Sunday, March 11, 2007

Book Report: "The Liar's Diary," by Patry Francis

Patry Francis is one of my favorite contemporary writers. I have never met her, but I became acquainted with her on-line in January, 2006, when she left a perceptive comment on a blog entry I wrote about James Frey, the lying author who deceived Oprah Winfrey and others with his fictional autobiography. Her blog,Simply Wait is one of the few blogs to which I have links on the right side of this page because I have found it to be consistently well written, provocative and interesting. Her blog writing is personalized, without being simple navel-gazing.

The back story on Patry is inspiring, and deserves a book of its own. She met the famous author, Marilynne Robinson, when Patry was a college student. Marilynne was living in Massachusetts with her husband, spotted a short story that Patry had written in a literary magazine and sent her husband to invite Patry to dinner. Over the years, Patry had never stopped writing, getting the occasional short story and poem published in literary journals, but also working as a waitress to make ends meet.

And then E.F. Dutton bought Patry's novel, The Liar's Diary and a few months ago, Patry hung up her waitressing shoes for good. Not only did Dutton buy the book, they're bringing out an audio version and having it translated into German, French and Dutch. Patry, after all these years is finally making it big.

The book is billed as a "pyschological thriller," although I'm not sure it needs the "psychological" qualifier. The narrator is the wife of a prominent physician in a suburban community, who, despite her social position works as a school secretary. Her seemingly placid life is upset by the arrival of Ali, the attractive new music teacher, who casually breaks hearts as skillfully as she plays her violin.

The narrator, Jeanne, winds up becoming a friend of Ali, her only female friend, but then the friendship begins to crack as she suspects Ali's relationships with her son and her husband. At one point in the story, Jeanne, reflecting on her own marriage, wonders "When exactly had the romantic veneer begun to peel away, exposing the void that was at the heart of our marriage?" But the veneer over the heart of Jeanne's marriage is not the only veneer that peels away, exposing a rottenness that she would rather not notice.

The book is very well written, as I would expect anything by Patry Francis to be. (She would know how to write that sentence less awkwardly.) And, yet, it's not quite a perfect book, much as I would like it to be. The ending is not quite believable. It depends on something on a cell phone and I don't think cell phones work like that; at least mine doesn't. I'm impressed again with how hard it is to write fiction and how almost fiendishly impossible it is to write good endings -- at least ones that meet my weird tastes.

I realize that to get published, by definition the author needs to write something publishers will buy. Publishers, being rational, will buy books they think they can sell. My tastes, being idiosyncratic, are not generally satisfied by what's on the best seller lists, so it would be chancey for authors to write or publishers to publish based on what appeals to me. So, I should probably just keep my opinions to myself, but how can I, when, as the famous aphorism says, "Opinions are like assholes; everyone has one?"

If I were advising Patry on her next novel (and she would be a fool to take my advice,) I would counsel her to concentrate more on describing relationships, which she does so well in her blog, and less in creating action. I recently read what is as close to the perfect book as I have read in a long time, Eudora Welty's short novel, The Optimist's Daughter, which won a Pulitizer Prize. Nothing much happens in the novel, but the relationships between the characters are shown so richly that the book is, nevertheless, a page turner.

You don't have to be Eudora Welty to be a successful writer, and despite my picking, Patry has written a good book which I can recommend. I gave it four stars.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry Patry Francis, this is a comment to Amish Law unrelated to his plain-spoken review of your book.

Amish Law, do you think this Amish-cook column is "authentically Amish" or by someone who knows how to capture the right tone of an Amish mother?

www.record-eagle.com/2007/mar/12amish.htm
" Some of the children were very scared and came running down the stairs yelling "Fire! fire!” At least now we know that they all know what to do in case of a real fire, although I hope we never have to experience that, but you never know. Only God knows the future.

"Try this popular recipe which makes for a good late winter supper. Poor Man's Steak
http://www.record-eagle.com/columns/amish/

Crockhead said...

It reads very authentically. Only an Amish person would know to spend so much tme on the weather. I'll put up a link on the right side. Thanks for the tip.

rdl said...

Yes four stars!! Patry is a great writer; i'm sure you will like the next one even better.

Shannon Hopkins said...

Thanks for your report on Patry's book, Amishlaw. I think you and I see eye to eye regarding the flaws, though like you I think Patry's a great writer and I enjoyed reading the novel.

Patry Francis said...

Thank you, Amishlaw. I would like to email you personally about this when I get the chance. (Ah, time!)

Time shortage has also prevented me from getting up my monthly 3rd day pick. For May, I'm thinking of following Oprah and doing The Road...or going my own way entirely and doing Changing Light by Norah Gallagher. Any preference?

Crockhead said...

Patry, I wrote this report with great fear and trepidation. I'm glad you weren't offended by my observations. My all means email me when you get time. I know you've been busy with the book tour. My address is at the top of the page. My vote would be for "A Changing Light." I know Cormac McCarthy is considered a great writer, but the stuff I've read is too bleak and brutal for my tastes. In fact, one of my complaints of this month's Third Day book, Finn, is its McCarthy-like bloodiness.

Patry Francis said...

Changing Light it is. (p.s. How could I be offended when you said I was one of your favorite contemporary writers?)

Anonymous said...

Are you going to review "Lives of Others"? You should. It's the best Movie you'll see this year.