I must admit that getting into this review has been a bit of a struggle (which doesn't bode well for the future wellbeing of the blog...) because May We Be Forgiven is so delightfully multi-layered that every time I grasped at a plot line or an overarching theme I just got carried away and thought of another one, or another, or how they are linked or...well you get the picture.
MWBF has been inevitably (and endlessly) compared to The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen and it is easy to see why. Both authors aspire to writing quintessentially 'Great American' novels and both place dysfunctional families at the heart of the action. Where I think Homes differs from Franzen, and in my opinion why MWBF will stay in the memory longer, is that whereas Franzen likes to take his time developing his characters and delights in making you second guess their motives, Homes detonates an explosive plot device and develops characters around this major event. And blimey what an explosion...
Family relationships, modern life, technology, Judaism, growing up, growing old, madness, and even the legacy of Richard Nixon; all of these themes are intelligently crafted into a plot laced with dark humour. Even after finishing the book two days ago, I'm still thinking about the relevance of scenes or themes which is the mark of a terrific read.
So I hope you give May We Be Forgiven a try. If you do, let me know what you thought of it. If you can give me a theory as to why Richard Nixon may link all of the different themes of the novel together, then definitely let me know. I just can't put my finger on it. I suppose he'll always be tricky. And never forgiven?
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