Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Granta (2013), 480 pages
Description
Feeling overshadowed by his more-successful younger brother, Harold is shocked by his brother's violent act that irrevocably changes their lives, placing Harold in the role of father figure to his brother's adolescent children and caregiver to his aging parents.
Media reviews
Almost exactly three-quarters of the way through this wonderful, wild, heartbreaking, hilarious and astonishing novel, A M Homes gives us this paragraph: "And then – the real craziness starts. Later, I will wonder if this part really happened or if I dreamed it."
Given the huge amount of
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craziness in the 355 pages that precedes that paragraph, this really sets the reader up for a humdinger of a finale, one that Homes delivers with aplomb.....This is a piercing, perceptive and deeply funny novel about the nature of life, and about finding your family wherever you can, wherever you get comfort and something approaching love. Show Less
The narrative is unrelenting, and yet it makes a kind of sense that all these troubles should be brought to bear on a few individuals. What’s interesting about this book is that for all its ferocious now-ness, its messages are old fashioned. Peace is found in a South African village, amongst
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community and participation; acts of kindness bring their own rewards. Homes, however, is not a pious or a schmaltzy writer – she is aware that things are compromised, as when George’s son Nate realises that the South African villagers he’s been supporting are really only interested in what material goods they can buy. But this doesn’t detract from the morality of the book’s core. Only connect, Homes tells us, and we can escape the nightmare of the 21st century – if only for a while. .....AM Homes’s ambitious novel, May We Be Forgiven, impresses. Show Less
To pair sociological sweep with psychological intimacy, as this book sets out to do, is a laudable ambition. It may even be where the vital center of American fiction is, circa 2012. But Homes hasn’t yet developed the formal vocabulary to reconcile her Cheever side and her DeLillo side. Instead,
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they end up licensing each other’s failures, canceling each other out. And so what might have been a stereoscopic view of The Way We Live Now ends as an ungainly portmanteau: a picaresque in which nothing much happens, a confession we can’t quite believe, a satire whose targets are already dead. Show Less
And the novel is consistently interesting in more sombre ways, too, as when Harry discusses the "rusty sense of disgust" that he suspects might be his soul. May We Be Forgiven is a semi-serious, semi-effective, semi-brilliant novel which could not be called, overall, an artistic success. But you'd
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have to have no sense of the absurd, and no sense of humour, not to be pretty impressed. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member AlanSkinner
Some time in the late 80s or early 90s, Umberto Eco wrote a series of essays, largely about America and Americana, published under the title Travels in Hyper-Reality. Had AM Homes’ May We Be Forgiven been around at the time, it may well have featured as one of Eco’s journeys. Reading it – at
It’s a book that looks at the world through a kaleidoscope but not one that fragments the world into pretty shapes and patterns; it is a kaleidoscope that magnifies and heightens and does so without the reassuring symmetry of mirror shards of glass.
May We Be Forgiven is a book of two halves. The first half of the book roars along unabated, characters tumbling off the page and over each other, most quirky, all recognisable but none quite real. It’s supposed to be the story of a downward spiral, a dangerous sea eddy, but actually it’s more an outward spiral, a pinwheel, appearing to expand as more and more characters come within its orbit. The humour is constant, unchecked as if Homes gave herself over completely, giving her humour and perspective free rein. It begins with energy, bite and wit and limps to the finish line overcome with lassitude and the loss of its teeth. It’s a tale of tragedy, conspiracy and delusion, carried along by great humour and unexpected, wonderful silliness and held together by Homes’ excellent writing. It’s such a pity it slides into blandness. It's like seeing Joseph Heller become Oprah Winfrey.
As the main character, Harold Silver, slowly builds his life and discovers what is important and jettisons that which weighs down the soul, the book changes tone. It becomes less outlandish and surprising. Slowly but inexorably, the book mellows and then, sadly, stagnates. The exuberance and quirkiness morphs into a safe, conventional and rather tame picture of normality. It’s like being in a cage with a group of wild and exotic animals, only to find them rather tame and ordinary, as if they had been fashioned by Disney rather than by Dante.
There's a lot to like: Homes rips into modern life with relentless energy. It is about real crises and failings, great voids and despair, pettiness of the soul and weariness of the heart. Yet what it dissects is so much more interesting and vital than what it projects; what it observes is much more interesting than what it concludes.
Homes isn’t savage; she isn’t trying to rip out the empty heart of contemporary America; she is kinder and more sentimental than that. She is, instead, opting for open-heart surgery, massaging the heart back into shape after arteries hardened by wanton consumption and heart muscles weakened by dis-connection, personal un-fulfilment and emotional timidity.
It is worthwhile but ultimately disappointing. The ending is trite and, given the start, sadly safe. The South African section is particularly jarring, almost clichéd, from its cathartic impact on the family to the clumsy device of the wise tribal shaman’s tea remedy. As a milestone in rehabilitation it revealed nothing of particular interest and kept us in familiar territory.
As the name suggests, this is a book about redemption but I think the less interesting person was redeemed. There is a particularly poignant moment at the very beginning of the book. A married woman kisses her brother-in-law, passionately and unexpectedly, and when he wants to make more of it, she replies,
“Could you let me have a little pleasure, a little something that’s just for me?”
There’s more emptiness, loss and sorrow in the brief scene than in all of the rest of the book. Not a few times it came back to me as the story I’d prefer to have been given.
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least the first half – is to forsake any hope of verisimilitude and open the door to hyper-reality. There are no real people in Homes’ book; they're hyper-people, exaggerations of characters with deliberately lop-sided and surgically enhanced personalities. It is about foibles, failings and weaknesses, all writ large.It’s a book that looks at the world through a kaleidoscope but not one that fragments the world into pretty shapes and patterns; it is a kaleidoscope that magnifies and heightens and does so without the reassuring symmetry of mirror shards of glass.
May We Be Forgiven is a book of two halves. The first half of the book roars along unabated, characters tumbling off the page and over each other, most quirky, all recognisable but none quite real. It’s supposed to be the story of a downward spiral, a dangerous sea eddy, but actually it’s more an outward spiral, a pinwheel, appearing to expand as more and more characters come within its orbit. The humour is constant, unchecked as if Homes gave herself over completely, giving her humour and perspective free rein. It begins with energy, bite and wit and limps to the finish line overcome with lassitude and the loss of its teeth. It’s a tale of tragedy, conspiracy and delusion, carried along by great humour and unexpected, wonderful silliness and held together by Homes’ excellent writing. It’s such a pity it slides into blandness. It's like seeing Joseph Heller become Oprah Winfrey.
As the main character, Harold Silver, slowly builds his life and discovers what is important and jettisons that which weighs down the soul, the book changes tone. It becomes less outlandish and surprising. Slowly but inexorably, the book mellows and then, sadly, stagnates. The exuberance and quirkiness morphs into a safe, conventional and rather tame picture of normality. It’s like being in a cage with a group of wild and exotic animals, only to find them rather tame and ordinary, as if they had been fashioned by Disney rather than by Dante.
There's a lot to like: Homes rips into modern life with relentless energy. It is about real crises and failings, great voids and despair, pettiness of the soul and weariness of the heart. Yet what it dissects is so much more interesting and vital than what it projects; what it observes is much more interesting than what it concludes.
Homes isn’t savage; she isn’t trying to rip out the empty heart of contemporary America; she is kinder and more sentimental than that. She is, instead, opting for open-heart surgery, massaging the heart back into shape after arteries hardened by wanton consumption and heart muscles weakened by dis-connection, personal un-fulfilment and emotional timidity.
