Plumbing in Harlem

Rating:
Summary: A great short novel with lots of heart
Review: From its raucous opening line of dialogue to its gentle conclusion, this book will keep you entertained. It's a fast read, filled with small, profound moments. Gus Perazzo is torn between his old girlfriends and his estranged wife, between his summer plumbing job and his full-time academic gig starting that Fall. Most of all, he's caught between his rational approach to his mother's terminal illness and his desire to keep her spirits high. Gus is a great protagonist. He's an honest, well-meaning character whose logic occasionally backfires in the face of "real life" - the kind of funny and perplexed person we can all relate to.

The book paints a vivid portrait of a summer in NYC during the '80s. Better yet, it's not a kitschy/trendy portrayal of the recent past. Instead, it's a lovingly rendered glimpse at the old neighborhoods and their denizens from an insider's perspective that allows for both nostalgia and sympathetic critique. (The scene where Gus' stockbroker buddy waxes philosophical about the power of grade-school nicknames is a personal favorite.)

In the end, Gus Perazzo's success is also the novel's - each unsettling little event makes room for a bigger heart and a more encompassing perspective towards life. It's a "feel good" novel that doesn't try to make the world any less complicated than it really is. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: MY NEW FAVORITE BOOK!
Review: I hastily threw this book into my suitcase on my way off to a two-week summer vacation. A friend had recommended the book and it didn't look too long or too serious, a seemingly perfect travel read. Turns out I couldn't put it down for two days, even to get in the pool!

The main character Gus is on summer break and temping as a plumber's helper in New York City while he waits to become a professor at a small Midwestern college in the fall. Among other reasons, he chooses to move back "home" for a NYC summer to be with his terminally ill mother. This situation, along with a large Italian family, makes the perfect backdrop for the real-life moments and family dynamics the book presents. It's also the perfect setup for a good dose of hilarity in between.

I loved the author's use of dialog in this book. Conversations made every character instantly believable so I truly felt I knew each one by the book's end. The writing is also spry and lyrical. Chapters are often miniature stories but each is flawlessly woven to the next as you are lead through the crossroads Gus suddenly faces in his life. And if you're like me, along the way you will surely identify your own family, friends and neighbors - even if you've never been in New York.

A little suspense, a little humor, a little meaning of life - the perfect summer treat. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Hope-filled, Lyrical, and Nostalgic
Review: The witty, light, and often lyrical writing style of this novel would be at odds with the obstacles facing its characters-irreparable relationships, exhausting renovations, the seeming inevitability of cancer-if it weren't for one undeniable fact: under Plumbing in Harlem beats the heart of optimism, of hope. The main character, Gus, wants to believe in something (anything, EVERYTHING) but at first cannot bring himself to accept the possibilities available to him. As I followed his journeys around New York, I found that the novel inspired me to want to believe; I began willing him to risk everything in order to hope. Gus is wonderfully realized; what's more, he's very, very human, in the sense that he comes alive on the page-passion, paranoia, and pet peeves intact.

Most everything about this novel-dialogue, plot, setting, characters-is readily believable and inherently likeable. The fact that whole chapters could stand alone as short stories demonstrates Benevento's flair for creating self-contained scenes. At times the poetic turns of phrase in the novel caused me to linger at the end of a sentence or chapter, but the humor packed an even greater punch. The best and most memorable moments in the novel-the reunion with old neighborhood friends, the unpacking of an old woman's memorabilia and memories, the point at which Gus's mother shares recipes for living as she teaches him to cook-resonated with warmth and evoked in me the giddy pleasure of nostalgia. Inevitably, the novel reminds readers of something and someone familiar. I recognized Gus, his family and friends, his concerns and triumphs-and that recognition has allowed the novel to remain with me long after I closed the pages of the text itself.