Not as good as
Fleishman
Is in Trouble, this novel is full of despicable characters who
don’t deserve what they have and are too unlikeable to care about. It’s the story of the very wealthy Fletcher
family whose lives are upended when Carl, father of three and owner of a polystyrene
(Styrofoam) factory, is kidnapped. After
the ransom is paid, he returns home, but nothing remains the same. His youngest, Jenny, is not even born when
this event occurs, but as an adult she too bears the trauma that haunts her
family. All three adult kids are totally
dysfunctional in their own ways and dependent on the family fortune to fund
their wacky lives. That’s not to say
that this novel doesn’t have some good moments.
One of my favorites is when the middle child, Beamer, a failing screen
writer, overdoses on speed. The novel
moves at breakneck speed through this episode, raising my heartrate and my
expectations for more of the same, only to be disappointed when the plot
returns to the silly missteps of these rich lowlifes. Jenny at least tries to
break the mold by becoming a union organizer and giving away all of her money,
but she, too, is rudderless, with or without the money. The best part is the revelation about the
kidnapping, which is sort of a side note near the end.
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