Judge

This is a book about being in the grip of desire. Senior Federal Judge William Dupree is in the grip of desire for the woman who has served as his law clerk for the past fifteen years, which woman is young enough to be his daughter. The judge's cousin and best friend Louis, a closeted homosexual, is in the grip of desire for a steady partner. The judge's oldest son Crawford, 50-ish, is in the grip of desire for every woman he lays eyes on. Crawford's brother Morgan, a few years younger, is in the grip of desire for every woman and many of the men he lays eyes on. There are numerous other characters in the book, but they serve almost exclusively as objects of desire, even while being tormented by desires of their own. The only exception is the judge's wife Mary Louise, a demanding, bossy, brusque, prickly, temperamental, thin-skinned, grudge-bearing, Christian believer who seems to desire no one. The judge's sons don't share their mother's certainty about religion, but they recognize that she has been a steadying and ameliorative influence on their father. Their father is regarded by the community as a saintly, loyal husband, but the sons know that he is more complicated than that. The book holds out hope that, while desire doesn't dissolve with age, its grip loosens, and in any case there are ways to cope with desire that can enrich the lives of the individual and the community.

It's a fact that the absence of something - or in this case, someone - that has loomed very large in the lives of people can be felt as a presence. In Dwight Allen's debut novel, that presence/absence is the title character, Judge William Dupree. As the book opens, his clerk of twenty years, Lucy, is gathering together a few of his personal effects that she has found in the office. Through her thoughts - and those of the Judge's widow, his two sons, his cousin Louis and several friends and members of his extended family - we come to know, understand and appreciate this man. The journey to this understanding is a comfortable one, filled with remembrances and anecdotes, humor and, most of all, an overpowering sense of the importance of love in the life of a human being. We are ushered through all of this with warmth and grace, thanks to the writing skills of Allen. I first came across his writing - chapter 5 from this work - in the 2002 edition of NEW STORIES FROM THE SOUTH: THE YEAR'S BEST, accompanied by a note that the piece was a chapter from a forthcoming novel. I was very happy to see it arrive.The Judge's family has its ups and downs - but these are basically decent, everyday people, striving to find some happiness and satisfaction in their lives and careers. His wife is gently domineering - there are not many who know her who will stand up to her in a dispute. His sons - grown by the time of his death - wrestle with personal and professional quandaries, guided by the Judge's advice and opinions, but never dictated to. Lucy, with whom the Judge `almost' slips off the `fidelity wagon', is fiercely devoted to him - so much so that, counter to the advice of others, she remained with him as his caseload declined, well into her own middle age, pretty much closing any doors to any law practice of her own. His cousin Louis is an alcoholic - and while the Judge had little tolerance for those who drank too much, he was always gentle and caring with his cousin, helping him time and again to attempt to plant his feet on a more sober path. Judge Dupree is sometimes shocked or disappointed with things that happen around him - but his love for his family and friends is alive at his core through it all. He is a religious man, but not one who preaches to everyone around him - his is a quiet faith, and strong, and the example of his own life and happiness with it is the most effective witness.The chapters of the novel look at incidents and events in the life of the Judge and those who shared it, told from various points of view, and not necessarily in chronological order. Rather than make the novel harder to understand, this technique, in Allen's hands, actually lends a feeling of comfort to the story - rather like the stories that pour out of those attending a wake, fond (and often humorous) remembrances of the departed.The Judge himself - in the form of a ghost - makes an appearance now and then, but never in an attempt to overtly affect the

I used to be related to the author because one of my relatives married one of his relatives. At the time, the Judge lived and Dwight had a quiet job at the New Yorker. If I hadn't been so wrapped up in my teenaged life, I might have noticed how lucky I was to be related to someone of the Judge's nature, not to mention Dwight's talent. The book is quite something, and by that I mean something you should buy and read if you would like to spend some time reading a good book. I can't wait to give this to the Judge's namesake, who now occupies an adolescent's headspace.

If I had known in advance that "Judge" featured a ghost in a leading role - and described not a small number of dreams along the way - I would never have bought it. Ghosts are an awful waste of time, and I find the description of dreams in fiction as boring as I do in real life. But I would have missed out on a very good novel. The judge of the title is a rather wan character at best, so his alternate, ghost role suits him well... and the dreams - well, they pass as in the night. Here is another American novel with crisp, witty dialogue and excellent description. Nothing much happens, but that never worries me. Allen has a great flair for language. I understand how he and "The New Yorker" would gel. The novel has a broad range of characters and you need to be alert to sort out the various partners/children/friends from amongst the failed marriages/cohabitations. But this is an original, excellent story and I am glad I did not allow my prejudices to stop me from reading it.

No trailer parks, no incest, no hyped-up drama, just beautiful writing and a moving, complex story that circles around a group of attractive characters - all of whom you slowly grow to know well, but will never discover all their secrets. I CAN'T STAND modern fiction - but this is something else. Try it - it's as good as JP Marquand.