A Summons to Memphis

Winner of 1987's Pulitzer Prize, this genteel and very old-fashioned tale of a troubled family is more in the tradition of Eudora Welty than that of Jonathan Franzen. Filtering the whole story through the eyes of Philip Carver, a collector of antique books in his late 40's, the author startles the reader by making no effort whatsoever to involve him vicariously in the action, something we now take for granted in modern fiction. Instead, he requires the reader to get to know Philip through his first-person narrative, draw conclusions about his background, and observe how unfolding events change his perceptions, not only about present actions, but of the past, as well. Philip is, at heart, very much a southern gentleman, despite the fact that he thinks he has escaped his Nashville and Memphis heritage for New York, where he has lived for almost fifteen years, unmarried, with Holly Kaplan. Despite the painful relationship he has had with his autocratic but reserved father, now in his eighties, he responds to a series of phone calls from his unmarried sisters and returns to Memphis, where his father is planning to remarry, an eventuality which the sisters find anathema and which they are determined to countervail. Both the immediate situation in Memphis and the history leading up to it are told in the past tense, with flashbacks to still earlier times, a rare and difficult narrative approach which keeps the reader at arm's length, but Taylor manages to give emotional power to unfolding events, in part, because Philip's narrative restraint contrasts so sharply with the meanness and manipulation of his "well-meaning" father and, now, his sisters. The irony grows as the reader sees parallels between the present circumstances of the father, his fiancée, and the sisters, and events which happened many years ago. The tables have been turned, but Philip exhibits no sense of victory, no gloating, only growing self-awareness and understanding. He remains a gentleman to the very end in this most unusual and enlightening novel. Mary Whipple

Peter Taylor writes in a way that makes every moment enjoyable and worth remembering. The story of the lives of the members of the Carver family and the profound effect a move from Nashville to Memphis has on them is unforgettable. By the novel's end the reader is left with so much to consider, from the relationships of the characters to their motivations and eventual lifestyles. And unlike one of the last books I read, Philip Roth's American Pastoral, which also chronicled the life of an American family, Taylor's book is beautifully written but yet simple and clear - no egotistical self-loving prose here! I would actually plan on reading some of Taylor's other works, this was so enjoyable. You won't forget this one.

If there was an American master of the short story in the 20th century, Peter Taylor has to be considered for that sobriquet. His literary gifts and his insight into American society - heart and soul - are extraordinary. This novella, which has more of the feel of a short story, is an example of Taylor's focus on and absorption with the evolution of the American family in the South in the 20th century. The role of parents and children, men and women, black and white, relationships within and among families and society as a whole, are examined and enlightened. Taylor's simple, eloquent prose realizes profound underlying statements on complex sociological subjects, no less than the study of human nature This particular work focuses on the role of the parent in the future happiness of the child - the child never ceases to be a child in the eyes of the parent and the parent never ceases to be a parent in the eyes of the child - and how the recognition of the individual is necessary to treat a parent or a child with love and respect and allow an opportunity for the realization of happiness. A true pleasure to enjoy Taylor's craft, especially in this volume, which reaps the benefits of Taylor's accumulated experience and highly refined talents.

The person who wrote the review "betrayal" is the one who got this book right. It's about a father who kept himself together by making sure his children didn't become anything that would make him uncomfortable or require that he look at himself. Peter Taylor's portrayal of this family dynamic is subtle and perfectly right on. This particular story happens to take place in the South using Southern details, but the barely detected yet almost complete control by a parent of his/her offspring can happen anywhere. It was interesting that the sisters knew enough about what had happened to protect their brother who seemed to have escaped. Mr. Taylor's prose is beautiful and impeccable in describing what had happened in this family.