The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 12 July 2007
by Judith Guest
There's no grief like the kind of grief one feels as a teenager. Everything in that time of life is magnified. Small dramas take on the proportions of life and death. When we grow up, things mellow out a little, but grief retains its hold as one of the most significant and tragic emotional experiences. Teenage grief, of course, can have its origins in real tragedy and, if you read the newspapers, you know it too often does. This novel paints a portrait of grief and tragedy in one family's life. The older of two sons has died in a boating accident, and the younger takes out his guilt on himself. The book opens when young Conrad is recently out of a mental institution and is struggling to reintegrate into his life. Mom and Dad, though, haven't figure out how to handle all of this, yet, either. Cal is Con's father, and he is portrayed as sympathetic and desperate to be sure his son is safe and happy. Con's mother Beth, though, is distant and bitter about the whole experience, and it is unclear who she blames more. She wants only order and the appearance of happiness. Both Cal and Con want to feel their feelings honestly, and Beth wants to supress the grief and move on. She is the most problematic character in this book, as she is drawn more vaguely than Cal and Con, whose points of view alternate through the book. The story has an authentic feel and depth. The picture of suburban life and ordinary grief is well-drawn and convincing. One might wonder how the author obtained such authentic details about the inner life of a teenaged boy, though her life as a teacher before this book might explain that. Still, her portrayal of Con and his path through guilt and self-destructiveness is written in a lean and true prose. The book, of course, is most famous for the movie of the same name that was made from it, and which went on to win numerous awards. But, as a small gem of contemporary American life, the book is worth a look.