About a married couple, with two kids, who have serious marriage difficulties. David undergoes a sort of spiritual shift in which he tries to be good, by no longer being cantankerous towards his wife Katie and by doing such things as housing the homeless and giving away the family's possessions to charity. Katie is disturbed by this, leaving her feeling lonely and embarrassed. She insists that her being a doctor makes her good.
This is an interesting premise. I think it suggests that you cannot be good in David's way because it is disruptive to normal life and because our culture is too cynical. Also, though, Katie's goodness is not real, but a rationalization to avoid her difficulties. Goodness is somewhere in between, and these characters must learn to accept that life is not an ideal in your head, but fraught with bumps and triumphs. Katie is forced to look at herself and contemplate what it means for her to be good, but I do not think she ascertains what that is.
However, I didn't like it as much as A Long Way Down. I couldn't resonate with the characters. It also dragged and would be better if it lost fifty pages. As much as I like Hornby's other books, this is a disappointment.
2 comments:
Do you think Katie is a sympathetic figure?
I think Katie is sympathetic in that her marriage is in crisis, which is a difficult thing to go through. I feel sorry for her and those troubles.
But also, she is the one who said she wants a divorce. She is the one who has an affiar. She is the one who moves out of the house temporarily and does not give enough affection towards her children. So I also see a character who has shortcomings that are not at all admirable.
I think I am not sympathetic about Katie moreso than I am.
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