'Wolf was laughing, too, but always after a pause, as if Phoebe's high spirits were bright coins fluttering down to him through deep water.'
There are some authors who keep pulling you back to their work, and Jennifer Egan is in that category for me.
Given the themes, I'm surprised I haven't got to her debut novel earlier. There's a flashback section that delves into the hippie scene in San Francisco at the end of the sixties, drugs, European travels, mentions for Richard Brautigan, and the involvement of The Red Army Faction, as well as the dark undertones of a life that's fallen apart. What's not to like?
It tells the story of Phoebe, a complex character from an interesting family, whose sister took her own life in a small coastal town in Italy. Phoebe is unable to pull away from the attraction of the mystery surrounding her sister's adventures and eventual death and checks out of her dull existence to travel in her sister's shoes, following a trail left by a collection of fading postcards.
It's a fabulous tale, beautifully told, with the poetic description and multi-faceted characters to whom I've grown used to.
There are two key sections, divided by a fulcrum event where the see saw tips into a new direction.
Part One is American set and takes us to her early travels in Europe. The layers and complications are delicious, Phoebe's gentle unravelling a treat to behold.
Part Two is the sharp end of the tale, Phoebe meeting her sister's ex-boyfriend, Wolf, who has never returned to the US and has settled for a low-key life in Germany. It's where we find out exactly what happened, the fluctuations in the pair's relationship keeping everything in sharp focus.
The only part of the book that I didn't enjoy was the pivotal point of change, where Phoebe goes on a different type of journey, dropping a blotter of acid and experiencing a bad trip that throws her entirely off balance. It jarred a little, perhaps because it didn't ring true, but wasn't a problem as it's such a short episode.
It's the kind of book I adore, a gripping tale told with an eloquence and delicious imagery.
I'm definitely going in more Egan, that's for sure.
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