Valet Reader

Affliction by Russell Banks

If you know me well you may know that my memory is not so good. Actually, no one really knows that, at least not that I can recall. When I got about 50 pages into this book, I felt as though I had read this story or seen it somewhere before. My memory was playing tricks with me again. Well, I did learn from a barista at Blue Bottle that in fact this book had been turned into a movie, although I don’t think I’ve seen it. I did go to Blockbuster and try to rent it after finishing the book, but, they didn’t have it (once I do see it though, expect an updated review).

Wade Whitehouse is one messed up dude. Understandably enough given the life that Banks has provided him. This is a dark dark book. I cringed several times and was never once envious of any of the characters in this story. Usually there’s that one character, the one that gets the girls, the jet setter or the intellectual that I end up relating to (fine, not relating to but am envious of). But not here, no way. Russell Banks writes a masterful book with a compelling story that does nothing but bring you down yet pushes the reader to keep on going. Not to mention encourages me to stay out of rural New Hampshire.

I don’t know much about literary tools but I’m sure Banks used a lot of them. Throughout the story Wade’s tooth ache is a constant problem and at the climax of the story the pain that the tooth inflicts parallels the pain and conflict in Wade’s life. Tool or not I found it a really interesting correlation. I don’t want to give too much away, but if I were to do what he did to his tooth I imagine that my frame of mind would not be too far off from his. Thankfully my Russian dentist decided that the root canal I was scheduled for was unnecessary.

Banks won me over with his descriptive prose early on. There was one paragraph in particular where Rolfe, Wade’s younger brother, describes Wade’s trailer home as Wade himself would like to see it. “There could have been two or three moderate adults just out of sight in the living room having a quiet reasonable conversation about money, and in the near bedroom, his own, there could have been another such adult, reading in bed….” For some reason this description struck me, don’t ask why, it just did. And no, my subconscious has nothing to do with it.

So… Once you’ve read I Know This Much Is True and feel like you need another downer, yet well written book, go get yourself some Banks.