It is worthwhile but ultimately disappointing. The ending is trite and, given the start, sadly safe. The South African section is particularly jarring, almost clichéd, from its cathartic impact on the family to the clumsy device of the wise tribal shaman’s tea remedy. As a milestone in rehabilitation it revealed nothing of particular interest and kept us in familiar territory.
As the name suggests, this is a book about redemption but I think the less interesting person was redeemed. There is a particularly poignant moment at the very beginning of the book. A married woman kisses her brother-in-law, passionately and unexpectedly, and when he wants to make more of it, she replies,
“Could you let me have a little pleasure, a little something that’s just for me?”
There’s more emptiness, loss and sorrow in the brief scene than in all of the rest of the book. Not a few times it came back to me as the story I’d prefer to have been given.
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LibraryThing member dablackwood
A couple of comments. This book may be typical of contemporary fiction. If so, I'm in trouble. The plot began in an interesting way and the writing was good. But the story just became more and more.......icky for lack of a better word. I quit before page 100. Harold's search for online sex and
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George's sordid life just couldn't get me through to what happens next. Can't do it. Just not my taste. Show Less
LibraryThing member PrueGallagher
Winner of this year's What-I-Still-Choose-To-Call Orange Prize, I really loved this book. It was funny, it was moving, it was joyful and mournful all at the same time. Like films, I love a book where the main character undergoes a fundamental change - where the person you meet at the beginning is a
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very different person at the end. Can't tell you much about the plot without massive spoilers, but it is a story of redemption, of struggle to be a better person, to live a more meaningful life. Solid four-star read for me. I am very mingy with my five-stars, reserving those for what I think are books with real longevity. I don't think [May we be forgiven] is a modern classic. But it was an eminently enjoyable and satisfying read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Quixada
”May we be forgiven,” an incantation, a prayer, the hope that somehow I come out of this alive. Was there ever a time you thought – I am doing this on purpose, I am fucking up and I don’t know why.
Do you want my recipe for disaster?
So begins the new novel from A. M. Homes. It shoots off
Last night we went to the movies and saw Fruitvale Station. This, a movie based off of a true story about a man being killed senselessly be police, reminded me of May We Be Forgiven. Both are stories of life and why we are here. They both say: Just be good to other people. Be kind, not “even”, but “especially” to strangers. Give. Don’t take. Family is of vital importance. It is a world that you (at least I) rarely see. Both stories combined this kind of truth with brutal violence and reality. There were people in the theater weeping openly by the end of the movie as I wept a few times during the reading of this novel.
A.M Homes may not be Dostoevsky, but she knows how to pierce you through the heart and then make you laugh your ass off. She may not ever win the Nobel Prize in Literature, but this very well may be her masterpiece.
Do you want my recipe for disaster?
So begins the new novel from A. M. Homes. It shoots off
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like a rocket, then jolts with hilarious situations combined with numbing tragedy. And as with many of her books the children are more the adults than the adults. The children are the responsible, caring, thoughtful people while the parents act like children. And in this one the adult narrator finally learns what is important in life, mostly gleaned from the children.Last night we went to the movies and saw Fruitvale Station. This, a movie based off of a true story about a man being killed senselessly be police, reminded me of May We Be Forgiven. Both are stories of life and why we are here. They both say: Just be good to other people. Be kind, not “even”, but “especially” to strangers. Give. Don’t take. Family is of vital importance. It is a world that you (at least I) rarely see. Both stories combined this kind of truth with brutal violence and reality. There were people in the theater weeping openly by the end of the movie as I wept a few times during the reading of this novel.
A.M Homes may not be Dostoevsky, but she knows how to pierce you through the heart and then make you laugh your ass off. She may not ever win the Nobel Prize in Literature, but this very well may be her masterpiece.
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LibraryThing member Edwinrelf
In an interview with The Guardian AM Homes alluded to her book being said to be ‘the great American novel’ saying it wasn't but saying such an accolade is given for books that try to address the whole of the US's sense of itself. In her book she has the narrator run across the allusive Don
Though called a novel, this book is more of an extended short story. It did win the international 1st prize in Women’s fiction. It must have not been a particularly good year for women writers. It’s a good piece of work … but not that good. The people in the book are introduced more as types than as people with interiority. They mostly remain types who have events - some of them utterly improbable - rather than experience character development. There are three children in the book, two children of the narrator's brother and a third being the one that the others in the book will do good things on; that they will 'rescue'. Their ages are 11 and 12. The author invests these children with a maturity and insight far beyond what is possible in children this young and the way these children change from the slug type rude selfish child in the 1st quarter to the witty wise super stable do-gooder in the last quarter is neurologically unbelievable. If she had pegged the children as 14 going on 15 she could have got away with the exploits they go through.
The book reminded me of a pastiche of a painting by Cezanne in that as we move up the painting rather than perspective we get another line parallel to the bottom of the picture and another part of the landscape. Cezanne did this well. Cezanne was exploring another possible way in how humans construct images of the world moving the eyes over the landscape and re-registering the parts of the scene as it comes to attention. There is something of this focusing in on different sections of the year the story progresses through and in this way the book has a journalistic quality; episodic events reported on by a journalist.
The book reads in a way like some porn stories. The plot going from one event to another –enticing, seductive, or dramatic – until it just gets exhausting and dies and thus ends. A web site, Awesome Dude, which has writing by LGBTIQ people, has some writing that is similar to A M Brooks. This might be because she shadows there under a pseudonym, or maybe writers on Awesome Dude have been to the same or similar "Writing Courses". (Mind, there are one or two novels I’ve read there that have better writing than she has and far better plot and character development. Most there though have interesting beginnings and ends and tedious middles that go on and on.
Her central narrating character is a male academic of history specializing on Nixon and his Presidential period in US history. Why anyone would want to put Nixon into the centre of a book in 2013 and expect it to be read - much less treated seriously - had me doing a big think about bothering to read this but it becomes clear early on that Nixon is THE real larger-that-life scoundrel and bully and that Nixon's treatment of the Nation and his interlocutors while operating to the dictates to his ambition for grandeur is parallel to the narrator's brother George who, like Nixon is a grade "A" bully, liar, brute, devilishly clever whose only redeeming feature is his love of roses. I think Nixon loved dogs didn't he?
The relationship the narrator has with his brother and that he has with an idealized Nixon is similar but he loves one and is run ragged by the other. By the end of the book, with the advice of an African witchdoctor (true!) he manages to sort the conflict out and, preposterously, sorts himself out. We don't get to know the narrator's name until many pages in and we don't get to know his age (38 and not 48 as in another review here) until a few pages from the end. In the middle of the book there is a whole chunk about engaging in sexual events of a Desperate Housewives kind which to me were anything but 'hot' and seemed improbable because I'd intuited that the narrator was in his 50's when the naivety with which he approached the encounters was unbelievable. It is possibly believable for a 38 year old who has only had tame missionary sex to that time in his life.
A tragic couple of events start the story that bring our narrator in to deal with the mess left by his younger (by just 11 months) brother. With the Nixon Presidency as the easel to her canvas Ms Homes scopes out where an America is now in the tragic events at the beginning of the book as a trope for US civility now. The counter point is the tragic event of the Nixon Presidency and how it could have been that a country elected a Nixon and what he did to get elected. The reality being that 'the people' didn't know what was going on - then as now - and also that it all rolls along and people accept new deviations in value standards because they don't say ENOUGH.
The novel(?) attempts to resolve that and hence the title. Overall though the book gives a view of an exhausted US where people have moved on from that ‘Leave it to Beaver’ or ‘Brady Bunch’ values of a happy America of stable suburban families. They are still outwardly living ‘Brady Bunch’ sort of lives but the characters in the real life are at sea and living moral-less lives – or lives that are not of the morals and values of the sit-cons. Since the great lie of the Nixon Presidency the US has moved on … and down and then there is the question which is the title of the book.
