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Canin's marvelous tale of Corey Sifter, a young working-class man who goes to work for a powerful family and ends up entangled in a political debacle, is wonderfully realized by Robertson Dean, whose deep bass tone is at once powerful and intimate. Told from Sifter's perspective as an older man, Dean captures every possible emotion that saturates Sifter's tone, be it regret or affection, and it's hard not to be riveted. His shifts in tone and dialect for many characters are subtle, his pacing is steady. Dean is quite possibly the quintessential narrator. A Random House hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 21). (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Canin's new work about class, politics, money, and media in the Nixon era through the present day will resonate powerfully with readers in this presidential election year. Corey Sifter, a working-class boy from a small New York town, is hired by the Metareys, the wealthiest family in Saline, to be a man-of-all-trades. His work ethic endears him to the Metareys, who treat him as one of the family, even paying for his prep school tuition. As both an insider and an outsider, Corey is in a unique position to observe the political maneuverings of Liam Metarey and his campaign to elect Sen. Henry Bonwiller to the presidency. However, Bonwiller's personal failings ruin not only his political career but also the finances and family life of the Metareys. This saga of politics and family is a superb achievement; Canin (The Palace Thief) interleaves past and present to create a classical tragedy from the very first page. This engrossing novel would be a good book club selection and is highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ2/1/08.]
—Amy Ford
Canin proved sufficiently gifted to be accepted into the world-famous Iowa Writers' Workshop, but between the daunting competition and a severe case of writer's block, he developed serious doubts about his abilities. Discouraged, he enrolled in Harvard Medical School shortly after receiving his M.F.A. "It was a real failure of the imagination," he confessed in an interview with Stanford Magazine. "I just couldn't think of another job."
Perversely, Canin's muse returned in medical school. A few of his stories appeared in Atlantic Monthly, resulting in a book deal with Houghton Mifflin. In 1988, the short story collection Emperor of the Air was published to glowing reviews. (Writing in The New York Times, critic Christopher Lehmann-Haupt observed "The way these stories transcend the ordinariness of human voices is ... startling.")
Canin spent the next few years conflicted over what he wanted to do with his life. He received his M.D. from Harvard and, for a while at least, successfully combined writing with the practice of medicine. But after the enthusiastic response to 1994's The Palace Thief, he found it increasingly difficult to juggle two careers. Finally, after much soul-searching, he made the decision to give up doctoring to become a full-time writer.
Although he is best known for short stories and novellas, Canin has also written full-length fiction -- most notably the deceptively small and spare Carry Me Across the Water, proclaimed by the London Daily Telegraph as "[t]he most wise and beautiful novel of 2001." This story of a scrappy, 78-year-old Jewish-American who sets out to right a tragic mistake from his past is considered by many to be the author's finest work. In 2008, Canin published America America, an ambitious novel John Updike called "a complicated, many-layered epic of class, politics, sex, death, and social history...shuttling between the twenty-first-century present and the crowded events of 1971-72." Begun in early 2001, and stalled after the tragic events of 9/11, the story underwent ten rewrites before Canin finally finished it.
Canin writes slowly and with great deliberation, polishing phrases with grace, elegance, and an accumulation of detail his hero John Cheever would surely approve. Yet, despite his success, he admits that writing for him is hard work. He has repeatedly stated that the process is "exquisitely difficult," a misery rooted in fear and self-doubt. "Fear of failure is what's hard -- it's overwhelming," he told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "I'll never get beyond sitting down and saying, 'This is a disaster, this will never work.' "
Yet, "work" it most certainly does! Considered one of our finest writers (in 1996, he was named to Granta's list of Best Young American Novelists), Canin crafts wonderful, mature stories that resonate with timeless, universal themes. He is especially skilled at handling the sensitive, emotional terrain of family life -- growing up, marriage, aging, and the complex relationships between fathers and sons. Small wonder The New York Times has called him "one of the most satisfying writers on the contemporary scene." It's an assessment Canin's many fans wholeheartedly endorse.
Canin's father was an accomplished violinist who performed and taught throughout the East and Midwest before accepting the position of concertmaster for the San Francisco Symphony.
Canin was mentored by his high school English teacher Danielle Steel, who read several of his stories and encouraged him to continue writing.
In 1998, Canin joined the faculty at the Iowa Writers' Workshop, the scene of his own literary meltdown. He enjoys teaching and finds the environment far kinder and more supportive than it was in his own student days.
Along with fellow authors Po Bronson and Ethan Watters, Canin cofounded the San Francisco Writers' Grotto, a collective workspace for writers filmmakers, and narrative artists.
Canin's novella The Palace Thief was filmed as The Emperor's Club, a 2002 movie starring Kevin Kline.
