The Whole World Over: Julia Glass
This is a hard review to write. When I was reading this book, I couldn’t get enough of it. It was one of those books that I wanted to smoosh my face into and not do a single thing but hoover up the story. But now I finish it, I just keep thinking of things I didn’t like.
So. Tricky.
‘The Whole World Over’ is about four people who are more or less connected. Greenie, a chef, who attempts to shake up her crumbling marriage by moving from New York City to Mexico. Alan, her husband, a sanctimonious and self-righteous psychiatrist. Walter, Greenie’s restaurant managing friend. And Saga, who is suffering from amnesia.
I do think that writing contemporary books is extremely difficult. This group of characters, frankly, deal with reasonably ordinary problems in reasonably ordinary ways and the line between making that compelling and relevant, and making it dull and shallow is extremely fine. I’m not sure she was always successful, especially when it came to whiny Alan. I had no interest in him or his problems at all. Saga, who is probably the most interesting character, is sort of mushed into the overall book for no apparent reason: she needed a book to herself.
On the other hand, I really liked Greenie. She was a take-control, take-no-nonsense, type of gal. And I liked the descriptions of her cooking very much. Come over for tea any time, Greenie. You do the cake, I’ll do the tea.
It wasn’t until I got about half way through that I thought ‘woah, this book is entirely about children’. Having them, not having them. Wanting them, not wanting them. Being infertile, sowing wild oats. Being single but wanting a child, being married but not wanting a child. My world cracked open for a minute and showed me what life is going to be like in about five years time when my age group really hits the ‘should we or shouldn’t we’ years.
The main reason I didn’t like this book was the last hundred pages. I hadn’t realised – even though I was reading this in the run-up to the anniversary – that this was heading towards 9/11. I’ve yet to find a book which really captures everything that day was about, and maybe that simply isn’t possible. But I also found it unnecessary in this story. It seemed like a rather crude way to force people into making decisions. And I didn’t feel Greenie would have made the choices that she made as a result. So the ending rang false for me.
I also have a few questions about things which were lost in translation over this side of the pond, so maybe an American who has read it could help me out?
First, several of the (single) characters are interested in adoption, but each of them pursue that abroad rather than looking at home. Finding an American child just isn’t on the table. Is that because the American authorities don’t permit single people to adopt?
Also, I felt that the whole ‘George and the horse’ incident was blown entirely out of proportion. What he did obviously wasn’t brilliant, but on the other hand, I kept wanting to shout at all the characters: HE. IS. FOUR. I wondered whether this was to do with the greater risks of being sued in America?
So all in all: mixed feelings. But I’ll give her another try. I hear good things about Three Junes.
Posted on September 20, 2010, in Uncategorized and tagged book reviews, books, contemporary fiction, julia glass, literary fiction, the whole world over, three junes. Bookmark the permalink. 8 Comments.
This book DOES sound interesting to me. I haven’t heard of it before. It does remind me a bit of On Beauty by Zadie Smith, in that that also deals with several couples/families where nothing that much happens (well, in my eyes). It was OK to read but not fantastic. Maybe this book is the same in that sense. It just meanders on.
I’m glad you said that about On Beauty. I didn’t get it at all (though possibly because I hadn’t read Howard’s End).
Erm, Howard’s End? How is that related?
No, I didn’t read that either. Maybe that would have helped? It didn’t warn me on the cover, though.
Howard’s End is apparently the inspiration for On Beauty: Smith wrote it in tribute to Forster. Beyond that, can’t tell you much, since haven’t finished HE and read OB several years ago and didn’t find it especially memorable.
