The Laments : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Read early Irving instead
Review: This is early Irving lite. Go back to Setting Free the Bears, Water Method Man, 158-Pound Marriage, Garp. This may be Hagen's debut work-but there is nothing novel here.

Rating:
Summary: Humorous tale of a family on the move
Review: When the Laments' unnamed first son is born, he is kidnapped from the hospital nursery by another new mother who prefers him to her own prematurely born son. When the kidnapper flees with the Lament boy, they die in an accident, and the Laments adopt Will, the orphaned son of the kidnapper. Thus begins a strange but entertaining story of an unconventional family continually on the move. From South Africa to Rhodesia to the Persian Gulf to England to New Jersey, they are always seeking the happiness that seems to elude them. As father Howard tells his family, "We are Laments, and Laments travel." Unfortunately, with every move, the family leaves something of themselves behind.

The Laments are an aptly named family. They suffer brutal accidents, loss of employment, dashed hopes, and borderline poverty. In spite of the fact that they have more than their share of problems, they have the spirit to move on, and their saga is full of wit and humor. The reader sees the family's dilemmas primarily through the eyes of oldest son Will, as he watches over his twin brothers, worries about his father's depression and joblessness, tries to fit in, and mourns the loss of his latest girlfriend whenever his family travels onward to its next destination.

First-time author George Hagen, who had lived on three continents by the time he was twelve, is well suited to provide insight on what it means to struggle with national identity and assimilate into a foreign culture. The Laments always seem to view their environment from the outside looking in. They are tagged as imperialists, white supremacists, and unpatriotic foreigners. There are humorous touches throughout the story as the Laments observe the foibles of their friends, neighbors, classmates, and coworkers. This book reminds me a little of John Irving's "The World According to Garp." I recommend it as a touching and humorous story of a resilient family with the will to adapt and endure.

Eileen Rieback