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DeLilio looking like a street person outside or in Starbucks and at a quarter, half way and three quarters of the way through the book. That sighting of DeLilio, who, some claim, has written ‘the great American novel’ is put there as a reference point and to borrow or make allusions to the US as a wasteland – or wasted (exhausted) land (place) and that at these three spots the gears change and the story takes another rhythm. (DeLillio does this over 4 of his books: Americana, The Names, White Noise, and, Libra. The borrowings that AM Homes makes from DeLillio significantly inform her book though she has not acknowledged that debt in any of the interviews that she has given that I've seen.) Though called a novel, this book is more of an extended short story. It did win the international 1st prize in Women’s fiction. It must have not been a particularly good year for women writers. It’s a good piece of work … but not that good. The people in the book are introduced more as types than as people with interiority. They mostly remain types who have events - some of them utterly improbable - rather than experience character development. There are three children in the book, two children of the narrator's brother and a third being the one that the others in the book will do good things on; that they will 'rescue'. Their ages are 11 and 12. The author invests these children with a maturity and insight far beyond what is possible in children this young and the way these children change from the slug type rude selfish child in the 1st quarter to the witty wise super stable do-gooder in the last quarter is neurologically unbelievable. If she had pegged the children as 14 going on 15 she could have got away with the exploits they go through.
The book reminded me of a pastiche of a painting by Cezanne in that as we move up the painting rather than perspective we get another line parallel to the bottom of the picture and another part of the landscape. Cezanne did this well. Cezanne was exploring another possible way in how humans construct images of the world moving the eyes over the landscape and re-registering the parts of the scene as it comes to attention. There is something of this focusing in on different sections of the year the story progresses through and in this way the book has a journalistic quality; episodic events reported on by a journalist.
The book reads in a way like some porn stories. The plot going from one event to another –enticing, seductive, or dramatic – until it just gets exhausting and dies and thus ends. A web site, Awesome Dude, which has writing by LGBTIQ people, has some writing that is similar to A M Brooks. This might be because she shadows there under a pseudonym, or maybe writers on Awesome Dude have been to the same or similar "Writing Courses". (Mind, there are one or two novels I’ve read there that have better writing than she has and far better plot and character development. Most there though have interesting beginnings and ends and tedious middles that go on and on.
Her central narrating character is a male academic of history specializing on Nixon and his Presidential period in US history. Why anyone would want to put Nixon into the centre of a book in 2013 and expect it to be read - much less treated seriously - had me doing a big think about bothering to read this but it becomes clear early on that Nixon is THE real larger-that-life scoundrel and bully and that Nixon's treatment of the Nation and his interlocutors while operating to the dictates to his ambition for grandeur is parallel to the narrator's brother George who, like Nixon is a grade "A" bully, liar, brute, devilishly clever whose only redeeming feature is his love of roses. I think Nixon loved dogs didn't he?
The relationship the narrator has with his brother and that he has with an idealized Nixon is similar but he loves one and is run ragged by the other. By the end of the book, with the advice of an African witchdoctor (true!) he manages to sort the conflict out and, preposterously, sorts himself out. We don't get to know the narrator's name until many pages in and we don't get to know his age (38 and not 48 as in another review here) until a few pages from the end. In the middle of the book there is a whole chunk about engaging in sexual events of a Desperate Housewives kind which to me were anything but 'hot' and seemed improbable because I'd intuited that the narrator was in his 50's when the naivety with which he approached the encounters was unbelievable. It is possibly believable for a 38 year old who has only had tame missionary sex to that time in his life.
A tragic couple of events start the story that bring our narrator in to deal with the mess left by his younger (by just 11 months) brother. With the Nixon Presidency as the easel to her canvas Ms Homes scopes out where an America is now in the tragic events at the beginning of the book as a trope for US civility now. The counter point is the tragic event of the Nixon Presidency and how it could have been that a country elected a Nixon and what he did to get elected. The reality being that 'the people' didn't know what was going on - then as now - and also that it all rolls along and people accept new deviations in value standards because they don't say ENOUGH.
The novel(?) attempts to resolve that and hence the title. Overall though the book gives a view of an exhausted US where people have moved on from that ‘Leave it to Beaver’ or ‘Brady Bunch’ values of a happy America of stable suburban families. They are still outwardly living ‘Brady Bunch’ sort of lives but the characters in the real life are at sea and living moral-less lives – or lives that are not of the morals and values of the sit-cons. Since the great lie of the Nixon Presidency the US has moved on … and down and then there is the question which is the title of the book.
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LibraryThing member BrokeBookBank
Disclaimer: I won a free ARC copy of this book through a GoodReads First Reads giveaway in order to give an honest review.
First things first, I think this book need a Trigger Warning due to a rape scene, and sexual abuse. It's not gone into too much detail or done graphically, but it's there and
I've never read any of the author's other books. I thought it would be right up my alley. It's not. It's not even close. There's always that one person who doesn’t "get it" and doesn't like it. I'm that person this time around.
Well, okay then. Clearly, I'm the odd one out when it comes to this book. Three words to sum it up: I don't get it. It's not a bad book or story, and I can see how others enjoyed it so much but honestly, I don't. There are brilliant moments and some elements that I like. The author is indeed talented. There are things that I'm glad are brought up and shown. There are excellent little tid bits and turns of phrases, descriptions and moments. It's just that ultimately, none of those things matter. I can't even go back and find the moments or phrases I liked or thought was okay. The rest of the book, the story, the characters, are the important part and the part I didn't like. I can give props to the author but I can't lie or hide my review. I feel obligated to give an honest star rating and a review telling why I didn't like it, since I did get an advanced copy. I can't recommend this book, unless you are already a fan of A.M. Homes. Though I have no idea how inline this is with her other work.
First delving into the book, I was surprised and intrigued. I can't say that I liked it but I didn't not like it. The story, at first, reminded me a bit of Wally Lamb's I know This Much Is True. It felt very surreal. I was wondering if Harry himself was crazy and if this was going to turn like a Poe story. Then it just kept adding more odd characters and the plot became more bizarre. It felt like I fell down the rabbit hole. I just couldn't buy into it. I couldn't connect with any characters, except Amy. I think the best parts are with Amy, with her take on soap operas and the incident in Africa In the case of Harry, I couldn't feel his pain or understand his plight. It was a disembodied feeling traveling along with Harry. I mean through out all the struggles and life changes, I felt nothing for Harry. Nothing. I was being told and dragged along for the ride of his life for a year like a ghost, hanging over his shoulder not understanding and unable to feel anything. It just got worse and worse, with parts that I hated and couldn't stand Harry any longer.
With the cast acting like something out of a Saturday Night Live skit and a story line that gets harder and harder to believe, no matter how much I want to like it I just can't. It was a okay read until around page 350 then I just didn't want to go back into it. I was sick and tired of the whole show. As heart warming the ending is supposed to be, I couldn't be moved. I felt like I was being told too often and telling me to be moved isn't going to work. I must say with the history lesson from Harry, the Nixon expert was well done throughout, and this is coming from someone that hadn't been born when Nixon was up and around. I didn't find it humorous (I laughed once through the whole book, no smirking or smiling at all on my part), or inspirational, or moving, or meaningful, or emotionally impacting. Just "meh" and "Wha....?"
