The last book read in 2007 was finished at 9:30 AM on January 1 and becomes the subject of the first review posted in 2008. The review format is somewhat new, borrowed and adapted from Literary Feline.

The Emperor’s Children
Claire Messud
Vintage paperback, 2007 (ISBN 978-0-27666-7)
Fiction; 479 pgs

First Sentence: “Darlings! Welcome! And you must be Danielle?” Sleek and small, her wide eyes rendered enormous by kohl, Lucy Leverett, in spite of her resemblance to a baby seal, rasped impressively.

Book Description: “The Emperor’s Children is a novel about the intersections in the lives of three friends, now on the cusp of their thirties, making their way—and not—in New York City. There is beautiful, sophisticated Marina Thwaite—an “It” girl finishing her first book; the daughter of Murray Thwaite, celebrated intellectual and journalist—and her two closest friends from Brown, Danielle Minkoff, a quietly appealing television producer, and Julius Clarke, a cash-strapped freelance critic. The complications that arise among them become dangerous when Murray’s nephew, Frederick “Bootie” Tubb, an idealistic college dropout determined to make his mark, comes to town. As the skies darken, it is Bootie’s unexpected decisions—and their stunning, heartbreaking outcome—that will change each of their lives forever.”

Comments: This is the kind of novel that’s intriguing, but difficult to embrace fully because there’s a sense of distance. It falls into the general category of “social satire,” which is one that I frequently enjoy, but since it usually requires third-person voice and perspective in order to work most effectively, it’s harder to form much emotional connection with the characters.

This novel moves back and forth among five character viewpoints, and how their lives change, or don’t, during 2001. It’s a “prelude to 9/11” novel, in the way that The Good Life was an “aftermath of 9/11” story, although I found the characters in the latter novel better-developed and more appealing. None of “The Emperor’s Children” was particularly likable, in my opinion, although they were never dull. They all made not-very-wise life choices during the year in question, which was entertaining, but would be frustrating if they were people you actually knew.

It’s hard to define precisely what drives the book. There isn’t much plot, and the characters don’t experience much growth over the course of the novel. The writing itself is very good, if somewhat old-fashioned and overly complex in style, and I really did enjoy reading the novel. However, based on the high praise it received from reviewers, I expected – and wanted – to like it more than I did.

Rating: 3.5/5

Subscribe to Blog via Email