"A Fraction of the Whole" by Steve Toltz
(Spiegel & Grau, ISBN 9780385521727, $24.95)
Every once in awhile a writer appears with his first novel stacked pages
deep in what seems to be a cacophony of language, character, and ideas only
to have it turn out to be something of a symphony instead. I have lived more
than a week in Toltz's world and remain in a state of wonder, reflection,
and not just a little laughter. "A Fraction of the Whole" sets the standard
for this relatively new century's "Great American Novel," but, appropriately
enough, it is NOT an American novel--Toltz is Australian.
The novel is told by Jasper Dean... except when it is being told by his
father or his grandfather or his uncle... and is dominated by a family
(alas, mostly the male side) who spend much of their lives in prisons, or
abroad, or in a carefully cultivated natural labyrinth. Jasper and his
father think too much, but Uncle Terry is a gregarious outlaw who early in
life murders those who corrupt the purity of sports in Australia (thus
becoming an Australian folk hero) and later in life manages a crime
collective in Thailand committing all manner of profiteering activities.
Toltz has an ear for the absurd and the funny. His novel is social in that
it watches how so many get along only with so few... and then so poorly. It
explores primarily the bond between father and son--a bond that neither
wants, but also the tenuous bonds between siblings and spouses and lovers
and friends. Death and the contemplation of death play equally big roles in
this big novel, and there is little room for hope or religion; but this is a
book not to be missed.
Review by Bruce
Jacobs, March
28, 2008
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