I dislike Harry. His POV is done beau fully done though, I must admit. His self centeredness comes off perfectly. He's still a jerk even after his revelations and change. On page 468, Harry says, "Cy and Madeline are mine now. I'm using them - the children are using them. I can't afford to lose them.", talking about the elderly dementia couple he's taken in. . Literally, referring to people as objects. Then before that there's the incident of rape and Harry's response to it, on page 344 , the scene is described as her fighting back in her sleep and him forcing himself upon her. Harry response is "you're the one spying on them. They may be senior citizens but they have rights, and at least one of them still has feelings of a sort." WTF? If only them wants to have sex and the other one clearly doesn't want it, it's fucking rape. Yes, senior citizens have rights and privacy, but doesn't mean they get to rape their wives or that you have to turn your back on it. So fucking messed up and then he doesn't get why Amanda is mad at him for saying that? Hell yes, go in there and interrupt a rape, you assholes. I was quite creeped out and quite honestly didn't want to go further.
The whole incident with Nate having to tell the Sakhile how to spend the money raised for the village, not on a big screen TV, but on a well for town, just seemed stupid. It's like the blame is put upon American materialism for corrupting the poor Africans who don't know any better and only want shiny things and need the white man to tell them to be responsible. It was unsettling. I mean the whole book is about Harry being the rich white man to save the day for Cy, Madeline, and Ricardo, then it happened with Nate and Nateville. I mean really Harry has the money from George and time due to George and being fired, so he takes in Cy, Madeline, and Ricardo and magically it's all better. Before, Ricardo was a fat poor Hispanic pumped full of drugs, then bam! problem resolved with Harry as father. Cy and Madeline were a struggle and burden for their daughter Amanda to care for, but Harry alone can manage it no problem, and if he can't, he'll pay someone else to do it.
And what is with everyone but Harry being willing and okay with abandoning their family members? I don't know, the whole book just read as "the put upon rich, white, straight, cis man struggles to find his place in modern America as depicted by Fox news. It's a tipsy-turvy year when he finally grows up, needing only for his brother George to step out of the way to make Harry's dreams come true and start feeling emotions again. Harry grumps about modern society, our materialism, our connectedness to online electronics and how the damn kids today don't care about history and keep trampling on his lawn. He becomes Rich Daddy to several poor, unfortunate souls and is able to save the day by virtue of having money and time. Everyone is terrible and does terrible things, let us pray to nonexistent gods to clear away sins we don't have and help us forgive ourselves for being human. Woe is us. The End." And no, I didn't find the ending to be moving or inspirational or sweet. Harry starts feeling emotions again, whoopee. I just dislike him so much, and can't connect with him at all, this big moving revelation is just “meh, about time” for me.
*sigh* I don't know. I've never lived in the suburbs. I've never dealt with being able to throw money at problems and take everyone on a trip to "make us a family". It's like National Lampoon with how outrageous it gets, without the laughs. (Though I find National Lampoon more believable than this book) I understand that I'm not getting it and quite frankly, I'm not sure I want to get it.
First things first, I think this book need a Trigger Warning due to a rape scene, and sexual abuse. It's not gone into too much detail or done graphically, but it's there and
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it's out of the blue. I've never read any of the author's other books. I thought it would be right up my alley. It's not. It's not even close. There's always that one person who doesn’t "get it" and doesn't like it. I'm that person this time around.
Well, okay then. Clearly, I'm the odd one out when it comes to this book. Three words to sum it up: I don't get it. It's not a bad book or story, and I can see how others enjoyed it so much but honestly, I don't. There are brilliant moments and some elements that I like. The author is indeed talented. There are things that I'm glad are brought up and shown. There are excellent little tid bits and turns of phrases, descriptions and moments. It's just that ultimately, none of those things matter. I can't even go back and find the moments or phrases I liked or thought was okay. The rest of the book, the story, the characters, are the important part and the part I didn't like. I can give props to the author but I can't lie or hide my review. I feel obligated to give an honest star rating and a review telling why I didn't like it, since I did get an advanced copy. I can't recommend this book, unless you are already a fan of A.M. Homes. Though I have no idea how inline this is with her other work.
First delving into the book, I was surprised and intrigued. I can't say that I liked it but I didn't not like it. The story, at first, reminded me a bit of Wally Lamb's I know This Much Is True. It felt very surreal. I was wondering if Harry himself was crazy and if this was going to turn like a Poe story. Then it just kept adding more odd characters and the plot became more bizarre. It felt like I fell down the rabbit hole. I just couldn't buy into it. I couldn't connect with any characters, except Amy. I think the best parts are with Amy,
With the cast acting like something out of a Saturday Night Live skit and a story line that gets harder and harder to believe, no matter how much I want to like it I just can't. It was a okay read until around page 350 then I just didn't want to go back into it. I was sick and tired of the whole show. As heart warming the ending is supposed to be, I couldn't be moved. I felt like I was being told too often and telling me to be moved isn't going to work. I must say with the history lesson from Harry, the Nixon expert was well done throughout, and this is coming from someone that hadn't been born when Nixon was up and around. I didn't find it humorous (I laughed once through the whole book, no smirking or smiling at all on my part), or inspirational, or moving, or meaningful, or emotionally impacting. Just "meh" and "Wha....?"
I dislike Harry. His POV is done beau fully done though, I must admit. His self centeredness comes off perfectly. He's still a jerk even after his revelations and change. On page 468, Harry says,
The whole incident with Nate having to tell the Sakhile how to spend the money raised for the village, not on a big screen TV, but on a well for town, just seemed stupid. It's like the blame is put upon American materialism for corrupting the poor Africans who don't know any better and only want shiny things and need the white man to tell them to be responsible. It was unsettling. I mean the whole book is about Harry being the rich white man to save the day for Cy, Madeline, and Ricardo, then it happened with Nate and Nateville. I mean really Harry has the money from George and time due to George and being fired, so he takes in Cy, Madeline, and Ricardo and magically it's all better. Before, Ricardo was a fat poor Hispanic pumped full of drugs, then bam! problem resolved with Harry as father. Cy and Madeline were a struggle and burden for their daughter Amanda to care for, but Harry alone can manage it no problem, and if he can't, he'll pay someone else to do it.
And what is with everyone but Harry being willing and okay with abandoning their family members? I don't know, the whole book just read as "the put upon rich, white, straight, cis man struggles to find his place in modern America as depicted by Fox news. It's a tipsy-turvy year when he finally grows up, needing only for his brother George to step out of the way to make Harry's dreams come true and start feeling emotions again. Harry grumps about modern society, our materialism, our connectedness to online electronics and how the damn kids today don't care about history and keep trampling on his lawn. He becomes Rich Daddy to several poor, unfortunate souls and is able to save the day by virtue of having money and time. Everyone is terrible and does terrible things, let us pray to nonexistent gods to clear away sins we don't have and help us forgive ourselves for being human. Woe is us. The End." And no, I didn't find the ending to be moving or inspirational or sweet. Harry starts feeling emotions again, whoopee. I just dislike him so much, and can't connect with him at all, this big moving revelation is just “meh, about time” for me.
*sigh* I don't know. I've never lived in the suburbs. I've never dealt with being able to throw money at problems and take everyone on a trip to "make us a family". It's like National Lampoon with how outrageous it gets, without the laughs. (Though I find National Lampoon more believable than this book) I understand that I'm not getting it and quite frankly, I'm not sure I want to get it.
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LibraryThing member kgib
For the first half or more of this book, I wanted to understand what it all meant: comic/satirical portrayals of a mental hospital, Survivor-style corrections program, a boarding school, shadowy Nixon-associated figures. Was it just wackiness for its own sake? By the end, I was invested in the
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characters and their happiness, and if anything, some of the messages were a little too clear: the American dream is false; caring for and connecting with each other is what brings fulfillment. Not a completely feel-good story, though: white, middle-class Harold helps out a Chinese immigrant family (rents to them), a Hispanic family (adopts an orphaned child -- granted, he's partly atoning for his brother having killed the kids' parents), and a village in South Africa. This feels paternalistic, especially when he gets poor-person wisdom from them in return (particularly from a shaman). It made me uncomfortable; I think that was the intention. Show Less
LibraryThing member Daftboy1
I am so glad to finish this book, it was starting to bore me.
