Rating:  Summary: ONE MORE TRIUMPH FOR JANE HAMILTON Review: Family dynamics and coming of age angst prevail in Disobedience, a stunning fourth novel from the gifted Jane Hamilton. With empathy and affection she enters her characters' lives to skillfully explore the ambiguous landscapes of human mind and heart. Disobedience assumes varying forms and guises in this chronicle of one year in the life of the Shaw family, beginning with 17-year-old Henry who inadvertently opens his mother's email to discover that she is having an impassioned affair with Richard Polloco, a Ukrainian violin maker. With his painful past of family terror during the Bolshevik Revolution, Polloco becomes to Beth Shaw "...a person with something real that had happened to him, that had wounded him. He was a person she might be able to comfort, a man she could lead out of the dark past, going from light to light to light." Online in her loving communiques to Polloco, pianist and solid mother Beth has become Liza38, an i.d. bestowed upon her by Henry when he introduced her to the mysteries of computer operation. He wanted her to have a name with some gusto and this "sounded like the code name of a blond spy with a sizable bust" rather than a "flat, no crackle name, Beth." The family is rounded out by father, Kevin, and thirteen-tear-old Elvira, a devoted, sometimes obsessive Civil War re-enactor who disguises herself as drummer boy Elviron to participate. She persists in always dressing in handmade Union uniforms, even to adding a clanking sword as she attends a family wedding. Elvira is encouraged in this pursuit by Kevin and worried over by Beth. When Kevin, a liberal leaning high school history teacher, is ousted from his job in Vermont, a place Henry views as his "deepest sense of home," the Shaws move to an upscale suburb in Chicago. Self described as "the heavyweight champion of depressed teenagehood," Henry wears long hair and wire rimmed specs. He is somewhat of a loner at his exclusive new school, and further alienated by the knowledge of Beth's unfaithfulness. Alternately fascinated and repelled, he knows he should not continue his "electronic eavesdropping," but he does. To him, her defection marks a loss of the childhood security that he once felt within his family circle. His response is further complicated by the fact that he has just experienced his first sexual encounter. Beth's confessions of guilt to an online friend do little to win Henry's understanding or forgiveness. There are times when he is nominally courteous to her at best, entering into dinner table conversations only to taunt or disparage Elvira. Some solace is found for Henry in his friendship with Karen, a schoolmate, who with her dyed black hair and bizarre clothing "looked as if she were a fifty-year-old masquerading as a teenager." Were he to confide his mother's infidelity to Karen, he imagines she might attribute it to a menopausal thing, saying, "Think of the last egg hobbling down the fallopian tube, shrieking for one last sperm." Ms. Hamilton has created an endearing figure in Henry, one who narrates his story with the insightfulness and bravado of an intelligent teenager. He is an embodiment of the difficulties encountered in growing up. Reluctantly he accompanies Kevin, Beth and Elvira to a reenactment of the Battle of Shiloh. It is here that unforeseen events alter the family's course forever. Deftly assured and almost preternaturally attuned to the feelings of a 17-year-old boy, Ms. Hamilton has again penned a story laced with humor, deep rooted love, and compassion. One could not find an abler guide to chart safe passage through the shoals of family life.
Rating:  Summary: No one does family relationships as well as Jane Hamilton Review: For a long time after reading Map of the World, I was convinced that Jane Hamilton did not actually exist but was Jane Smiley writing under a pen name. The easy dialogue and complicated family relationships were right on target -- much the way Smiley was in A Thousand Acres. But no, it seems that Jane Hamilton does really exist and thank goodness, too, because quality Smiley fiction doesn't seem to be in production any more. I only bring this up because Disobedience is another great novel full of the intricate patterns of family life that Smiley used to do so well. In a relatively short novel, Hamilton manages to bring fully to life all of her characters. Elvira is my favorite, and will probably be yours too, but each of the family members passes my characterization test -- when reading the book, I can easily bring to mind a complete picture of the character, right down to mannerisms and speech patterns. So if you're missing Jane Smiley's good stuff or are looking for more of Map of the World style quality writing, pick up a copy of Disobedience today.
Rating:  Summary: I adored this book! Review: I confess I haven't read any of Jane Hamilton's other books, but DISODEDIENCE has convinced me that I must. When I first received this novel, I cracked it, more or less idly, to see how it began. Before I knew it, I had been reading for a full hour. Hamilton's voice and her wise, often funny sensibilities carry this book, which otherwise could have been a trite piece of pop culture. Henry Shaw discovers through reading his mother's email account that she has a lover, and his view of the world shifts to accomodate his mother's private life. Although his reaction to the discovery is less than realistic (he takes it too quickly in stride), Henry's insights about love and family provide the layers that make this novel so remarkable. I agree with the editorial reviews that Henry as narrator slightly mars this otherwise seamless tale; he doesn't seem to be in touch with many teenage emotions, he doesn't provide a solid life context for his adult voice, and sometimes he doesn't even seem male. However, this flaw is, in my mind, inconsequential. The best character by far is Henry's younger sister Elvira, an obsessed, gender-confused Civil War reenactor who upstages every other character. Simply put, her creation is brilliant. Henry's mother, Beth, is more ephemeral, as she should be, because she occupies the unique place in Henry's mind as mother first, then woman, a duality he must reconcile. Henry's father Kevin is Elvira's companion and co-conspirator, who loves his daughter's odd fascination with history. The dynamics among these family members form the heart of the story: who they are, who they aren't, and what they do or don't understand about each other. Henry's discovery of his mother's secret life is only a catalyst. The real story is the Shaws and their anachronistic, off-beat, and rebellious approach to life. Read this book. I can't say how this compares to other Hamilton works, but I adored it.
