There is a special kind of person out there, well suited to be a counselor or therapist, who can, and with great fascination, co-opt other people's pain. Reading this novel, it became clear to me that Elizabeth Berg is one of these people. In both this and "We are all welcome here," she readily admits that she is basing the events and circumstances on the extraordinary suffering of other people. She is a writer who has fallen into an unusual sort of pattern. She absorbs the stories of others and regurgitates them in a similar format, in which the mother/daughter dynamic is given top billing. Hence, no matter how different and frightening the situation, the reader has a reassuring sense of having been there before. Common features of her novels include, a beautiful, young, and irrepairably damaged mother, a plainer but fiercely intelligent daughter, and a distant, indistinct father. She always throws in a zany, loveable friend or two for the mother or daughter as well. This character gets the lion's share of amusing lines, and supplies comic relief. With characters in tow, the tension in her novels builds and builds to what promises to be a disasterous climax. Then she cops out with a easy fix answer to a complex problem. It was sort of whimsical and cute when she threw Elvis in at the end of "We are all Welcome," but given the deep psychological issues at play here, her fix-it play was too obvious.It's not that I don't value her contribution, and even her interest, in bringing subjects to light that most people don't care to stomach (not least of all those living them). I appreciate her willingness to delve into the darker elements of relationships and the human experience. I just want to say that I'm on to her. I know what she's doing, and I've got her pegged. She's not the owner of these stories, she is just a storyteller. It is the fact that she is a thoughtful and rapt listener, makes her voice and perspective, however removed, valuable.This, however, did not save this novel from its own predictability. I was never shocked, not once. I was interested to follow her characterization of the "type" of people who might experience these things, but ultimately disappointed with the outcome. The feelings build and build only to be tossed away without adequate explaination. Why did the daughter who was abused forgive her mother? I have nothing against forgiveness, but in this case, it seemed arbitrary. I blame Berg's removed viewpoint on the subject matter [of parental abuse] for this disparity.
Laura Bartone always anticipates her annual family reunion with the usual amount of excitement and wariness. Traveling all the way to Minnesota to see her family each year is certainly wonderful, yet Laura also can't deny that in a small portion of her heart, she secretly dreads going to the family reunion each year. Laura loves her family deeply - yet somehow, whenever she is around her sister Caroline and her brother Steve - Laura can feel the mutual tension building between them, as well as the mutual desire to get away. Yet this year's gathering will prove to be even more trying than either she or her siblings could have imagined.It all begins when Laura receives a cryptic phone call from her younger sister Caroline. Caroline has always been regarded as the family's restless black sheep; forever wrapped up in her memories of the past, so for her to make a desperate phone call in the middle of the night is typical behavior. As much as Laura tries to be the understanding, supportive sister, she knows that Caroline has always had a dramatic flair when remembering certain events from the past, so Laura takes what she hears with a pinch of salt.However, as soon as Laura arrives in Minnesota, she realizes that something is definitely wrong with her sister. Caroline's entire demeanor just doesn't seem right. When she eventually confronts Laura and their brother, Steve, with devastating allegations about their mother, the three have a difficult time reconciling their varying experiences while living in the same house. And it is the sudden revelation of such astounding secrets - secrets that have subsequently shaped the personalities and fates of all three siblings, that now threaten to tear them apart.Yet a sudden misfortune will lead them all to face the past, their own culpability, and their common need for love and forgiveness. In The Art of Mending - a novel which is her most profound and emotionally satisfying story to date - Elizabeth Berg confronts some of the deepest mysteries of life, as she explores how even the largest sins can be forgiven by the smallest gestures, and how grace can come to many through the trials of one.I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. In my opinion, this was a fast-paced, well-developed story; filled with vibrant and brilliantly nuanced characters that really resonated with me emotionally. I give this book a definite A+! and will be eagerly awaiting Ms. Berg's next novel with baited breath.
What do You think about The Art Of Mending (2006)?
Laura returns to her childhood home for the family's annual trip to the state fair. Instead of funnel cake and corn dogs, Laura gets a bitter taste of truth about her family's history. Her younger sister Caroline reveals a secret from her youth that threatens to tear the family apart.Laura and her brother Steve have long suffered their sister Caroline, the dark figure in the family. Caroline's sour moods and flair for drama have fostered an ambivalence and neglect within her siblings. Laura shrugs off her sister's recent accusations. But as Laura sorts through the memories of her youth now seen in the light of this new information, she begins to question her own role in the neglect and abandonment of sister Caroline.This book drags, and I didn't think the dialog was realistic. But, I thought the author showed some insight into the dynamics of challenging sibling relationships. And, I liked how the main characters slowly come to understand the past more clearly after abandoning the family's unspoken modus operandi - such as don't look back, don't get close, don't ask questions.There are good ideas in this book, and I liked it much more than Berg's Open House. But, it is not especially unique or moving. The most creative aspect of the book for me was the description of different family photos at the beginning of each section. At first, the pictures exclude Caroline and they slowly begin to reveal more of her (such as tips her shoes at the corner of a picture.) Each new picture also captures more of the true dynamics between her and her parents and siblings.
—Margaret
Mediocre middle-class-family-with-a-(not-that-interesting)-secret saga. Some of her observations about the mundane joys of domestic life were delightful truth nuggets hidden in an otherwise bland tale. I kept reading and reading hoping to find some other, larger truth. It just didn't do it for me. Maybe I can't relate because I don't have siblings and will never have to contend with the issues faced by the middle child, but I got to the end and found myself wishing there had been more there for me to sink my teeth into, more Truth revealed. Ah well.
—Raquel
maybe if i'd been in more of an oprah's book club mood, i would've appreciated this book's lugubrious sentimentality. as it stands, however, i just found it overbearing and annoying. so there's some deep dark family secrets between 3 adult siblings that get slowly....painfully...(just get to the point already!) revealed. but then not much else happens. i should've been clued in when each chapter started with an italicized description of a family photo.i might give some of her other ones a true ("durable goods", for example), but this work was, for me, O-verly sentimental.
—Sarah