It was too busy, to jewish and to many references to Richard Nixon.
I didnt find the characters believable and didnt really like them.
I so wanted to enjoy this book but I didn't it was a relief to finish it.
It was too busy, to jewish and to many references to Richard Nixon.
I didnt find the characters believable and didnt really like them.
I so wanted to enjoy this book but I didn't it was a relief to finish it.
LibraryThing member Brianna_H
One of the best books read all year. The story told by Ms. Homes was extremely engaging and compelling. May We Be Forgiven is one of those novels that you never want to end. I feel as if I could go on reading about these characters lives forever and was sad to be "seeing" the end of them at the
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novel's conclusion. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kate_Ward
Tuesday. 1am:
3 stars would be unfair, so this is really 3 and a half. A brilliant last 100 pages really made up for the animosity I was feeling towards the books central characters and themes. Will review fully when I've slept on it....
Tuesday. 6pm: ...So. I've slept on it and knocked it back down
Harry is the older brother of the bullying, violent, egotistical TV executive George and the book opens as he and his Asian wife (the first of the sickening borderline racist stereotypes) are visiting his house for Thanksgiving. And from there on in it all goes wrong. In the first 50 pages we're presented with an amazing series of events culminating in tragedy that affects everyone around them. No matter how hard Harry tries to make amends for his 'bad deed' he's constantly either screwing it up, or just adding to his woes. The problem is, Harry is such a child that in the beginning, his inability to grow up hampers everything, resulting in a spiral towards internet hook-ups for sex, picking up a very strange girl and taking her home...for sex (for such a loser, Harry does get around a bit) and then there's the self-medicating anything and everything he can get his hands on, causing a major health alert in the first half of the book.
But eventually, the responsibility he is forced to take on in the form of his niece and nephew, give Harry a massive wake-up call and he starts to face up to what he's done and his journey to redemption begins.
It's a long journey too, during which his work as a Nixon scholar and author takes him closer to the disgraced President than he thought he would get. His re-evaluation of Nixon causes Harry to also look at his own life, work and what he actually needs in this World as opposed to what the American Dream is telling him he needs. Sometimes the Nixon analogies get in the way and Homes lays the satire on a bit thick. It's also annoying as that sub-plot means another showing for the clipped Asian accents-I'm all for realism, but when it's used to voice a character who was born in the US, achieved a high standard of education and is hired to work with the printed word, it's lazy and leaves a nasty taste in the mouth as you read it.
When it comes to the supporting characters, several are definitely surplus to requirements, as are a few of the bizarre scenarios that Harry finds himself involved in (and readers will know exactly what I mean when I say 'The Woodsman'...why Homes...why?) and I felt this dragged the narrative about Harry's journey down. Also, for a novel so grounded in the harsh realities of life (no matter how daft, they do happen) the two instances of 'magic' jar and are out of place; whilst one is an understandable metaphorical narrative device, the other is forced.
As a commentary on all that's wrong with the Western world, it works well: can't solve your problems-take medication, the key to happiness is a massive tv, elderly and those with mental health problems either locked away and forgotten about or treated like lab rats, the threat of bad publicity worse than the welfare of an 11 yr old girl and Homes weaves these opinions into the story well.
Other reviewers have commented on the novel's almost 'Disneyesque' ending and while I can see their point, I did kind of like it: hasn't everyone got an Aunt Lillian, totally devoid of tact, opening her mouth and saying just the wrong thing at the wrong moment?
Without giving too much away, Harry's redemption is hard-earned, but well-deserved, if only it was better edited and with less of the 'Mickey Rooney School of Asian Depiction'.
3 stars would be unfair, so this is really 3 and a half. A brilliant last 100 pages really made up for the animosity I was feeling towards the books central characters and themes. Will review fully when I've slept on it....
Tuesday. 6pm: ...So. I've slept on it and knocked it back down
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to 3/5, purely for the fact that I found a third of this novel infuriating, and here's why.Harry is the older brother of the bullying, violent, egotistical TV executive George and the book opens as he and his Asian wife (the first of the sickening borderline racist stereotypes) are visiting his house for Thanksgiving. And from there on in it all goes wrong. In the first 50 pages we're presented with an amazing series of events culminating in tragedy that affects everyone around them. No matter how hard Harry tries to make amends for his 'bad deed' he's constantly either screwing it up, or just adding to his woes. The problem is, Harry is such a child that in the beginning, his inability to grow up hampers everything, resulting in a spiral towards internet hook-ups for sex, picking up a very strange girl and taking her home...for sex (for such a loser, Harry does get around a bit) and then there's the self-medicating anything and everything he can get his hands on, causing a major health alert in the first half of the book.
But eventually, the responsibility he is forced to take on in the form of his niece and nephew, give Harry a massive wake-up call and he starts to face up to what he's done and his journey to redemption begins.
It's a long journey too, during which his work as a Nixon scholar and author takes him closer to the disgraced President than he thought he would get. His re-evaluation of Nixon causes Harry to also look at his own life, work and what he actually needs in this World as opposed to what the American Dream is telling him he needs. Sometimes the Nixon analogies get in the way and Homes lays the satire on a bit thick. It's also annoying as that sub-plot means another showing for the clipped Asian accents-I'm all for realism, but when it's used to voice a character who was born in the US, achieved a high standard of education and is hired to work with the printed word, it's lazy and leaves a nasty taste in the mouth as you read it.
When it comes to the supporting characters, several are definitely surplus to requirements, as are a few of the bizarre scenarios that Harry finds himself involved in (and readers will know exactly what I mean when I say 'The Woodsman'...why Homes...why?) and I felt this dragged the narrative about Harry's journey down. Also, for a novel so grounded in the harsh realities of life (no matter how daft, they do happen) the two instances of 'magic' jar and are out of place; whilst one is an understandable metaphorical narrative device, the other is forced.
As a commentary on all that's wrong with the Western world, it works well: can't solve your problems-take medication, the key to happiness is a massive tv, elderly and those with mental health problems either locked away and forgotten about or treated like lab rats, the threat of bad publicity worse than the welfare of an 11 yr old girl and Homes weaves these opinions into the story well.
Other reviewers have commented on the novel's almost 'Disneyesque' ending and while I can see their point, I did kind of like it: hasn't everyone got an Aunt Lillian, totally devoid of tact, opening her mouth and saying just the wrong thing at the wrong moment?
Without giving too much away, Harry's redemption is hard-earned, but well-deserved, if only it was better edited and with less of the 'Mickey Rooney School of Asian Depiction'.
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LibraryThing member madforbooks
This novel expresses a lot of truth that offers no apologies for acknowledging and then constructing a clear image of the good, the bad and the terrifying aspects of how a large segment of current culture has devolped in the US post Kennedy era affected by the progression of the hopeful, yet
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conflicted baby boomers. The folks who have not gotten much out of reading it will be surprised if it wins a Pulitzer, and if I had a vote it would be a 'yes'. There is important social commentary and a message, perhaps a gentle admonition to 'Pay Attention!' before life changes again irrevocably as it did after WWII. Show Less
LibraryThing member SamSattler
Harold Silver has learned to live with the fact that his younger brother, George, lives a more glamorous and outwardly successful lifestyle than he is ever likely to attain. But living with that knowledge, and accepting it, are two very different things.
