I'm a sucker for a big American novel. Not Moby Dick though - think Maine by Courtney Sullivan or American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld. Stories which follow characters from childhood to adulthood, set in interesting and beautiful American places, that are emotionally rich and thoughtfully detailed. Meg Wolitzer's latest ticks all those boxes and more.
It follows the lives of six of "The Interestings", a group of seventies teenagers who meet at a very liberal arts-focused summer camp. The central focus is Jules Jacobson, an initial outsider looking into the gilded world of Ash and Goodman Wolf. Joining her in the group are Ethan Figman, a very talented cartoonist, Jonah Bay, a folksinger's son who is beautiful and shy, and Cathy Kiplinger, a gifted dancer whose body is outgrowing her ambitions. Jules herself is a passable actress whose skill lies in comedy.
The novel follows the group as their lives change and separate. A shocking incident provides the first fracture, financial success the second and a secret the third. Jules remains to some extent the outsider, although her close friendship with Ash pulls her to the centre of the group.
Wolitzer is good on atmosphere: the seventies hippies and eighties yuppies feel real. She's even better on feelings: Jules cannot lose her jealousy of her friends, even as it threatens her relationship as an adult. And the central idea of the book seemed to be about talent, asking us is talent everything? Or is money really what opens doors? Is it enought to be good and ordinary, or do we need to stand out to feel alive?
This is a big, thoughtful novel with an involving plot. I read it in 2 days and would thoroughly recommend it.
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