Books |
Surrender, Dorothy
Meg Wolitzer
By
Published: Jan 01, 2006
Category:
Fiction
Ever want to read a good book, but not a great one? You know what I mean: a pleasant, not-too-demanding novel about the kind of people you might actually know — smart, accomplished but not famous, not heroic, not likely to rob banks or race cars or have non-stop sex all weekend. At the same time, you want a book that’s cleverly conceived and crisply written — what used to be called "popular fiction."
Those books are hard to find now. (I blame "chick lit," which has encouraged the women who would otherwise write "real" books to try to cash in with drecky prose and flimsy story-telling.) So in a world that disdains the "personal" and "domestic" novel, Meg Wolitzer is a real find. She can write a wicked opening sentence ("What a couple they made, the heterosexual woman and the homosexual man!"). And she can keep it up for 225 brisk pages.
The story is a simple one. Sara (the straight woman) and Adam (her gay best friend) have just come out to the East Hampton house they rent with friends. It’s the start of the ummer; the air is perfumed with promise. On their first night, Sara and Adam go out for ice cream. There’s a car accident. Sara dies. End of chapter one.
Sara has a mother, her other best friend. (Their phone calls begin with the phrase "Surrender, Dorothy" — from "The Wizard of Oz", of course.) Natalie is fit and vibrant and completely hip. She is also awash in grief, so she drives out to East Hampton and moves into Sara’s room. Complications begin. People learn some things. The summer ends.
I’m not telling you more; why spoil your pleasure? "Surrender, Dorothy" is ranked about 100,000 on Amazon.com. I say it’s hiding there, waiting to be discovered, hoping to turn a few of your empty hours into a thoroughly delightful reading experience.
To buy "Surrender, Dorothy" from Amazon.com, click here.