The two men are nothing alike. George is a
Almost before he knows it, Harold is living in George’s house and has shouldered sole parental responsibility for his brother’s young son and daughter. Everyone around him is suffering, and it is easy to blame George for all of that pain. But Harold knows what really happened on the horrible night his brother destroyed their families. And he feels guilty.
May We Be Forgiven is the blackest of comedies, a satirical look at contemporary American culture and what is happening to our families, especially to our children. And, when it is not going completely over the top (something it does way too often), the novel is both funny and insightful. At almost 500 pages, May We Be Forgiven is almost twice the length of the average novel, and reading it is much like reading two separate novels under one cover.
The first 200 pages, or so, encompass an intriguing look at two very different men who have had a difficult relationship since childhood. It is about a man willing to take responsibility for his part in something that could destroy the next generation of his family. It is about redemption and forgiveness, and as improbable as the story is, something like it could actually happen. The rest of the book is a farcical, slapstick comedy, so over the top that the book’s message is lost amid the absurdity of the story. All sense of realism is gone, and the novel suffers for it because May We Be Forgiven becomes overcrowded with minor characters and subplots that do more to distract the reader than to add to the book’s central plot.
This is a case where less would most certainly have been more.
Rated at: 2.5
The two men are nothing alike. George is a
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television executive at the top of his game, an aggressive man whose size allows him to be physically intimidating when he wants to be. Harold is a “Nixon scholar” who has been working on a Nixon book for years and has just lost his small-time teaching job. In contrast to George’s life, Harold’s future is a complete up in the air at this point. But George is a ticking time bomb, and after his violent temper finally gets the best of him, the two Silver families are changed forever.Almost before he knows it, Harold is living in George’s house and has shouldered sole parental responsibility for his brother’s young son and daughter. Everyone around him is suffering, and it is easy to blame George for all of that pain. But Harold knows what really happened on the horrible night his brother destroyed their families. And he feels guilty.
May We Be Forgiven is the blackest of comedies, a satirical look at contemporary American culture and what is happening to our families, especially to our children. And, when it is not going completely over the top (something it does way too often), the novel is both funny and insightful. At almost 500 pages, May We Be Forgiven is almost twice the length of the average novel, and reading it is much like reading two separate novels under one cover.
The first 200 pages, or so, encompass an intriguing look at two very different men who have had a difficult relationship since childhood. It is about a man willing to take responsibility for his part in something that could destroy the next generation of his family. It is about redemption and forgiveness, and as improbable as the story is, something like it could actually happen. The rest of the book is a farcical, slapstick comedy, so over the top that the book’s message is lost amid the absurdity of the story. All sense of realism is gone, and the novel suffers for it because May We Be Forgiven becomes overcrowded with minor characters and subplots that do more to distract the reader than to add to the book’s central plot.
This is a case where less would most certainly have been more.
Rated at: 2.5
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LibraryThing member IanMPindar
This a dark and disturbing indictment of the American dream−a questioning of what is actually important for the psyche of the nation and what is being lost from up on high, i.e. Nixon onwards, as well as nuclear family values.
The questioning comes from the point of view of the dysfunctional (or
I felt the humour could have been funnier in parts and that would be my only criticism−although those people that recommended this as my first Homes book do not agree.
This book is clever and sometimes so subtle and understated you can easily miss it−I went and reread bits.
Here is the clincher for me. I always finish a book I start, and if it gets to the last 100 pages and I feel I have to lock myself away so other ‘dysfunctionals’ don’t disturb me, I know it is a great book−This was the case here−so I did not need to deliberate long how many stars to awarded it.
If you like dysfunction that casts a quizzical eye over society−what most consider normal, this is for you. The unexpected bizarre events in this book really shouldn’t work−but they do, that is clever in itself. At no point did I feel they were caricatures.
thewritingIMP
The questioning comes from the point of view of the dysfunctional (or
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are they functional?) POV Harold Silver, which I found fascinating as you are never explicitly told what is wrong with him, and what is residual from his own upbringing. There are ten main personality disorders and he spans a few of them, which is less than his brother that kills his wife and leaves Harry with their kids.I felt the humour could have been funnier in parts and that would be my only criticism−although those people that recommended this as my first Homes book do not agree.
This book is clever and sometimes so subtle and understated you can easily miss it−I went and reread bits.
Here is the clincher for me. I always finish a book I start, and if it gets to the last 100 pages and I feel I have to lock myself away so other ‘dysfunctionals’ don’t disturb me, I know it is a great book−This was the case here−so I did not need to deliberate long how many stars to awarded it.
If you like dysfunction that casts a quizzical eye over society−what most consider normal, this is for you. The unexpected bizarre events in this book really shouldn’t work−but they do, that is clever in itself. At no point did I feel they were caricatures.
thewritingIMP
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LibraryThing member Laura400
I love this book and recommend it enthusiastically. It's something I'll press on like-minded friends. The story may be kind of tragic, but it's funny and uplifting as well. It's a cross between John Cheever (who, to me, is ick, and so last century, but I guess others appreciate him), Woody Allen
I'll warn readers that, fantastic as I think it is, it's also pretty frank, and sends up American suburban life, so those who are more conservative in their lifestyles and reading choices may not enjoy it quite so much.
I read it because it won the Women's Prize for Fiction for 2013, beating out some wonderful books, all of whom deserve to be read in my opinion. Brava.
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and the television show Modern Family.I'll warn readers that, fantastic as I think it is, it's also pretty frank, and sends up American suburban life, so those who are more conservative in their lifestyles and reading choices may not enjoy it quite so much.
I read it because it won the Women's Prize for Fiction for 2013, beating out some wonderful books, all of whom deserve to be read in my opinion. Brava.
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LibraryThing member reluctantm
The fast-paced, frenetic, flippant tone of the first two-thirds completely undermines the more conciliatory and warm tone of the last third. The unevenness is off-putting and detracts from what could have been a much more successful novel.
LibraryThing member Brainannex
I've not read something in a long time that set out a situation and then stomped it flat within 10 pages. Perhaps the best part of the story is the interplay between the absolutely horrible brother and the mildly horrible main character. The whole book is an interesting study of what happens when
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things change slowly, bit by bit, until your life is unrecognizable. Show Less
LibraryThing member LynnB
Too many stories that didn't go anywhere....for example, what happened to George? The contrast between the American dream in Nixon's time and today is another theme insufficienty explores. Too over-the-top for my taste....for example, Nateville. Really??
LibraryThing member IanMPindar
A M Homes. May We Be Forgiven.
This a dark and disturbing indictment of the American dream−a questioning of what is actually important for the psyche of the nation and what is being lost from up on high, i.e. Nixon onwards, as well as nuclear family values.
The questioning comes from the point of
I felt the humour could have been funnier in parts and that would be my only criticism−although those people that recommended this as my first Homes book do not agree.
This book is clever and sometimes so subtle and understated you can easily miss it−I went and reread bits.
Here is the clincher for me. I always finish a book I start, and if it gets to the last 100 pages and I feel I have to lock myself away so other ‘dysfunctionals’ don’t disturb me, I know it is a great book−This was the case here−so I did not need to deliberate long how many stars to awarded it.
If you like dysfunction that casts a quizzical eye over society−what most consider normal, this is for you. The unexpected bizarre events in this book really shouldn’t work−but they do, that is clever in itself. At no point did I feel they were caricatures.
thewritingIMP
This a dark and disturbing indictment of the American dream−a questioning of what is actually important for the psyche of the nation and what is being lost from up on high, i.e. Nixon onwards, as well as nuclear family values.
