Bread Upon the Waters

In the tradition of Agee's A Death in the Family, or Guest's Ordinary People, this is a book about a family's whose life changes drastically after their tennis-playing teenage daughter becomes an unlikely hero one evening in Central Park. Driven by this one catalyst, the events that play out for the Strand Family become like dominoes, each one building momentum as they fall against each other. Shaw does a masterful job with the narrative rhythm, careful not to show his hand too soon. This might infuriate some readers with a lack of patience or a preference for plot-driven narrative. The plot picks up speed about two-thirds of the way into the book, and comes to a halt (but by no means a "grinding" one) only at the very end. This is a portrait of a family and the lives that touch it (and vice-versa). It is beautifully lifelike it its messiness, but also in its portrayal of perseverance. Tragedy does not always beget tragedy, but in Shaw's world, good deeds are not always wholly good, either. It is a book about the complexities of life. The characters are "everyman" characters in that Shaw keeps them at a distance, so we become attached more to their predicaments than to the characters themselves. While this is more instructive for the reader, it does steal something from the fictional experience, at least for me. Overall, a very fine novel that captures the angst of everyday life with a certain refreshing objectivity.

... "Anger and compassion, insight and intimacy ... a rare novel of substance, Shaw hits the top of his mark in this novel about gratitude and the entangling relationship of giver and receivers ... a crackling story of happiness, tragedy, bathos, unkindess, failure to communicate, hope, selfishness, and minor revelations ..." Excellent book!

My first Irwin Shaw's novel. Am impressed and ready to begin his 'Rich Man, Poor Man' now....

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great story about power and wealth and it was just great reading.