In a short prologue, the Burgess family is introduced, focusing mainly on the two boys, Jim and Bob. They both have legal careers and left their home town of Shirley Falls, Maine, to pursue their careers. Bob has always been the lesser brother, the one who plods along but did not succeed spectacularly like his older brother. But he also is the one who every one likes, who is nice and kind and thinks well of people.
Then an incident happens in Shirley Falls, Maine, where Susan, their sister, still lives. Susan's nineteen-year-old son, Zach, commits a crime and the Burgess boys feel like they have to go back to their home town to help her. Jim is going on a vacation with his wife and another couple and he drafts Bob to go and help. But Bob doesn't handle the situation very well and Jim is bent out of shape.
I like books about families and this is a very unusual family. There is a tragedy in their past which has affected all of the relationships in the family. The children's father was killed when they were all under ten years of age; although he was only four years old at the time, Bob was blamed for his father's death and it has affected his self-image, to put it mildly. The dynamics within the family are strange. Jim, the older brother, is needlessly cruel to his brother, taunting him mercilessly. Most of the time this just rolls off of Bob. Susan is Bob's twin, but she is also often disparaging of Bob and his abilities.
The rest of the story is about how Zack's problems are handled, and the effects these events have on all of their lives.
My thoughts:
- I liked how parts of the story are told from the point of view of characters outside the main family: Abdikarim Ahmed, a member of the Somali community in Shirley Falls, who testifies against Zack at his hearing; Bob's ex-wife, Pam, who left him because they could not have children; and Helen Burgess, Jim's wife, who is having problems with an empty nest after her children leave home.
- The majority of the characters in this book are unlikable, but I continued to be interested in reading about all of them. This was partly due to the author's writing style, but also because I was sure that I was going to learn more about them and be able to figure out why they were so disagreeable or unappealing.
- Coincidentally, the two fiction books I read prior to this one were kind of downers, and this one continued that trend. Unexpectedly, this book probably had a more optimistic outcome towards the end than those books. And certainly this one was more upbeat than the other books by Strout I have read (Olive Kitteridge, My Name is Lucy Barton, and Anything is Possible).
- This was a compelling read but not an easy read. My description above leaves so much out. That is intentional, so as not to spoil the reading experience. The novel is very rich with important themes and topics.
John Grant wrote a very detailed review of this book in 2019, which can be read either at his blog, Noirish, or on Goodreads.
I like the way you describe this, Tracy: compelling, but not an easy read. I haven't read a lot of books set in Maine, so the setting interests me. And family drama stories can be very effective when they're done well. This one definitely doesn't sound like a light 'beach read.'
ReplyDeleteMargot, the only other book I can remember reading that was set in Maine was on a secluded island on the coast. That was a great setting but entirely different from this city setting.
DeleteI always say it's a sign of a good writer that can make you enjoy a book with unlikable characters. I also enjoy stories about families, which invariably tackle many topics and emotions. I've not read anything by this author.
ReplyDeleteKelly, you are right. The unlikable characters have to be especially interesting and well drawn to keep you reading. This was a complicated story, and another slow read for me.
DeleteI wonder how Bob who was only 4 could be blamed for his father's death? And based on how Jim and Susan have treated Bob since he was a child he doesn't owe them very much. I realize though that Bob is a good man and so he wants to help Susan. This plot pushes alot of buttons for me. I think it's a wonderful thing when grown siblings help each other out. Sadly that is not always the case though. Very nice review. Alot to think about.
ReplyDeleteKathy, that is a good question about Bob and the accident that killed his father. The kids had been left in the car alone, and the car rolled down a hill and hit the father. No matter the circumstances, Bob should never have been allowed to feel it was his fault. But childhood events can be traumatic regardless. Either that topic was only addressed briefly or I missed it. But it is very important to the story.
DeleteBob is my favorite character in the Stroutworld.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Patti. I wish that there were more stories focused on him. I know he shows up in later books which is one reason I went back and read this one.
DeleteI gathered a lot of people had been reading and loving ES's books so grabbed one from the library. I just could not get into it, which is unusal for me as I'm willing to try anything and give it a good chance. I'm afraid I was so bored I dnfed it in the end. I can't remember what the title was now but this one does sound a lot more interesting.
ReplyDeleteCath, I think people have very divided reactions to Strout's books. The first book I read by Strout was Olive Kitteridge and it was a difficult read for me. The main character Olive is a piece of work, and did not treat her son very well. It was a novel told in linked short stories and sometimes I could not read more than one story at a time, they were so depressing. My review says that only five of the stories in the book focus on Olive, the rest are stories about other families in the town. That surprises me now. In the end the book won me over, and that was why I continued reading her books. But, I think a lot of people don't like her books much at all.
DeleteI liked reading your thoughts & review. I don't remember this one too well but I reviewed it on my blog in April 2013 (https://www.thecuecard.com/?s=the+burgess+boys ) ... Interestingly Bob Burgess is an endearing main character in her recent novel Tell Me Everything. I think her novels have gotten a bit better ... and I have liked her two recent ones perhaps the best.
ReplyDeleteSusan, thanks for including a link to your review. I noted in your review you discussed the siblings and their relationships with spouses and exes. That was one of my favorite parts of the book. I especially like the changes in the sister's relationship with her ex-husband who had moved to Sweden. I also liked your comment on how the book is touching and not so much a downer.
DeleteI would like to read four more of Strout's books before the end of this year, but don't know if I will be able to do that.
I haven't read any of Strout's books yet--there are several I do want to try--but I don't think I'll start with this one.
ReplyDeleteLark, I will be interested in how you like Strout when you try one of her books. The next book I will read of hers will be Olive, Again, which will be a series of short stories. Then I will read two more books about Lucy Barton.
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