Revue 'The River is waiting': a disorderly father spends time behind bars

Wally Lamb's first novel in nine years, “The River is Waiting” opens onto a devastating scene in which a troubled father but devoted to the house rotates his coffee with two splashes by Captain Morgan and skips an Ativan before getting into a car to drive his two years, Niko and Maisie, to their grandmother. The Corby's plan is to use the day by pretending to be hunting, but in truth, he resigned to be unemployed after being dismissed the previous year by his post as a commercial artist in an advertising agency. His wife Emily, a teacher, already gone to work, so he dresses children and brings them outside before realizing that he has forgotten their diaper bag.

He finishes butie in his car seat while Niko studies a swarm of ants devouring cookie crumbs on their aisle. Corby recovers the bag and starts the car. It was not by seeing his neighbor having a wildly gesture, then hearing his cries and the horrible sound crunching under his tires, that he realizes with horror what he neglected to do.

As he proved with his first two amazing novels, “She's Come undon” (1992) and “I know that this is true” (1996), as well as four well -received subsequent books, LAMB has a singular ability to unpack the dysfunction and the trauma cascading effects, which is one of the six new choices of books. Obliged to restore after its success out of the day, the lamb for 20 years has led writing workshops to the correctional establishment of York in Connecticut for delinquent women, and he clearly signed up on this experience here: “The river waits” is almost entirely in prison after Corby is convicted of involuntary origin and sentenced to three years behind the bars.

In the days preceding the judge's decision, Corby attended AA meetings, advice sessions and clogs frantically to her effiloche marriage. Emily's sorrow is devouring, the tragedy exacerbated by the revelation of her husband's secret dependence on prescription and alcohol drugs. Through all this, she fights to protect her daughter from more harm, although but but also, is increasingly distraught – and confused.

All this should make a convincing saga, but the fly in the ointment is that Corby is a narcissistic character less concerned about the enormity of his transgression than in the way he can refer everything to normal. It weighs whether to admit that it was under influence when the accident occurred, until a blood test does this theater. He is addressed to his deceased son, reflecting whether to plead guilty to the accusations against him: “Hey, little man, do you hear me?” He entered. “Niko, what will happen if I tell the truth?” Will your mother leave me? Will I go to prison? At Crédit de Corby, he finally chose to clean himself in the name of responsibility.

Throughout the novel, Corby says it is consumed by guilt and remorse, and these emotions are present, but feel performative. We are told that he has frequent jags and access to insomnia, but we don't feel his despair. In his few conversations with Emily, he is often blithe, focuses more on the drawbacks that life in prison poses or if he will remember him than what his wife and daughter have to face. In such an interaction, Emily tries to reassure Corby that she keeps her memory alive while he serves her term: “We are looking at photos of you on my iPad and my phone, you mention in her prayers at bedtime. And these drawings that you sent her? We put them in her” daddy file. “And her favorites – those of her and her dolls having their tea? Corby's response:” Well, you're lucky, Emily. You can use adhesive tape. It's smuggling here. “

I have no doubt that Lamb worked hard to faithfully reflect what he gleaned in life in prison and has great sympathy for the broadcast of his character. However, a large part of what happens seems cliché, just like a large part of the language and the dialogue. Corby has a predictable period with his first cell companion, Pug, until the heart of gold within the hardened criminal is revealed. Enter Manny, who becomes the protector of Corby, and over time, his confidant. When Corby is sexually abused by a pair of guards, Manny suspects what happened and tries to open it. Finally, an investigation is launched and reprehensible acts widespread are revealed. The resident librarian takes Corby under his wing and invites him to put his skills as an artist to work by painting a mural, which proves cathartic. However, Corby remains haunted by the incident with the guards and by Emily's omission to forgive him.

“The river waits” lasts more than 400 pages, but the end looks like a reflection afterwards, ending with the loose ends without satisfying the reader. Revaluating the fate of Corby would be a spoiler, but what disappointed me is the absence of an authentic epiphany; I felt that I had spent years with a man who has never really counted with his regrets or learned from his mistakes. It may be the most realistic scenario. However, I sucked in a protagonist who touches the bottom, then finds a way to evolve and transcend. Lamb wrote a serious and well -intentioned novel, although with the promise of much more.

Haber is a publication writer, publisher and strategist. She was director of the Oprah reading club and editor -in -chief of books for O, Oprah magazine.