*
of course, my love for salinger being the reason for my reading. and i have to say its quite ambition to channel salinger for a character but gilbert's novel was well written and one that i assume salinger would not have hated. but i can not sing its complete praises, wonderful prose, yes, but the storyline made a disappointing turn at the end. (yes, there will be spoilers in this post.)
but lets start with some praising. as i mentioned before expectations are set high when salinger is alluded to for a novel and gilbert did not disappoint. he was witty and filled with wonderful allusions and imagery. for example:
just a week earlier, the temperature sulked in the teens, the windchill dragging the brat into newborn territory.
(how clever!)
a.n. dyer's eulogy for his dear friend charlie toppings:
what are we in this world without our friends if family is the foundation then friends are its crossbeams it's drywall it's plumbing friends keep us warm and warmhearted friends furnish and with a friend like charlie topping i was never without a home. . . whenever i was need of succor--succor. . . i could count on charlie. he was an unlocked door with something smelling good in the oven. he was the fire in the fireplace, the blanket draped over the couch, the dog at my feet. he was the shelter she. i was the storm.
(so sweet!)
and:
the bubbles in the champagne shimmied up the flutes, a hundred phony smilies breaking the surface, like some esther williams routine . . .
(i always adore an esther williams reference!)
and last but not least
every act of memory is an act of imagination.
(which is true, our minds fill in the gaps and so our memories are more imagination than actual recollection.)
the story is narratored by philip toppings, and his likability was on par with the awkward affection one feels for holden caulfield. both are at low points in their life they differ in that i was hopeful that holden turns around, whereas with phillip i was just creeped out by him. he went from pathetic yet insight godson of a.n. dyer to single white female. i didn't care for his character and though i guess he was important because he revealed that & (a.n. dyer's novel in the book) was about dyer's dominance and abuse in their friendship and also for the letters that started different sections. but other than that his creepy stalker behavior took away from the story of dyer and his son. though i guess in the movie adaption of the book, he would make for a good point of view.
random digression, i could see this as a wes anderson movie, quirky family, absent father (weird cloning story), and creep neighbor. bill murray as a.n. dyer, adrien brody and jason swartzman as richard and jaime, and owen wilson as phillip toppings. not sure who would play andrew, guess he would have to look like a young bill murray. (hollywood should make this happen!)
and now that i mentioned it the whole cloning storyline was not my cup of tea if it was true. it is my cup of tea, if was some crazy story a.n. dyer made up to justify how he had ruined his life. though towards the end of the novel it felt like it was to be true.
and in the end, i didn't like andrew dying. it just seemed so random and out of place. its intent seemed more like a convienent way to finish up the story. it was really great up until that point and then it fell apart for me and i started to lose interest.
but i mean still check it out. it is a good story and well-written and maybe you will enjoy the ending more than me.
and before i close i have to add. this novel made me long for new york. so many locations were mentioned that i could plan a whole tour of the city based on it. my next trip out i will definitely hit up the frick! and do central park proper, i mean i haven't even seen the alice in wonderland statues. oh and i love love loved when andrew went to the met looking for jennie. what an adorable game!!! i am going to do that someday. call someone i am dating and tell them what museum, i am at and then say that i am staying in front of my favorite work of art and see of they can find me! but seriously the whole time i read, i wished that i was in new york!
*forgot to take a picture before i returned the book.
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