I'm talking about The Good Father by Noah Hawley, published two years ago. I was able to find it Down Under here in Sydney, so you shouldn't have too much trouble if you're in an English-speaking country.
The book is achingly good. It's neither a thriller nor a mystery but it has some elements of both. It's more of a literary, "serious" book and not really a genre novel.
The central story involves a fiftysomething father who is a highly successful rheumatologist and his twenty-year-old drifter son. The father's world is turned upside down when his son is arrested and prosecuted for the assassination of an extremely popular senator almost certain to become the next President of the United States.
The father is devastated and tries on his own to learn the truth when the authorities stonewall him: did his son do it and, if so, why? Because he's becoming mentally ill? Or if he didn't do it, was this a case of mistaken identity or was he deliberately set up, either to take the fall or as some kind of brainwashed Manchurian candidate?
Hawley crafts incredibly beautiful prose. Some passages are about as close to heartbreaking as any book I think I've ever read, and I have read many novels. Other parts are very, very funny. The resulting emotional contrasts make this a particularly powerful book.
I've read several reviews comparing Hawley to Don DeLillo, but I was reminded more of Ian McEwan. I love DeLillo but he's more expressionistic and abstract than Hawley. McEwan works more by slowly peeling away hidden truths, and Hawley is much the same but writing in a different voice and genre.
I'm making my husband and MD brother read the book as soon as possible because I want to compare notes about various elements.
If you're a reader, I hope you'll have a chance to enjoy it, too. I just loved it.
3 comments:
On your recommendation I downloaded and stated listening to the The Good Father today, June 5th, on Audible.com. I am just a couple hours into what looks to be a 12 hour listen but I am enjoying every minute of the book thus far especially the description of RFK's assassination 46 years ago today.
K
Anon,
When you're done, please post a note here or send me an email at hypersexualgirl at gmail dot com. I am curious about your reaction to the passage in the Austin airport toward the end of the novel.
HSG
I will HSG. My favorite quote thus far: "Free love; just another excuse for men to follow their pricks."
K
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