The questioning comes from the point of
Show More
view of the dysfunctional (or are they functional?) POV Harold Silver, which I found fascinating as you are never explicitly told what is wrong with him, and what is residual from his own upbringing. There are ten main personality disorders and he spans a few of them, which is less than his brother that kills his wife and leaves Harry with their kids.I felt the humour could have been funnier in parts and that would be my only criticism−although those people that recommended this as my first Homes book do not agree.
This book is clever and sometimes so subtle and understated you can easily miss it−I went and reread bits.
Here is the clincher for me. I always finish a book I start, and if it gets to the last 100 pages and I feel I have to lock myself away so other ‘dysfunctionals’ don’t disturb me, I know it is a great book−This was the case here−so I did not need to deliberate long how many stars to awarded it.
If you like dysfunction that casts a quizzical eye over society−what most consider normal, this is for you. The unexpected bizarre events in this book really shouldn’t work−but they do, that is clever in itself. At no point did I feel they were caricatures.
thewritingIMP
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LibraryThing member tandah
As I was reading [May we be forgiven] I kept expecting the worst to happen, but actually the best always happens. I'm really pleased to have read it - someone else commented that it is hyper-realism, maybe, but that didn't spoil it for me. It was about kindness and redemption.
LibraryThing member neddludd
How do adults and children rebound from a catastrophe? That's what concerns a very diverse group of people who form a new family in response to what life does to them. We are with these characters for a year, and it is Homes' gift that we, the readers, join the family as well. This is book that
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incorporates what might be called American magical realism, like The World According to Garp. As in that classic, you suspend your disbelief and accept the novel because it has such joy and love in it (as well as violence and pain). The wild card here is the lead character's fascination with Richard M. Nixon. You rejoice as you watch these men, women, and children grow up a great deal in 365 days. New love comforts the loss of old, and by the book's conclusion, you are pretty sure that nearly everyone has learned critical lessons that will enable them to live satsfying and moral lives. Show Less
LibraryThing member alexrichman
An oddly enjoyable read, if rather disjointed. Jet-black comedy at the start, soft satire in the middle and, in the end, a schmaltzy ode to family. The book borrows from White Noise - Don DeLillo even has a few cameos - but, where that novel is filled with a sense of dread, this is a dementedly
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uplifting tragedy. Show Less
LibraryThing member jayne_charles
This reminded me of the small print on mobile phone app advertisements that say "sequence shortened". Most of the things that happen seem to happen outside of the normal inhibiting factors of practicality, convention and good sense. The whole adoption/fostering thing was a case in point. So much
It was this relentless 'can do' attitude that lent the book a exhilarating quality. Feeling curious about a hearse driver's career on the way back from a funeral? Bugger convention, solemnity etc. Let's just ask him! Likewise I found the bits featuring the party planner a revelation - there were so many points at which I would have said "nope, that's not possible" while she just ploughed ahead and organised the whole thing. There's a certain optimism about this author's books that you don't get anywhere else.
On the other hand, it felt as though the plot was planned as a series of vignettes - the dating websites, the South Africa trip, the innovative prison camp...into which the protagonist had to be shoehorned. He even had to have a stroke in order to facilitate the admittedly very entertaining scenes with the terminally ill patient. A stroke that must have been quite difficult to reconcile with some of the stuff, like the climbing wall, that had to happen later. It felt sometimes that his personality was a tad too fluid, in order to work within each scene - one minute highly intellectual, one minute a sex maniac, one minute clueless, the next razor sharp in his handling of a sex abuse incident. He was whatever was called for at a particular moment, but for me he was always entertaining.
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goes on in this book that it's hard to believe by the end that it has all been packed into a single year. Probably that's the point - that you can achieve a lot if you just get used to saying 'yes' to things without thinking of the downside.It was this relentless 'can do' attitude that lent the book a exhilarating quality. Feeling curious about a hearse driver's career on the way back from a funeral? Bugger convention, solemnity etc. Let's just ask him! Likewise I found the bits featuring the party planner a revelation - there were so many points at which I would have said "nope, that's not possible" while she just ploughed ahead and organised the whole thing. There's a certain optimism about this author's books that you don't get anywhere else.
On the other hand, it felt as though the plot was planned as a series of vignettes - the dating websites, the South Africa trip, the innovative prison camp...into which the protagonist had to be shoehorned. He even had to have a stroke in order to facilitate the admittedly very entertaining scenes with the terminally ill patient. A stroke that must have been quite difficult to reconcile with some of the stuff, like the climbing wall, that had to happen later. It felt sometimes that his personality was a tad too fluid, in order to work within each scene - one minute highly intellectual, one minute a sex maniac, one minute clueless, the next razor sharp in his handling of a sex abuse incident. He was whatever was called for at a particular moment, but for me he was always entertaining.
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
The book seems to be written as one very long conversation with Harry Silver, or perhaps, as if the reader is a voyeur, looking over Harry’s shoulder as he writes in his diary. Ordinary, everyday events are memorialized down to the tiniest detail, and sometimes it is funny enough to make you
Harry Silver seems to be a “wrong way Corrigan” kind of a guy. His decisions are often foolhardy and his efforts often fail. The quieter of two siblings, his bully of a brother often took advantage, forcing Harry into the background, perhaps to survive. He chose a quiet professorial life while his younger sibling became successful as an executive in the field of entertainment. Life went on quietly, largely without ripples, until the day his sister-in-law, Jane, unexpectedly and without provocation, seemed to come on to him. This incident, dismissed by Harry’s wife when he confessed, since she assumed no one would make a pass at him, precipitated traumatic events which would change the future for all of them. Out of the depths of despair a phoenix would rise, as Harry steps into the fray to handle the monumental tasks facing him. He assumed the care of his brother’s children, he tended to the needs of an orphaned child, he assisted an elderly couple, even as the pattern of his own life unraveled around him. He found time for everyone, and he even came out of his shell engaging in a social life of sorts.
Harry was a childless man in a fairly emotionless marriage with few close relationships. Perceived as a nebbish, the under-achieving brother of his successful, but loud-mouthed sibling, George, who for all intents and purposes led an idyllic life, hobnobbing with the rich and famous, Harry was forced to take a backseat. George lived in the lap of luxury. He was the father of two children, a boy and a girl, 12 and 11, had a wonderful wife, and even a dog and a cat. Everything was not as it seemed on the surface, however, and all of George’s idyllic life would come to an end when he suffered some type of a breakdown which drove him to do strange things and behave even more forcefully and aggressively than he had in his past. The very personality which brought him success and influential relationships would be his downfall.
Harry steps in to save the day and repent for his part in the disassembling of the family. For awhile, it even seemed as if Harry was morphing into George, wearing his clothes, caring for his children, living in his house, tending to his garden. He busied himself with everyday chores and the writing of his book on Nixon, of whom he was a conflicted devotee. In most ways, George and his brother were opposites, but by the end of the novel, we will see Harry grow, taking the more assertive nature of George and marrying it to his own kinder, gentler self. Without his brother’s intimidating presence in his life, he rose to the task and found simple solutions to problems, where none seemed obvious before. He accepted what came his way and made the best of all situations by setting up easy to follow guidelines without being judgmental or threatening.
From the minutest detail to the most interesting tidbits, Harry regales the reader with facts about his daily life, some of which sometimes seem a bit too tedious. He relates every moment of his life, conversations, and relationships. The narrative runs on and on, as do his thoughts. Enhancing this feeling of continuity, in the tension of everyday life, is the obvious lack of chapters to divide the narrative. There is no comfortable place to really pause and take a breath. I think for a certain reader, this could be problematic. However, if one sticks to it, this book will have you laughing out loud, and wherever you find yourself reading it, you might occasionally, if in public, glance self-consciously around to see if anyone has noticed your sudden outburst of mirth. From the chuckle to the guffaw, with its ups and downs, this book is an inspirational ride.
