|
When Frank Griffin learns his wife Ellen is having an affair, he feels his marriage begin to dissolve. And when Ellen says she wants a divorce, his whole world starts to fall apart. Griffin's struggle to save his marriage and his realizations of his role in its demise are at the center of Elizabeth Berg's latest novel, SAY WHEN. Griffin and Ellen seem to have it all: a home in the suburbs, a beautiful and smart daughter, and a relationship that has lasted. Still, Griffin's suspicions of his wife's new relationship are confirmed, and he must call into question his marriage and his emotional history with Ellen in order to secure their future together.
Neither Ellen nor Griffin is initially willing to leave their home or their daughter. So the two live for a time as roommates, even as Ellen continues to see her lover. Griffin is torn between his need for Ellen and wanting her back, and his anger and loneliness that drive him to begin a relationship of his own. Griffin's daughter Zoe is a source of comfort to him in the midst of marital turbulence. She is a wise little tomboy who reacts to the turmoil (as well as social pressure) by both pulling away from her parents and exploring her femininity. In Zoe, Ellen and Griffin have a gauge for their relationship and their emotions. Griffin is also grounded by his seasonal job as a shopping mall Santa Claus. Working as Santa turns out to be an unexpected and much needed distraction, besides being a simple and effective way to put his life in perspective.
After Ellen finally moves into a place of her own, Griffin is stuck with the emptiness she leaves behind. He is also left to try to understand the things she has told him about his treatment of her over the years. Griffin begins to see his role in Ellen's leaving and starts to reevaluate their relationship and his feelings for her. Just as Griffin starts to get comfortable with the idea of Ellen being gone for good, he rallies one last time to win her back. It is possible that, just as they told Zoe, Ellen will be back for Christmas.
SAY WHEN is not a long novel; in fact it is concise and conservative with its words. But the emotional life of Griffin, caught at this moment of crisis and reflection, is powerful nonetheless. Berg's prose is deceptively simple, neatly packaging a complicated story. Griffin is an undeniably real character; he is written with honesty and integrity, yet his flaws are large, many and important. Zoe, too, is an interesting and realistic character. Ellen is harder to understand; she is complex, sad and just as confused as Griffin. Because the story is written from Griffin's perspective, Ellen is harder to understand and relate to. She is elusive to the reader perhaps because, despite what he says, she remains elusive to Griffin.
Capturing the nuances, the hope and the frustration of a marriage in trouble, Berg has written a wise, wonderful and bittersweet novel that raises many questions about love and relationships. Griffin is, in many ways, an everyman. We know Griffin and relate to him and really want this marriage to work. Incredibly insightful, SAY WHEN is a novel unafraid to explore issues of modern marriage, and the fantasies and realities of love and intimacy.
--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman
• Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.
© Copyright 1996-2008, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.
Back to top.
|
