized_VVN by_II a_AT1 man_NN1 on_II a_AT1 tightrope_NN1 "_" Let_VV0 the_AT Great_JJ World_NN1 Spin_NN1 "_" by_II novelist_NN1 Colum_NP1 McCann_NP1 is_VBZ a_AT1 Joycean_JJ look_NN1 at_II the_AT lives_NN2 of_IO New_JJ Yorkers_NP1 changed_VVD by_II a_AT1 single_JJ act_NN1 on_II a_AT1 single_JJ day_NNT1 :_: Philippe_NP1 Petit_FW 's_GE 1974_MC tightrope_NN1 walk_NN1 between_II the_AT World_NN1 Trade_NN1 Center_NN1 Towers_NP1 ._. 
McCann_NP1 reads_VVZ Monday_NPD1 at_II the_AT Seattle_NP1 Public_JJ Library_NN1 ._. 
On_II the_AT morning_NNT1 of_IO Aug._NPM1 7_MC ,_, 1974_MC ,_, French_JJ aerial_NN1 artist_NN1 Philippe_NP1 Petit_FW walked_VVD a_AT1 tightrope_NN1 between_II the_AT two_MC World_NN1 Trade_NN1 Center_NN1 towers_NN2 ,_, a_AT1 quarter-mile_NNU1 above_II the_AT Manhattan_NP1 sidewalks_NN2 ._. 
Those_DD2 who_PNQS 've_VH0 heard_VVN the_AT story_NN1 ca_VM n't_XX help_VVI but_CCB wonder_VV0 what_DDQ it_PPH1 would_VM have_VHI been_VBN like_JJ to_TO be_VBI part_NN1 of_IO a_AT1 city_NN1 slowly_RR mesmerized_VVD by_II an_AT1 act_NN1 of_IO such_DA audacity_NN1 and_CC daring_JJ ,_, or_CC to_TO look_VVI up_RP in_II the_AT sky_NN1 and_CC see_VVI not_XX just_RR clouds_NN2 and_CC penthouses_NN2 but_CCB a_AT1 tiny_JJ dot_NN1 that_CST was_VBDZ a_AT1 man_NN1 ,_, dancing_VVG on_II a_AT1 nearly_RR invisible_JJ wire_NN1 ._. 
He_PPHS1 was_VBDZ so_RG high_JJ above_II the_AT streets_NN2 that_CST when_CS he_PPHS1 dropped_VVD a_AT1 sweater_NN1 onlookers_NN2 panicked_VVD ,_, thinking_VVG it_PPH1 was_VBDZ a_AT1 falling_JJ body_NN1 ._. 
Colum_NP1 McCann_NP1 's_GE marvelously_RR rich_JJ novel_NN1 "_" Let_VV0 the_AT Great_JJ World_NN1 Spin_NN1 "_" puts_VVZ us_PPIO2 on_II the_AT sidewalks_NN2 and_CC in_II that_DD1 city_NN1 ,_, watching_VVG that_DD1 dot_NN1 in_II the_AT sky_NN1 "_" like_II a_AT1 pencil_NN1 mark_NN1 ,_, most_DAT of_IO which_DDQ had_VHD been_VBN erased_VVN ._. "_" 
Through_II a_AT1 Joycean_JJ tangle_NN1 of_IO voices_NN2 --_NN1 including_II that_DD1 of_IO a_AT1 fictionalized_JJ Petit_FW --_NN1 he_PPHS1 weaves_VVZ a_AT1 portrait_NN1 of_IO a_AT1 city_NN1 and_CC a_AT1 moment_NN1 ,_, dizzyingly_RR satisfying_JJ to_TO read_VVI and_CC difficult_JJ to_TO put_VVI down_RP ._. 
Ten_MC different_JJ narrators_NN2 tell_VV0 their_APPGE overlapping_JJ stories_NN2 ,_, nearly_RR all_DB of_IO which_DDQ take_VV0 place_NN1 entirely_RR on_II that_DD1 overcast_JJ August_NPM1 day_NNT1 (_( though_CS not_XX all_DB directly_RR intersect_VV0 with_IW the_AT walk_NN1 )_) ._. 
They_PPHS2 include_VV0 an_AT1 Irish-born_JJ monk_NN1 who_PNQS lives_VVZ among_II prostitutes_NN2 ,_, an_AT1 Upper_JJ East_ND1 Side_NN1 matron_NN1 grieving_VVG the_AT loss_NN1 of_IO her_APPGE son_NN1 in_II the_AT Vietnam_NP1 War_NN1 ,_, a_AT1 computer_NN1 hacker_NN1 in_II California_NP1 eagerly_RR trying_VVG to_TO gather_VVI information_NN1 on_II the_AT tightrope_NN1 walker_NN1 ,_, a_AT1 doomed_JJ Bronx_NP1 prostitute_NN1 whose_DDQGE voice_NN1 is_VBZ followed_VVN ,_, in_II a_AT1 2006_MC epilogue_NN1 ,_, by_II that_DD1 of_IO her_APPGE granddaughter_NN1 --_NN1 who_PNQS ,_, it_PPH1 turns_VVZ out_RP ,_, has_VHZ a_AT1 close_JJ connection_NN1 to_II two_MC other_JJ narrators_NN2 ._. 
Like_II Joyce_NP1 's_GE "_" Ulysses_NP1 "_" --_NN1 also_RR a_AT1 portrait_NN1 of_IO a_AT1 city_NN1 and_CC a_AT1 day_NNT1 --_NN1 the_AT chapters_NN2 '_GE formats_NN2 and_CC prose_NN1 styles_NN2 vary_VV0 widely_RR ._. 
(_( The_AT penultimate_JJ chapter_NN1 nods_VVZ to_II Molly_NP1 Bloom_NP1 ,_, ending_VVG with_IW a_AT1 life-changing_NN1 ,_, affirming_VVG "_" Yes_UH ._. "_" )_) 
Tillie_NN1 ,_, the_AT prostitute_NN1 ,_, tells_VVZ her_APPGE miserable_JJ story_NN1 in_II self-loathing_JJ staccato_NN1 bursts_NN2 ._. 
The_AT hacker_NN1 's_GE chapter_NN1 is_VBZ almost_RR entirely_RR in_II dialogue_NN1 ._. 
In_II the_AT monk_NN1 's_GE story_NN1 ,_, we_PPIS2 read_VV0 of_IO a_AT1 car_NN1 accident_NN1 in_II a_AT1 pagelong_NN1 sentence_NN1 ,_, an_AT1 unending_JJ hail_NN1 of_IO words_NN2 ._. 
The_AT grieving_JJ mother_NN1 speaks_VVZ with_IW a_AT1 refined_JJ elegance_NN1 ;_; the_AT sergeant_NN1 who_PNQS arrived_VVD to_TO tell_VVI her_PPHO1 of_IO her_APPGE son_NN1 's_GE death_NN1 "_" held_VVD his_APPGE hand_NN1 at_II his_APPGE mouth_NN1 and_CC he_PPHS1 was_VBDZ like_II a_AT1 magician_NN1 about_RPK to_TO pull_VVI out_RP a_AT1 sad_JJ scarf_NN1 ._. "_" 
