The Truth About Celia : A novel

Rating:
Summary: This book is perfection
Review: Each piece perfect in and of itself, they fit together into something even more wonderful. One of my favorite books this year.

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Summary: Interesting premise, poignant story
Review: The Truth About Celia is a book within the book: in addition to being a real work of fiction, it is also a fictional book by the story's main character, author Christopher Brooks, and it comes complete with its own dedication, table of contents, and notes about the author (the fictional one, that is). If that doesn't make sense, it at least gives you a flavor for what the book is like, as it frequently verges into surreal territory. Christopher is a father whose 7-year old daughter, Celia, disappears one day while playing in the backyard. Unable to start a new novel as he had planned, Christopher instead writes about Celia--not only from his own perspective, but also from his wife's, from the people of the town, and even from Celia herself (this section is reminiscent of The Lovely Bones). The story shifts both in time--from immediately after Celia's disappearance to 7 and 14 years beyond--and in content--a short story about "The Green Children" is woven into the plot. The effect of this is interesting but disorienting, leaving the reader never being quite sure of exactly when or where they are. The tendency of the author (the real one) to use long, rambling paragraphs that go on for pages only adds to the sense of confusion. However, this short novel is certainly a worthwhile read, both for its uniqueness and its raw emotional honesty.

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Summary: A light touch for a devastating story.
Review: What do you say about the devastating disappearance of a beloved young daughter? Brockmeier imagines a fictional writer who eventually recovers sufficiently to write this book, a wonderful combination of narrative, stories, and musings. You feel the pain and sadness without being overwhelmed by it. The writer's wife is not as completely devastated, perhaps because she was not as involved with the disappearance. Her life, and their marriage, is sketched with a light touch which yet manages to capture so much. If John Irving had a lighter touch, and had lost a child, I could imagine him writing this book. For those readers who found the book at all confusing, I suggest they reread, carefully, the forward by the fictional novelist (this helped me).