A review by shanviolinlove
Early Warning by Jane Smiley
2.0
Jane Smiley took on an ambitious idea to capture an entire century of American history--starting just after the first World War--in a sweeping saga following one family: the Langdons. I read her first novel in the trilogy, Some Luck, and was drawn by evocative descriptions of characters, their intriguing observations of life and death, the tensions and trials, children and deaths, farming and war and city life.
In comparison, Early Warning falls short, biting off more than it can chew. Following the stories of five Langdon children, the narrative unravels wildly as Smiley spends less time focused purposefully on detail and dimension in a frenetic scramble of casting every character. She made the story too wide. Loaded with statements, we are told a story and not shown, and no one character is given enough thought to make the reader care what happens to any of them. Frank and Andy are the trope suburban couple who lost their sex appeal in each other; Lillian's story seems more like a vessel to covering American politics; Claire is quickly domesticated; the most interesting family, Joe and Lois', get such little attention, with Lois' homemade pies--"how could Lois serve a meal without dessert?" and doctor trips for the children and no real meat to the story.
I shall not be continuing the trilogy and would not recommend this book, which definitely strays away from the more literary promise the first book had into a generic paperback.
In comparison, Early Warning falls short, biting off more than it can chew. Following the stories of five Langdon children, the narrative unravels wildly as Smiley spends less time focused purposefully on detail and dimension in a frenetic scramble of casting every character. She made the story too wide. Loaded with statements, we are told a story and not shown, and no one character is given enough thought to make the reader care what happens to any of them. Frank and Andy are the trope suburban couple who lost their sex appeal in each other; Lillian's story seems more like a vessel to covering American politics; Claire is quickly domesticated; the most interesting family, Joe and Lois', get such little attention, with Lois' homemade pies--"how could Lois serve a meal without dessert?" and doctor trips for the children and no real meat to the story.
I shall not be continuing the trilogy and would not recommend this book, which definitely strays away from the more literary promise the first book had into a generic paperback.