A Father's Affair

No surprises here. So, so read. I had to force myself to finish the book. Why anyone would solve the mystery in the title of the book is beyond me.

First of all, I love the story. That's not what I'm writing about. It's the title I hate. The title of this book in Dutch is "De Passievrucht". Passion fruit. Fruit of passion. Refers to the son. It's a mystery story. Calling it "A Father's Affair" takes away the mystery. You know, people who write for newspapers are familiar with this kind of gaff. The person who writes the story often doesn't chose the headline for their story. That's a business decision. I'm not going to blame the translator for this stupidity. It's more than likely some business exec in the marketing division of Canongate books. Fire him, Canongate. He's a liability to your company.

I found " A Father's Affair" by chance at a used bookstore ( ironically in Amsterdam, the city in which the main subject in the book lives). Of course I'm so glad that I came across this novel. I was immediately absorbed, right from the first page. Emotionally charged, full of twists and nostalgia, van Loon succeeds in telling the story of a man and his " son" without being the least bit ordinary. His style and manner of telling the story through the protagonist is all his own. There is a touch of dry humor, which coupled with the interwoven present time/flashback sequences, makes this a very compelling and unique novel. This is not a classic, but it was a good read and I'd recommend it to anyone. There is a reason it was an international bestseller.

Translated seamlessly from the Dutch, this domestic thriller takes place in Amsterdam and its environs. Thirty-something Armin is the widowed father of a teenaged son named Bo. Armin and his new girlfriend want to start a family when he discovers he's sterile and always has been. Since Bo's mother, Monika has been dead for over 10 years, Armin's forced to play detective. His anguish and desperation are palpable as he goes through the list of "suspects". He's forced to re-examine his imperfect past and his role as a father while searching for clues to the identity of his son's biological father.Flashbacks of Bo's motherless childhood, Armin's grief and struggle as a single father are honest and heartbreaking. The ending is startling. A Father's Affair has it all . . . sex, humour and betrayal.Touted as an international bestseller, it's surprising Van Loon's suspenseful novel hasn't received more attention in North America.

This novel unfolds at a leisurely pace, with plenty of diversions into self-analysis and the meaning of relationships. At the heart of it, the "story" of this novel is one-sentence-simple, so all the fluff surrounding it not only fills it out but also gives it depth and universality. In other words this is not a novel you read for the plot, but one that exists solely for the pleasure of reading it.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Armin and his introspective son Bo. I thoroughly enjoyed going along with Armin on his journey into the his wife's past and the discovery of his son's father. The story was gripping. A must read in my opinion.