SUBTLE BODIES by Norman Rush, substellular story

Norman Rush's novel SUBTLE BODIES begins with the death of Douglas, one of tight knit college  buds from 20 years ago in NYC.  Douglas was deemed the epicenter of this devoted group of erudite, self-important young guns who were one for all & all for one.  Then how is it they all fell out of touch but drop everything to fly out for the funeral of their "close" friend who drove his mower over the edge of a canyon.  (How's that for smarts?)  Ned is the central character & is married to Nina (who is desperately trying to get pregnant.)  So why the Hell did Ned fly across the country when he knows this is the ULTIMATE time to conceive without even consulting her.  Nina hops on the next plane to fly out & meets the widow & the surviving members of the old brotherhood. Is this even credible or intriguing?  I'm not buying "friendships between men are superior because…men don't want anything back from their true friends." Still, Rush writes with skillfulness and clever insights.  "Don't forget that every war is men trying to kill each other who have nothing against each other." He's won the Nat'l Book Award for MATING & received a Pulitize Nom. for WHITES.  I suggest these others, but this one; don't bother.

Euphoria-An Anthropologist's Reverie-A MUST Read

Euphoria, by Amer. writer Lily King is a must read.  It's the unadulterated joy of discovery, exploration & connection.  Lily King has received the Whiting Writer's Award for her adroit skill at story telling.  EUPHORIA sweeps you along on groundbreaking (& heartbreaking) expeditions with 3 British anthropologists at the turn of the 20thC.  They are among the 1st westerners to visit & study several fictitious tribes in New Guinea.  Andrew Bankson was on a solo expedition exploring when his path merged with fellow anthropologists Fen & Nell.  Fen tells Andrew "Nothing in the primitive world shocks me…cannibalism, infanticide, raids, mutilations - it's all nearly reasonable…I've always been able to see the savageness beneath the veneer of society."  Euphoria refers to the mutual emotional responses felt upon garnering a new revelation or relationship amongst the natives.  The tribal customs are no less exhilarating for the reader.   This amazing & philosophical novel reveal profound epiphanies  regarding cultural developments.  "Civilization's lack of understanding of other people's customs tends to be the causes of the world's greatest & gravest social problems."  The elegaic writing belies Nell's affirmation that language actually interferes with communication.  Once comprehension comes, so much else falls away.  You then rely on words, and words aren't always the most reliable thing."  EUPHORIA is a delirious discovery; a novel well worth uncovering.    

Toni Morrison's HOME-Masterful & Moving

Toni Morrison is one America's greatest writers.  She's been awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Literature and the Pres. Medal of Freedom.  I too sing her praises and recommend HOME as well as her other brilliant novels.  She takes an unflinching look at racial hatred, injustice and cruelty endured by our nation's black population.  Morrison depicts troubled heroes & heroine who possess an indomitable spirit and strength.  Frank Money & his sister Cee have a powerful bond & deep love for each other.  We follow Frank on his haunting Odysseus journey from a small rural town in Georgia, through an emotionally debilitating military service in Korea, and a multitude of obstacles encountered fighting to return for his dying sister. Frank tells us "You could be living in your own house for years, and still, men with or without badges but always with guns could force you, your family, your neighbors to pack up and move-with or without shoes." Serving his country, Frank learns "An integrated army is integrated misery.  You all go fight, come back, they treat you like dogs.  Change that. They treat dogs better." Still, Morrison portrays loveliness, resilience and fortitude. "Strawberry tendrils wandered, their royal-scarlet berries shining in morning rain...Her garden was not Eden; it was much more than that.  For her the whole predatory world threatened her garden, competing with its nourishment, its beauty, its benefits, and its demands.  And she loved it."

MAN & WIFE-Film Noir/Thriller Genre by Andrew Klavan

Andrew Klavan is a writer of physiological thrillers & screenplays.  He has received numerous writing awards; twice receiving the Edgar Award.  MAN & WIFE reads more like a dated screenplay for a film noire movie.  It's also part psychological thriller.  Unfortunately, it is week on both fronts.  It is a poor imitation of Billy Wilder's DOUBLE INDEMNITY.  The 1st line of the novel reads "Maybe if I had lover her less there would have been no murder."  Knowing from the start someone get's killed, Cal, the narrator, confides "So I guess this is a confession of sorts."  Cal, is a psychiatrist happily married to Marie with 3 beautiful children.  So blissfully happy, Cal admits "I would have seen her far more clearly, If I had only loved her less."  Cal gets roped into helping keeping a troubled juvenile, Peter Blue from prison.  Peter is placed in a psychiatric hospital for troubled teens under Cal's shelter.  This infuriates the local "sheriff" Hell bent on seeing this mystical delinquent behind bars. When the dead body of a nefarious stranger is uncovered, Peter is accused of the murder.  Cal knows Peter is not responsible but covering for the actual killer poses a quandary.  Cal discovered "how hard it was to destroy evidence of a murder.  Nothing just goes away."  Nothing worked for me.  But, it's probable  MAN & WIFE is turned into a screenplay for a movie which I won't see.