357 pages
Published Dec. 18, 2000 by Perennial.
As A.M. Homes's incendiary novel unfolds, the Kodacolor hues of the good life become nearly hallucinogenic.Laying bare th foundations of a marriage, flash frozen in the anxious entropy of a suburban subdivision, Paul and Elaine spin the quit terors of family life into a fantastical frenzy that careens out of control. From a strange and hilarious encounter with a Stepford Wife neighbor to an ill-conceived plan for a tattoo, to a sexy cop who shows up at all the wrong moments, to a housecleaning team in space suits, a mistress calling on a cell phone, and a hostage situationat a school, A.M. Homes creates characters so outrageously flawed and deeply human that thery are entriely believable.
If you've read The Safety of Objects, this is a must read. If you haven't, this is still a highly recommended book. It's equally strange and familiar characters are beautifully drawn, and the situations, no matter how odd, feel as intense as a disaster and a family Thanksgiving dinner all rolled into one.
Brilliant writing. A deliciously disturbing mix of the perversion of Philip Roth's Portnoy's Complaint and the post-modern conversational wit of Don DeLillo. It feels real while at the same time realized as an enjoyable ride on the blissful imagination of a skilled wordsmith.