Rating:  Summary: probably 3 1/2 stars... Review: While I think that Jane Hamilton is one of the finest contemporary authors, I don't think that this book is up to her usual standards. Perhaps the main focus of the novel should have been on Elvira - easily the most complex and interesting character in the book. Henry comes alive only when interacting with his female high school friend; the rest of the time he is too detached to elicit empathy. Beyond telling Elvira's story, I didn't see a point to the book. Henry and his parents disappointed me, Elvira delighted me.
Rating:  Summary: Boring Review: It took me a while to finish this book. Every time Hamilton started to get to the actual story, she'd stop and explain through Henry how every character felt about every little thing that was happening. It bogged down the story for me and eventually got on my nerves. There were so many points where I was tempted to just give up. The story is complex and multi-layered, but incredibly slow-paced. I am glad that I reached the end; the story gets interesting at the end. Overall, though, it's a very boring read, and I don't feel the ending, as good as it is, makes it up for the time I spent dragging myself through the rest of it.
Rating:  Summary: Multi-layered Review: I enjoyed this book tremendously. I liked hearing the story from the son's point of view. I loved the character development. Everyone had a clear story and objective. The story has so many layers that all inter-twine, just like the lives we live. This is the best Jane Hamilton book I've read.
Rating:  Summary: A filial maternal biography? Review: Well maybe not. I think if you are reading this, you understand the premise; a boy finds out about his mother's affair. But it is also about the mother, his family and his growing up. It is detailed, well written, and not sophmoric. The book is written in retrospect, so there is ample reflection and it is not a Salinger or Portnoy's complaint from a young or impudent voice. I was very happy with this book and recommend it highly. I also will predict that this author's other works must be equally well written.
Rating:  Summary: Wonderful writing, but...... Review: There is no question that Jane Hamilton is one very talented author. The woman is literate, funny and tells one hell of a story. "Disobedience" is no exception to this. Filled with the quirky, amusing antics of the Shaw family, Hamilton creates characters you want to know. When mother Beth Shaw's extra-marital affair is discovered by her email snooping son, the Shaw's lives become an open book. Herein lies my problem with the novel; the voice of our narrator Henry, the son in question. Henry is a seventeen year old boy, albeit a witty, intellectual one, but a teenage boy none the less. While Henry's dry observations had me laughing out loud on many occasions, a voice inside my head kept saying one thing over and over. "This is great writing, and I'm enjoying this story, but this is not how a seventeen year old boy talks or thinks, this is the voice of a middle aged woman" In her quest to be literary, the author has made Henry's narration far too mature and urbane to be believable. Even the most sophisticated seventeen year old would not have the life experience necessary to form the types of opinions on sexuality, infidelity and marraige that Henry is apparently capable of. While the novel is enjoyable and worth reading, Henry's voice never quite rings true.
Rating:  Summary: The power of family stories Review: I love the way Jane Hamilton uses words. Her sentences soar yet the language is down to earth. Henry's description of his mother's infidelity tells the story of all families and their struggles. How family members can love and hate each other. How they wonder how they could even be related but will defend each other against all foes. I loved the different ways Beth Shaw could be and express herself depending on who she was with. Jane Hamilton lets us in on the secret that our lives all have many pages waiting to be discovered.
Rating:  Summary: falling off the pedestal Review: When I first started teaching, I remember wondering to myself how in the world I was ever going to be a teacher . . . after all, teachers were perfect people! Growing up I always thought that my teachers walked on water. How could I aspire to be one of them? Of course it didn't take long to find out that teachers actually weren't perfect. That upset me at first. I guess that's what happens when someone falls off the pedestal. This is what happens to Henry in the novel Disobedience. At the age of 17- half boy, half man- Henry realizes that his mother is more than a mother- she is a woman and she is not perfect. This realization upsets, yet intrigues him. The remainder of the novel is a series of his reflections about human nature, families, and the complications of our lives. I thought Jane Hamilton did an excellent job of examining family dynamics in Disobedience. Her story brings to light what we all know but often fail to acknowledge- that you never really know what goes on in peoples' private lives (unless you know their email password). Seemingly happy marriages- and families- are often not what they appear to be. Often people are disobedient. This may be an "old story with nothing new in it," but it is intriguing nevertheless.
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