At first Harry reminded me a little of L’il Abner’s character, Joe Btfsplk, the character who always had storm clouds hovering over his head, who could not win for losing, as the saying goes. However, the reader will enjoy growing with the main character as he changes from Willy Loman and Job, to somewhat of a Superman, making lemonade from a plate of lemons. The time frame of the book will be very nostalgic for people of a certain age who remember Richard Nixon, Joseph McCarthy, Daniel Elsberg, Arthur Miller’s “The Death of a Salesman”, among the other memorable historic moments and personalities mentioned throughout the book. It harkens back to memories of a not so distant past, perhaps to the silent majority of which Harry could surely count himself as a young man. He was not a troublemaker, but rather an investigator, a researcher, a thinker. He is far brighter than he was given credit for and he surprises himself, often enough. His life was a comedy of errors and foolish choices, with an over-simplistic view of his prospects, until he blossomed.
It is easy to read, often humorous, even while witnessing the Harry’s emotionless reactions, as he travels through the days of his life. He barely reacts or seems to feel. He is not in touch with passion or joy, but rather coasts through life, complacently. This will all change and it will be a pleasure for the reader to take the ride down life’s lanes with him. It is well written, grabs you and draws you right in, making you want to return, even when it becomes tedious with specific description. As I neared the end, I had some misgivings. Would the conclusion be as flat as the narrative, lacking true feeling, with a hint of the message, “to be continued”? As a reader, each of us will have to decide if the book ended satisfactorily. For me there were some unanswered questions, but, still I very much enjoyed the book.
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laugh out loud. Sometimes you might just chuckle softly, kind of under your breath as a subtle remark about something very commonplace, suddenly hits home. Harry Silver seems to be a “wrong way Corrigan” kind of a guy. His decisions are often foolhardy and his efforts often fail. The quieter of two siblings, his bully of a brother often took advantage, forcing Harry into the background, perhaps to survive. He chose a quiet professorial life while his younger sibling became successful as an executive in the field of entertainment. Life went on quietly, largely without ripples, until the day his sister-in-law, Jane, unexpectedly and without provocation, seemed to come on to him. This incident, dismissed by Harry’s wife when he confessed, since she assumed no one would make a pass at him, precipitated traumatic events which would change the future for all of them. Out of the depths of despair a phoenix would rise, as Harry steps into the fray to handle the monumental tasks facing him. He assumed the care of his brother’s children, he tended to the needs of an orphaned child, he assisted an elderly couple, even as the pattern of his own life unraveled around him. He found time for everyone, and he even came out of his shell engaging in a social life of sorts.
Harry was a childless man in a fairly emotionless marriage with few close relationships. Perceived as a nebbish, the under-achieving brother of his successful, but loud-mouthed sibling, George, who for all intents and purposes led an idyllic life, hobnobbing with the rich and famous, Harry was forced to take a backseat. George lived in the lap of luxury. He was the father of two children, a boy and a girl, 12 and 11, had a wonderful wife, and even a dog and a cat. Everything was not as it seemed on the surface, however, and all of George’s idyllic life would come to an end when he suffered some type of a breakdown which drove him to do strange things and behave even more forcefully and aggressively than he had in his past. The very personality which brought him success and influential relationships would be his downfall.
Harry steps in to save the day and repent for his part in the disassembling of the family. For awhile, it even seemed as if Harry was morphing into George, wearing his clothes, caring for his children, living in his house, tending to his garden. He busied himself with everyday chores and the writing of his book on Nixon, of whom he was a conflicted devotee. In most ways, George and his brother were opposites, but by the end of the novel, we will see Harry grow, taking the more assertive nature of George and marrying it to his own kinder, gentler self. Without his brother’s intimidating presence in his life, he rose to the task and found simple solutions to problems, where none seemed obvious before. He accepted what came his way and made the best of all situations by setting up easy to follow guidelines without being judgmental or threatening.
From the minutest detail to the most interesting tidbits, Harry regales the reader with facts about his daily life, some of which sometimes seem a bit too tedious. He relates every moment of his life, conversations, and relationships. The narrative runs on and on, as do his thoughts. Enhancing this feeling of continuity, in the tension of everyday life, is the obvious lack of chapters to divide the narrative. There is no comfortable place to really pause and take a breath. I think for a certain reader, this could be problematic. However, if one sticks to it, this book will have you laughing out loud, and wherever you find yourself reading it, you might occasionally, if in public, glance self-consciously around to see if anyone has noticed your sudden outburst of mirth. From the chuckle to the guffaw, with its ups and downs, this book is an inspirational ride.
At first Harry reminded me a little of L’il Abner’s character, Joe Btfsplk, the character who always had storm clouds hovering over his head, who could not win for losing, as the saying goes. However, the reader will enjoy growing with the main character as he changes from Willy Loman and Job, to somewhat of a Superman, making lemonade from a plate of lemons. The time frame of the book will be very nostalgic for people of a certain age who remember Richard Nixon, Joseph McCarthy, Daniel Elsberg, Arthur Miller’s “The Death of a Salesman”, among the other memorable historic moments and personalities mentioned throughout the book. It harkens back to memories of a not so distant past, perhaps to the silent majority of which Harry could surely count himself as a young man. He was not a troublemaker, but rather an investigator, a researcher, a thinker. He is far brighter than he was given credit for and he surprises himself, often enough. His life was a comedy of errors and foolish choices, with an over-simplistic view of his prospects, until he blossomed.
It is easy to read, often humorous, even while witnessing the Harry’s emotionless reactions, as he travels through the days of his life. He barely reacts or seems to feel. He is not in touch with passion or joy, but rather coasts through life, complacently. This will all change and it will be a pleasure for the reader to take the ride down life’s lanes with him. It is well written, grabs you and draws you right in, making you want to return, even when it becomes tedious with specific description. As I neared the end, I had some misgivings. Would the conclusion be as flat as the narrative, lacking true feeling, with a hint of the message, “to be continued”? As a reader, each of us will have to decide if the book ended satisfactorily. For me there were some unanswered questions, but, still I very much enjoyed the book.
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LibraryThing member CarolynSchroeder
A little far-fetched and just downright bizarre at times, but still, an overall wonderful ride of a book, through all the complexities of the family you are born into, and the one you create. This reminded me in many ways of Homes's other novels, filled with disenchanted suburbanites, unlikely
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friendships, ramifications of horrific decisions (and some good ones too) and at the core, the desire to find better and do better. Uncomfortable sex, dark humor, bad habits and poking fun at all kinds of spiritual paths abound, but what I think her novels do ultimately, is lighten me up. Yes, life can be hard, but truly, it is what you make of it. Highly recommended for awesome entertainment and escaping into other people's really weird lives. She also writes incredibly well not only from a male perspective, but her teenager/child characters are frighteningly real. Show Less
LibraryThing member abbottthomas
I read this book after reading a favourable review in, I think, the FT and, more important, enjoying This Book May Change Your Life immensely. I was a bit disappointed. The book shares quite a lot with TBMCYL - a male narrator, a 'major incident', the coming together of a disparate group of people,
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unlikely, and rather uncommitted, sexual relationships and a gradual working out of a modus vivendi which offers some kind of salvation for the main protagonists. The writing is polished and the plot well constructed but the earlier book was a better story. I didn't get a lot more out of this one. Show Less
Awards
Women's Prize for Fiction (Longlist — 2013)
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2014)
The Morning News Tournament of Books (Quarterfinalist — 2013)
Green Carnation Prize (Shortlist — 2013)
The Observer Book of the Year (Fiction — 2013)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2012
Physical description
480 p.; 5.08 inches
ISBN
1847083234 / 9781847083234