Jess Walter writes here in the tradition of James Thurber, E. B. White, and Peter DeVries.This is one of the very best books of 2009, at once a mid-life crisis novel, a work of social and political criticism, and a comic romp.
The prose is constantly engaging, witty throughout, sparkling here and there with gems of insight, fresh and delightful turns of phrase, irony within irony.The story is built around the economic downturn and the ensuing consequences that rain down on individual families, a parable for our time.There are several surprising twists in the plot.Don't read reviews that will give them away, but wait to discover them in the book.
The picture on the face of the dustjacket is of a man in free-fall toward the dark land below against the sunset-orange of the October sky.Fittingly the narrative takes place in October, traditionally the month of market crashes and Halloween.It is much more attractive than the Amazon picture suggests, a treat to behold, easy to open and easy to read.
When the awards are passed out for best novels of the year, this one should be on the short list.
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The Financial Lives of the Poets (Hardcover)
While the premise is great, a woman's boyfriend leaves a dinner party to get mustard and never returns, what really got me was the main character. She's a little weird, a little normal, and a lot appealing. Every page seemed to peel back another layer to her quirkiness and while sometimes I thought she was more than a little odd, and almost unlikeable, she still kept my attention. One of the best books I've read in a while.