Lynds – I’m so glad you decided to review “The Whole World Over” and I have to say I am pretty much in absolute agreement with everything you say. And I’m happy to provide the American perspective on some of your questions. I also adored this book while I was reading it but then it did get a little meandering and the 9/11 plot point is sort of forced in at the very end and I agree, I’m not sure the characters would have made the choices they did had it not been for 9/11. And I have read two really good novels about 9/11 that you should check out. These books are good about leaving the focus on the fictional characters but accurately portraying the tone and strangeness of being a New Yorker during this event.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (he has a 9 year-old protagonist which is alternatively heart-breaking and hilariously funny)
The Good Life by Jay McInerney (who wrote Bright Lights, Big City)
As for the adoption and George-Horse incident, I think your assumption about Americans not allowing for single parent adoption is probably right. I also think that in the case of the gay couple hoping to adopt that it was also about the sexuality of the potential parents that made Glass focus on overseas rather than domestic adoption but that is a good observation. And yes, George – horse incident was completely overblown although I’m not sure it was the fear of lawsuit that made it so dramatic. Maybe it was just meant to point out the fact that George was obviously suffering more because of his parents’ separation than they had previously assumed?
Also I wonder how you feel about some of the characters on the periphery of the book like Fenno McLeod, Walter’s nephew, Saga’s cousins, the New Mexico governor and Greenie’s mother. I loved the scene between Fenno, Walter and Saga during the morning of 9/11 – I thought it was one the most poignant scenes in the whole novel and of course I really like the relationship between Saga and Fenno. Also, I thought there was more to be explored between Greenie and the Governor. It’s like their relationship was teetering on flirtatious, sexual the entire time and then all of a sudden when Greenie’s high school fling enters the picture, their dynamic shifts entirely. I guess I was more interested in seeing what would happen with the Governor and not this forgotten childhood friend. And the whole sub-story (is that a word?) about Greenie’s relationship with her mother was one that I found compelling but also wasn’t really sure how to read it as it related to Greenie’s current choices.
I mean the depth of her characters and creating readable, compelling stories about fairly ordinary life events is where Glass is at her best however she does fail with this book because of its length. As you said, the last hundred pages really take away from the first 300 and kind of throw the reader for a loop. I haven’t yet Three Junes (Glass’ first book) but have heard fabulous things about it and I have to say that her 3rd novel, I See You Everywhere takes everything that’s great about this novel (the character development) but limits the number of characters (only two) and more deeply explores the bonds of family (they are sisters). I highly highly recommend that you check that one out again when you’re looking for another piece of American contemporary fiction. I think the sister relationships especially will appeal to you (as they did for me!).
And in closing (this is a bit of a meandering comment itself!) – I am quite partial to Glass myself (who is local to Boston) but I’m so happy you decided to do this post! I also recently picked up White Teeth (Zadie Smith) again and while I loved On Beauty (because of its setting mostly which maybe explains why you didn’t find it memorable), I have to say that White Teeth is still my favorite ZS novel.
Blimey Erin!
I have to say that I was underwhelmed by Extremely Loud…especially given how much I enjoyed Everything Is Illuminated (which I believe your sister gave me, in fact!) but that was a couple of years ago so maybe I should give it another shot. I have not heard of the other one, so I will check that out.
I agree with everything you say about the mother sub-plot, the governor sub-plot (though maybe he was just one of those uber-powerful men who flirts with everyone) and about the Fenno/Saga thing. As I understand it, Fenno pops up as more of a major character in her other books, so that’s why I’m keen to give her another go.
And I’m with you on White Teeth. I didn’t really enjoy her other novels, though I do like her non-fiction.
I have only read Three Junes and I had a similar experience as you did reading this one. I enjoyed reading it but there were multiple items that left somewhat annoyed. I liked Three Junes enough to read more books by Glass, but then again I haven’t yet.
Adoption in the US is largely governed by state law and it can vary quite a bit. New York State began allowing full adoption by same-sex couples in 2002. And singles can adopt in New York as well but I don’t know when that came into effect. My guess is that it was prior to 2002. But I think that there is a difference between what is legal and what a particular adoption agency will facilitate. A co-worker of mine and his wife were considered too old to adopt by many US-based agencies so they got twins from China.
That’s interesting. Here in the UK, all adoption agencies have to treat people the same regardless of sexuality or marital status, on equality grounds. Does seem fairer – and surely better for children, increasing the number of potential parents.