1986's Pulitzer Prize winning novel a terrific portrait of a semi-functional family

 

It's at this point in my project, where I'm about a third of the way through, that I'm starting to recognize that I'm certainly enjoying revisiting much of the things that I remember and love, but I'm most appreciative of reading the books that I've never heard of. In truth, even if I've never seen a movie or TV show, listened to an album, or played a video game, it's very rare for me to have not at least heard of it.  The books, on the other hand, have often been completely unknown to me - at least the Pulitzer Prize winners (the best-selling books have usually been more familiar).

For that reason, as well as trying to spread the wealth and not keep reading the same author, I've definitely gravitated more towards choosing the Pulitzers and not the best-sellers for each week.

Anyway, for this week: it's a wonderfully told tale, with more and more layers and understanding unfurling as new things come to light through conversation, occurrences, or realization through the narrator, Phillip.

Phillip's story in A Summons to Memphis is one of seemingly straightforward family squabbles between his father and his two sisters, but as he is now middle-aged and looking back upon the events throughout his life, he's gaining the wisdom and understanding that can only come with age and experience and he revisits and reconsiders what he had grown up to know as absolute truths.

There's no doubt that everyone is lying at different points of the story, including Phillip which always requires a careful read if you can't totally rely on the narrator. What's left for us to parse through is why the characters lie, for what intent and purpose, and whether those lies were helpful or hurtful in the end. 

I'd recommend taking more than a week to read this one, because even in my rushed digestion I found it fascinating to think back to an earlier part of the book and challenge my own interpretation of it as new information comes to light. 

In short, it's a novel about the mystery of people and the quantum mystery of relationships. I look forward to reading it again.