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Love is most easily accessed through stories. Fiction and nonfiction expound upon the intricacies of relationships and the emotion behind those relationships. Characters in stories allow readers to live Aristotle's theory: Humans experience extreme emotions vicariously through fiction, therefore understanding important morals without actually enduring their impetuses. A successful piece of fiction, therefore, not only creates an interesting story but also inspires some kind of moral discourse and sensitivity or receptivity. Jay McInerney's sharp new novel, THE GOOD LIFE, does just that as it powerfully attacks preconceived notions of love and sets a magnificent relationship among a very morbid national tragedy.
Luke McGavock is a middle-aged Wall Street wizard. His apartment on Park Avenue resides in the most coveted zip code in all of New York City. The enormous success that Luke sees in the market allows him to abruptly leave his job when he begins to feel physically and spiritually restless, opting for more time with his family. Sasha, Luke's wife, sits on myriad philanthropic committees. Her social schedule revolves around elitist charity gatherings where her good looks are outdone only by her inordinately expensive yet tasteful outfits. Her social endeavors keep her busy enough to avoid Luke for much of the couple's days. Luke's daughter, Ashley, appears to be moving quickly into her mother's mold with her stunning features, high-priced wardrobe, overactive social calendar marked by appointments with handsome twenty-five year old heirs, and aloof air of entitlement.
Corrine lives with her husband and two children in a downtown New York City loft. When
Corrine gave birth to twins, she stopped working and has not yet returned to a
formal job. To allay her family's monetary problems, Corrine thought to create
a website for baby accoutrements and write a screenplay that adapted one of her
favorite novels, but both ventures became stagnant soon after she launched them. At
the base of her complexes about performance is her struggle to become pregnant;
it forced her to rely on her younger, more promiscuous sister. The two women underwent
a convoluted fertility program where needles and nudity, all in front of Corrine's
husband Russell, were necessary daily activities. And when Corrine's sister unexpectedly
pops back into town, Corrine feels maternally challenged by the complicated genetic
links between her husband, sister and children. Disillusion with both people and
society leaves Corrine in a state of constant self-criticism.
On September 12, 2001, after spending twenty-four hours working in rubble, Luke walks away from Ground Zero, covered in ash. His bloodied hands are strained and shaking from carrying bricks while his breath falters from smoke inhalation. Luke was supposed to eat breakfast in one of the buildings that came down before his eyes, and after the towers crumbled he just started carrying rubble, hoping that he would not uncover the man with whom he was supposed to dine. Corrine appeared angelic to Luke as he staggered up the street in a sublime scene. After providing him with a bottle of water and some comforting conversation, she wrote down her phone number on a movie stub and with a cracking voice asked Luke to call her and let her know that everything was all right. Luke calls several days later.
Corrine and Luke find themselves spending innumerable hours at a makeshift food kitchen; their clients, however, are not the homeless but instead are the fireman, policeman and national guardsman in the thick of the destruction. The tragedy pulls Luke farther away from his wife and Corrine farther away from her husband. At the same time, the destruction and loss bring Corrine and Luke together to fill the void in both of their lives.
In THE GOOD LIFE, impending loss changes everything and economic barriers give way to ubiquitous familial problems. Luke and Corrine need to decide how much they value their vows of fidelity, but even more they both need to decide what means the most to them. Dinner parties, walks to school, and events at the Twenty-One Club all take on new meanings. Luke travels to his southern hometown to nurse his daughter back to health and resolve long-standing issues with his mother and, in doing so, leaves Corrine to handle her own husband's infidelity. Corrine must also come to terms with her sister's role in her children's lives.
Jay McInerney's 1984 novel, BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY, earned him immense acclaim for its biting social satire. THE GOOD LIFE, a social commentary set twenty-two years later, skillfully weaves a love story into a tale that comments on and discusses present-day people and society. It is not simply entertaining; rather, it is enthralling and beautiful in its discussion of love, family and loss. McInerney's knack for social criticism is as sharp as ever and his writing has only gotten better.
--- Reviewed by Scott Handwerker
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