I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
Last Friday morning I was at Blue Bottle Cafe (my usual pre-Friday work coffee and reading stop) enjoying a fine cup of drip coffee. As I was packing up my belongings a patron sitting next to me discreetly attempted to see what it was I was reading. Obviously she wasn’t very discreet. I began to tell her a bit about this novel and what little I knew of Wally Lamb. I often strike up conversations about books in coffee shops and book stores, one of the few things I’m not afraid to just strike up a conversation about (mostly with women). Unfortunately I think I may have provided her with a premature review and position on this book. I believe the conversation went like this:
Patron: “Oh, it sounds a bit like a downer.”
Me: “Well… it is, but it isn’t. It’s fairly light-hearted story that’s written really well.”
Patron: “Is it depressing?”
Me: “I wouldn’t really call it depressing, funny at times and sad at others, regardless I’m really enjoying it.”
Well… that was when I was about halfway through the book and it was depressing despite my trying to deny it. As I went outside later for lunch and to continue reading I reached a point where clearly, in my mind, this book just got a lot more depressing. So, dear patron, if you happen to stumble across this blog please revise our conversation:
Patron: “Oh, it sounds a bit like a downer.”
Me: “Well… I think downer may be a bit of an understatement. But, honestly it’s a very good book. I mean if you’re not in a very good place at the moment or can somehow relate to the characters on a deep and emotional level, then I would perhaps suggest not reading it at the moment.”
Patron: “Is it depressing?”
Me: “Did you just hear anything I just said??? Yes, it is. I’ve read a lot of depressing books but this one is on a different level. You don’t per chance happen to have a paranoid schizophrenic identical twin sibling do you? Did you grow up with an abusive father? Do your relationships tend to break you down?”
Patron: “excuse me.”
I’m pretty confident that the conversation would end at that point.
Now that I have finished the novel I can say with gusto that this book was good. One of the better of the last ten or so I’ve read. Despite it being incredibly sad, depressing and dramatic, Lamb offers a great deal of insight into not only the lead character but all the characters and ties it up nicely (in a sad way) at the end. I’m typically not one for sappy books and I’d have to say this one would probably fall into that category. I wouldn’t be all that surprised if I were to find out that this were one of Oprah’s books, then again it’s fairly long so I’d have to bet against myself on that (It’s a known Valet fact that Oprah and her minions only like books that are under 400 pages, even though my mother disagrees). All that aside, I’d recommend reading it. There’s a good chance that once you’re done reading it you’ll put it down and say “Hell, things in my life really aren’t that bad.”
