Lamb's latest novel, which came out in December 2008, was apparently published 10 years after his last book, I Know This Much is True. I didn't realize the time lag, because it took me a long time to get to his second book (reviewed on this blog last year). But, I really loved it, and was eager to pick up the latest - despite it's roughly 800 page length. The Hour I First Believed focuses on Caelum, a middle aged teacher at Columbine High School. He is in a troubled marriage and flies away to attend the funeral of his aunt, when the notorious murder/suicides take place. His wife, a nurse at the school, is hidden in the library when the attack occurs. The book then follows her descent into severe PTSD. While trying to support his wife, Caelum is also trying to deal with his own personal demons - brought to the forefront by his aunt's death. This book has got a lot going on. There is a seemingly delinquent child who comes in and out of Caelum's life, there is a women's prison in town formerly run by Caelum's grandmother, and as time goes by, a couple fleeing from the wake of Hurricane Katrina rent out a room in Caelum's home and one of them begins to research Caelum's family history for her dissertation in women's studies. The phrase "the center cannot hold" comes to mind - and I found that as I was reading, instead of trying to piece it all together and figure out what central message Lamb was trying to convey, that it made more sense to read this just as portrait of Caelum's life - where seemingly random things occur, people walk in and out, some having an impact on his overall view of the world, and others merely passing through. As a character study, the book was quite powerful. While it spun out of control at times (particularly in the end), I did find that Lamb's portrayal of an individual with PTSD and her partner's attempts to cope with it, outside the commonly understood context of war veterans, was quite compassionate and true to life. I also like when characters from an author's previous works merit a mention in their books, and Lamb gives a nod to the twins from I Know This Much is True in a brief aside, which I appreciated. This book is a long meandering journey - with a lot of sadness, and some hope. It reminded me quite a bit of Richard Russo's Bridge of Sighs. Lamb is a terrific storyteller, and this one was definitely worth my time.
Friday, February 13, 2009
The Hour I First Believed - Wally Lamb
Lamb's latest novel, which came out in December 2008, was apparently published 10 years after his last book, I Know This Much is True. I didn't realize the time lag, because it took me a long time to get to his second book (reviewed on this blog last year). But, I really loved it, and was eager to pick up the latest - despite it's roughly 800 page length. The Hour I First Believed focuses on Caelum, a middle aged teacher at Columbine High School. He is in a troubled marriage and flies away to attend the funeral of his aunt, when the notorious murder/suicides take place. His wife, a nurse at the school, is hidden in the library when the attack occurs. The book then follows her descent into severe PTSD. While trying to support his wife, Caelum is also trying to deal with his own personal demons - brought to the forefront by his aunt's death. This book has got a lot going on. There is a seemingly delinquent child who comes in and out of Caelum's life, there is a women's prison in town formerly run by Caelum's grandmother, and as time goes by, a couple fleeing from the wake of Hurricane Katrina rent out a room in Caelum's home and one of them begins to research Caelum's family history for her dissertation in women's studies. The phrase "the center cannot hold" comes to mind - and I found that as I was reading, instead of trying to piece it all together and figure out what central message Lamb was trying to convey, that it made more sense to read this just as portrait of Caelum's life - where seemingly random things occur, people walk in and out, some having an impact on his overall view of the world, and others merely passing through. As a character study, the book was quite powerful. While it spun out of control at times (particularly in the end), I did find that Lamb's portrayal of an individual with PTSD and her partner's attempts to cope with it, outside the commonly understood context of war veterans, was quite compassionate and true to life. I also like when characters from an author's previous works merit a mention in their books, and Lamb gives a nod to the twins from I Know This Much is True in a brief aside, which I appreciated. This book is a long meandering journey - with a lot of sadness, and some hope. It reminded me quite a bit of Richard Russo's Bridge of Sighs. Lamb is a terrific storyteller, and this one was definitely worth my time.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Anne, I read his first book years ago, probably when it first was released. Would you recommend reading it again as a refresher before reading his second? Or not necessary?
Definitely not necessary to reread the first one...but I would recommend his second book (I Know This Much is True) over this one (The Hour I First Believed).
Post a Comment