Book Review
May. 14th, 2013 04:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariThe Burgess Boys
by Elizabeth Strout
Moving between the New York City of the upper middle class and the small-town Maine of the solidly middle class, this complex novel follows the changes in the lives of brothers Jim and Bob Burgess and, secondarily, their sister Susan. The catalyst is a shocking crime Susan's teenaged son commits and Jim's and Bob's subsequent involvement in the case (they are both lawyers). Jim, a big-shot corporate lawyer, has always been the golden boy, while Bob has been his less-successful shadow and Susan stayed behind in Maine.
Despite centering on its characters' frustrations and angst, The Burgess Boys was surprisingly enjoyable to read. When I was away from the book, I kept wondering how all the characters were doing. Strout is a really good writer and is especially adept at maintaining interest in ordinary people and ordinary events. Several of the events and reflections would seem banal in another writer's hands, but Strout makes them vital. Furthermore, I gave a damn about the characters, and felt that I could relate to them, even when I didn't like them very much. In fact, I even cared about what happened to Jim, even though I kind of hated him. Everyone thought he was great, but he was a complete asshole who treated Bob like crap, showed disdain for his sister, and was very self-absorbed. I liked Bob the best - he was the one with the most decency and thoughtfulness.
The way Strout unfolds everything is extremely well-paced and satisfying, and she has a real feel for the whys and hows of the changes people and their lives go through. It was like visiting with someone and getting all the news about their family, friends, and neighbors, without any meanness.
by Elizabeth Strout
Moving between the New York City of the upper middle class and the small-town Maine of the solidly middle class, this complex novel follows the changes in the lives of brothers Jim and Bob Burgess and, secondarily, their sister Susan. The catalyst is a shocking crime Susan's teenaged son commits and Jim's and Bob's subsequent involvement in the case (they are both lawyers). Jim, a big-shot corporate lawyer, has always been the golden boy, while Bob has been his less-successful shadow and Susan stayed behind in Maine.
Despite centering on its characters' frustrations and angst, The Burgess Boys was surprisingly enjoyable to read. When I was away from the book, I kept wondering how all the characters were doing. Strout is a really good writer and is especially adept at maintaining interest in ordinary people and ordinary events. Several of the events and reflections would seem banal in another writer's hands, but Strout makes them vital. Furthermore, I gave a damn about the characters, and felt that I could relate to them, even when I didn't like them very much. In fact, I even cared about what happened to Jim, even though I kind of hated him. Everyone thought he was great, but he was a complete asshole who treated Bob like crap, showed disdain for his sister, and was very self-absorbed. I liked Bob the best - he was the one with the most decency and thoughtfulness.
The way Strout unfolds everything is extremely well-paced and satisfying, and she has a real feel for the whys and hows of the changes people and their lives go through. It was like visiting with someone and getting all the news about their family, friends, and neighbors, without any meanness.
