The City of Your Final Destination

Not many people would have heard of Peter Cameron's "The City Of Your Final Destination (COYFD)" had it not garnered a brace of rave notices from book critics and found itself on the shortlist for the PEN/FaulknerAward. I'm just grateful it came to my attention because it's a priceless gem and one of the most offhandedly brilliant and enduring works of literature I have read . Omar Razaghi desperately needs to obtain authorisation for the publication of the biography of little known novelist Jules Gund but the executors of the late author's estate won't grant it. He needs to change their mind or his university career is over. Egged on by his American girlfriend Deirdre, Omar hops on board a plane and arrives in Uruguay unannounced to do just that. Unbeknown to him, his visit would alter the course of his own life and that of the three executors who chose to languish - frozen in time - in a remote residence in Ochos Rios, inaccessible to casual callers and in a state of uneasy mutual coexistence. Omar's effect on the tired chemistry that binds the wife (Caroline), the mistress (Arden) and the brother (Adam) to each other is imperceptible but real and by the time the story draws to a close, the alignments would have changed forever.Apart from its tantalisingly exotic premise, COYFD is distinguished by its gloriously pristine dialogue and absolutely marvellous characterisation. Not many writers are capable of writing dialogue of this quality. It's deceptively easy, but eloquent and true and stays well clear of the mundane. The sparkling dialogue that fills the pages never less than illuminates the souls of its characters, each of whom is vividly drawn and etched in our minds. Omar was tentative, uncertain and confused when he set out for Uruguay. Little did he know that it would lead to a journey of self-discovery that would locate the final resting place for his unsettled soul. All it took was the sting of a honey bee. Deirdre, the pushy, conventional minded American girlfriend, grows increasingly irritating as the plot develops but shows her redeeming qualities in the end. Adam, the aging gay brother, is a genius creation of fiction - never a caricature - and not surprisingly given the novel's sharpest and funniest lines. Caroline has a deep dark secret to hide and is all control and repression. She exudes pure unadulterated negative energy. Arden, on the other hand, isn't quite ready to close the chapter on her life. She is quietly waiting in the wings for someone to extend a hand to yank her back to the land of the living. The careful reader will have observed Cameron's use of differentiating imagery for the two women, dead flowers for Caroline and fresh flowers for Arden. How apt. Peter Cameron's "The City Of Your Final Destination" stands tall among other great contemporary novels of today. It is to my mind far superior to many other overpraised titles and deserves a much wider readership than it gets. One of the best novels to have been p

This is Peter Cameron's fourth novel. An intelligent and cleverly written story that deals with facing or avoiding life's choices. It's a page turner that will keep you guessing right from the beginning what the final outcome of the story will be. Cameron, a gay author, best known for his novel, THE WEEKEND, has written an old-fashioned type of story that is a joy to read. Doctoral student Omar Razaghi wants to write a biography of deceased author Jules Gund. The three executors of the Gund's estate; Caroline, his wife; Arden, his mistress; and his gay brother, Adam, deny Omar's request for permission to write an authorized biography. Omar realizes his only chance to change their minds is to make an unexpected trip to their home in Uruguay. At this point in the story, Omar's whole life seems to become unraveled. Omar is hurled into the center of a cast of mixed-up characters' lives and relationships. Only an author like Cameron could dream up these people, and it's through his talented writing that these characters develop into loving, caring and feeling people. Will Omar be able to face or will he avoid the choices set before him? I enjoyed this satisfying and hypnotic story. A good book to relax with and spend a couple of "quiet" evenings reading. I hated to see the story end. Check this one out for a rewarding read!

I read this wonderful novel after reading Richard Eder's rave review in The New York Times. For once, a critic's hype was absolutelyl justified. I haven't read a more beautifully written and satisfying -- not to mention howlingly funny -- novel in ages. Peter Cameron gives you everything you want from a novel (or at least everything I want): amazingly complex and sympathetic characters, a gorgeous depiction of scene and event (it's no wonder Eder claims the book would make a fantastic movie -- you can almost see the movie as you read the book, it's so vivid and alive), the smartest, wittiest, most moving dialogue of any contemporary writer, and a hurtling plot that encompasses all sorts of human questions of morals and manners and love. The book is a light as a summer breeze, but has considerable depth -- it is explores its moral quandries with the sort of effortless, sure touch of E. M. Forster. My tastes may be old-fashioned, but I didn't think people were writing novels like this anymore: smart, beautiful, supremely moving. No cynicism or authorial ego here. Yes, it's conventional, but wow is it a wonderful book.

I was thoroughly riveted by this novel. The characters were very well framed, complete with human foibles and touchingly human. There is a certain melancholy to this story but also deft touches of humor. Cameron's ability to set a scene, whether in the U.S. or Uruguay is achieved in few words but in beautiful language. Both the dialogue and the structure seem perfect. The unfamiliar setting affects the reader as much as it does the main characters and allows both to see things differently. A must read.

After reading his prior novels (particularly "The Weekend" and "Andorra"), I've come to expect that Peter Cameron's novels will be beautifully crafted and full of rich, human dialogue and insight. Peter Cameron's new novel, "The City of Your Final Destination," met my expectations and then some. Like his other works, "City" is full with wonderful yet unassuming prose and dialogue, and intelligent observations on modern life. What makes "City" really special, though, is its generosity towards its characters and their fortunes. The novel recounts, without any of that easy cynicism, but with lots of humor, an exiled and splintered family's coming to terms with a beguiling offer from a young graduate student who descends upon them unannounced. Never syruppy or sentimental, Cameron warmly shows us what it's like today to try, all at once, to do the right thing by all, the best thing for yourself and, in the process, manage to carve out a little love and happiness. Not an easy task, but when rendered with heart and pluck by Peter Cameron, it makes for great, rewarding reading. Enjoy.