Louis Begley's latest novel, SHIPWRECK, is a tour de force that
captures the madness of a high-profile author caught in a torrid
affair with another woman.

John North, Begley's protagonist in SHIPWRECK, seems to have it
all. He has just been awarded one of literature's top prizes and he
has an adoring wife. For the most part, North is living the
American dream --- that is until one day in Paris when he begins to
question the value of his work while waiting for a writer from
Vogue magazine.

Lea, the young journalist, is immediately starstruck with North's
presence and decides he must become another addition to her long
list of conquests. Meanwhile North, who is old enough to be Lea's
father, is completely smitten with the leggy French vixen and
sparks begin to fly.

While it appears that North narrates SHIPWRECK while downing shot
after shot of whiskey inside a mysterious Parisian café with
another person, it doesn't take too long for the reader to realize
that North is actually alone. Ultimately Begley, author of the
highly acclaimed novel ABOUT SCHMIDT, allows the reader to decide
whether or not North is talking to himself --- and that's the
brilliance of this mesmerizing story.

Begley does a wonderful job portraying North's wife Lydia as the
ultimate victim of his extramarital activities. North cheats on his
wife throughout the novel with Lea, but he doesn't deny for a
second that his adulterous behavior is wrong. Even while North
enjoys the numerous trysts with Lea, he never stops thinking about
his wife and realizes from the onset of the affair that he's headed
for troubled waters.

Not only is North grappling with the realization that he's in over
his head with the affair, he is also constantly questioning the
value of his literary career. In some respects, SHIPWRECK is about
more than just an acclaimed author dealing with an obsessed
sexpot.

Begley delves into the issue of adultery --- how the French view it
as compared to American social values. North also is dealing with a
bout of alcoholism throughout the book, although his overindulgence
with the bottle is again presented as an afterthought in an effort
not to stray the reader from the true essence of the novel. But
here again, Begley's brilliance as a writer is apparent as he
illustrates to the reader that North uses alcohol frequently as
medication.

In addition to the social ramifications, SHIPWRECK is also steamy
and suspenseful. You can picture SHIPWRECK as a film, equipped with
a star-studded cast similar to About Schmidt.