Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Faith

Jennifer Haigh's newest work, Faith, reminds me of the intriguing Oscar-Award Nominated film, Doubt (2008, starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman).  Like Doubt, Faith is the story of a seemingly righteous Priest who's been accused of molesting a child in his care, and the resulting impact of that accusation on the characters and community involved.  Similarly, ambivalence threads through both stories, so we are sometimes uncertain (that is to say, we have doubts) about each Priests' innocence, while we are also sometimes convinced (or, have faith in) his innocence.  

This, to my memory, is where the similarities end. In Faith, Haigh develops a complex narrative of love, family and faith that is both beautifully written and hard to put down.  Unlike the film Doubt, which ends in more ambivalence, readers of Haigh's novel are awarded with an unexpected and captivating truth that leaves much to talk about.  This one's so good, it was an obvious pick for our December Adult Book Club. 


Friday, August 5, 2011

The Astral


The title of Kate Christensen's latest novel, The Astral, refers to an apartment building in Brooklyn.  But for most of the work, the building seems to be a mere backdrop to the drama that unfolds, both in and outside of its walls.

Harry Quirk is a writer whose wife, Luz, is convinced he's having an affair with his best (female) friend, Marion.  She thus destroys his latest collection of poems and boots him from their apartment.  This final act serves as a catalyst that forces Harry to come to terms with the loss of his marriage, his financial instability, his own literary drought, and his children's unusual lifestyle choices.  Ultimately, he discovers he has no control over any of these things, no matter how much he may try to exert.

The Astral is not a story driven by action.  Rather, it excels at drawing a portrait of a recognizable man whose life seems somehow familiar to readers, despite its peculiarities.  Similarly, Christensen balances what could otherwise turn into a depressing or melodramatic plot with humor, real emotion and striking dialog.