Insignificant Others

In all his novels, Stephen McCauley's characters are people you want to see succeed in straightening out their lives--so much so that you'd like to shake some sense into some of them. Richard Rossi's life is spinning out of control, but he doesn't realize it at first, and uses his obsessive exercising and wit to keep real emotion at bay. But McCauley lets him work out his own way, to wonderful effect. And gives him brilliantly witty observations about modern life that I find myself wishing I had said (or written). If you don't laugh within the first few pages, then this one is not for you. If you like odd but believable characters, seductively clear writing, and a nice sense of suspense even though you can see the end coming, then this one is for you.

I loved this book. It gave me everything I expect from a Stephen McCauley novel. It was smart, witty, fun, and spoke tellingly of the times in which we live. Another winner from a writer we desperately need! Craig Seymour, author of All I Could Bare: My Life in the Strip Clubs of Gay Washington, D.C.

From the very first mini-chapter... titled "Dinner and Monogamy",Insignificant Others was a fast, fun read that I would highly recommend. The lead character Richard Rossi is kind and funny and has the quick wit of someone you wish you could be friends with...barring that, the next best thing would be to get lost in a novel alongside. Through Richard, Stephen McCauley writes of human faults and contradictions without judgment and instead with kindness and understanding. Fear is tempered with gentleness rather than anger along with the notion that gay or straight, we are all longing for acceptance and honesty and the loves that comes with it. All in all, Insignificant Others is a lovely read, and one that will not disappoint.

A psychologist by degree, but now employed in HR for a youth-oriented Boston software company, Richard Rossi is well aware of the frequent contradictions in the workplace between appearances and reality, of "playing" the rules rather than following them to the letter, and of embracing selfishness - to some extent - as a means of survival. These qualities are also a part of his personal life, having entered his 50's, stagnating in a long-term relationship with Conrad, a fastidious design consultant who travels a lot on business. This provides ample opportunities for Richard to get together with Benjamin, a closeted married man whom he has been seeing for some time. This "best of both worlds" proves to be far less, when Richard starts to fall in love with Benjamin, and also learns that Conrad has someone in Ohio, who has asked him to move there to be with him. At the same time, Richard's security at work is threatened by impending cutbacks, which gives him second thoughts about everything in his life. I've enjoyed all of McCauley's books to date, and this one also has his trademark wit, along with an insightful and realistic character-driven story. Though some may perceive it as a bit negative, I see it as a good take on the "understandings" many of us use to define our relationships, since they generally lack legal boundaries or rules. Five touchy-feely stars out of five. - Bob Lind, Echo Magazine

McCauley, Stephen. "Insignificant Others: A Novel", Simon and Schuster, 2010. A Complicated Relationship? Amos Lassen Richard and his partner, Conrad, are a well-adjusted gay couple who live in Boston. They have an "arrangement" that allows for an occasional infidelity, but when Richard begins to feel that Conrad's current affair may be pulling him away, he finds reason to worry. At the same time, Richard finds himself becoming infatuated with his own insignificant other, Benjamin, a married father of two who is leading a double life. However, Richard's problems go well beyond his love life. He is addicted to exercise, his sister has become suspicious of him, one of his clients is showing signs of lunacy, and a friend is ill and will not discuss it with his wife. His feelings about Conrad and Benjamin just top everything off. This is a very funny book and Stephen McCauley is a master of the comic novel. What would be extremely difficult for anyone becomes very funny and that is because McCauley writes with such wit and humor. Reading this is akin to watching an afternoon television soap opera---you forget your troubles. Yet the book is also sensitive and moving in parts. McCauley mixes pathos with hilarity and irony with regret and we grow to love the self depreciating Richard. The book seems to move by us looking at the way we live and how we cope with lies including the ones we tell ourselves. We are vane and McCauley looks at vanity as part of our lives. I found myself lingering over pages because everything about this book is that good. I not only did not want it to end, I started to immediately reread it. It is a laugh out loud haunting social satire about how we live--holding onto those who are important to us even though we cannot quite understand who and what they are. .