Sort of Rich

Fans of Jonathan Franzen's "The Corrections" will love James Wilcox's work. His characters are both lovable and horrific; reading the book is like watching a train wreck that is almost about to happen. His Woodstockian handyman, Leo, acts as a nice foil to two mature folks who have fallen in love, haphazardly, and now have to deal with the consequences. And all this set in Tulsa Springs, in the deep south. Faulkner would have raised his glass to this author. Really great stuff, and the straight-faced comic relief is worth the price of admission. And far be it from me to give the plot away.

Gretchen and Frank Dambar are being visited by Gretchen's cousin Henry. Henry is heedless of bourgeois scruples. Instead of feeding the catfish he jumps right into the pond. Gretchen feels her friends are drifting to the right. They talk about nannies and step children. The author has juxtaposed a native of Louisiana with someone from New York City and has illustrated the misunderstandings caused by the existence of two different cultures. The result is amusing and reasonable, at least to some extent. Differences and areas of potential disagreement include money, family servants, relatives, and friends. He thinks she is neurotic, particularly about money, and she thinks there is something wrong with his relationship with the handyman. The Dambars are newlyweds but they are also middle-aged. Other people expect them to be able to read the social cues without difficulty. Frank Dambar appeals to his handyman to try to understand his new wife and to consider that they have a shared interest in philosophy. Gretchen learns in the end what living in a small town means as she encounters secrets and deaths. James Wilcox is so funny that he can make a reader enjoy shopping at Wal-Mart with his characters.