Some fascinating outtakes from our interview with Ethan Canin:
"I love woodworking and remodeling houses. Our basement looks like a hardware store, and my car is a truck with a ladder rack. I've remodeled three old houses myself, as well as built the backyard office where I write, and I like to do every job at least once, from framing to plumbing to wiring to finish carpentry. It's easier than writing, and the results don't take years."
"In medical school I loved surgery (similar to remodeling houses); in fact, I wanted to be a surgeon rather than an internist but was (reasonably, I think) afraid of the five-year surgical residency with its every-other-night call schedule. Since then, residencies have gotten easier; I sometimes think that if I'd started medical school a few years later than I did, I would have been a surgeon; and if I'd been a surgeon, I'd never have quit to become a writer."
"Playing softball is perhaps my favorite thing to do in the world. Since my childhood summers, which I spent from dawn to dusk on the local baseball diamond, I've always been more glove than bat. I've just always loved fielding, its most graceful combination of thought, luck, and intimate cooperation. Baseball metaphors have been overdone by writers, but there really is nothing like the pivot moment of a double play, or a rising, one-hop relay to the plate, or-in that most graceful of executions-the tightening noose of a three-fielder, choreographed, role-revolving run-down."
"I've always been a pragmatic and physical thinker, starting even before I studied engineering in college. One of my concerns with our culture at the moment is the way in which we've detached ourselves from a physical understanding of our essential inventions. I know nothing more about the operation of a microchip than that it works, and that if it breaks it has to be replaced. Almost nobody does; and nobody can repair one without a set of machines that are themselves built from microchips. I can't picture its gears; I can't, in a pinch, substitute something else in its place, the way as a teen-ager once, on a car trip over the Sierras, I substituted a sock and two pieces of string for a broken engine hose.
Likewise, I'm concerned that our culture has detached itself from our common social purposes. Money, once the reward for achievement, has become the achievement itself. This, in my opinion, is as dangerous a trend as any we face.
"I started America America in early 2001. After 9/11, I stopped working on it for a full two years, and when I came back I was motivated to make it a more overtly political story. History, politics, the nature of power and its costs-all these subjects were occupying my mind.
This novel was brutally difficult. But they all are. That's not news. I nearly gave up any number of times. I wrote a good ten drafts, but it wasn't till perhaps the seventh or eighth that, while teaching at the Iowa Writers' Workshop, I had a student turn in a story he'd re-written in such a way that I realized exactly what I needed to do on my own novel."
This book was simply devine. I hated for it to end. The characters are vivid and vital and you are engaged by them from the start. Yes, it has echos of the infamous Kennedy scandal -- but the book is more about Corey and his "comming of age" and the struggle to reconcile what your perceptions of those you "idolize" in your youth with what you come to understand of them as an adult. This is the first book of Ethan Canin's I have read, and it certainly won't be the last.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.M_Wehde
Posted October 30, 2009
In Europe people become titillated by the scandalous stories of the royal families, who might not have power in the government, still hold an enchanting power over their people. American society is not quite the same, instead we turn to our politicians for our stories of adultery, cover-ups, and very rarely a murder. In Ethan Canin's novel America America we see the American political system through the eyes of a teen into his adulthood and through this view we see how one event can create a series that no one would have ever thought to be imaginable.
In his third novel Canin flawlessly goes back and forth between the past, the present, and all the time in between. In the course of a few pages Canin might take his reader from his main character Corey Sifter's high school, to the present, then back to his college years. Not only does this exhibit his excellence in writing skills, this also keeps the reader involved. Which can often be found difficult in this modern age of endless pass time possibilities.
It is through these passages of time that some of the greatest emotions are played. Sometimes we are not only brought back in time in the mind of Corey, but occasionally we are brought to yet another time through letters he is reading. Such is the case of the letter that Corey receives from the man who financed his education, Liam Matarey. The same holds true in the letter his father gives him from his mother.
As wonderful as these changes in setting are, on a few rare occasions readers are left wondering what period they are in, or confused about what events have occurred and which ones have yet to happen. This is sometimes furthered by Canin trying to be conspicuous about the plot of the novel, which he does by giving little information about the setting. It can be easily concluded that Canin's desire to "shock" his audience only works against him, instead all it does is confound his them.
While the plot is a coming of age in sorts, it is centered around a rich family that Corey is employed by, the Matarey's, and the Senator that they are supporting in the upcoming presidential election. Rest assured one does not need to be a fan of politics in order to like the novel. In fact while the story is centered on politics Canin is more observing the effects of politics has on the people involved, rather than the process.
While no one passage of the novel is quotable, the message Canin is bringing across is clear. Unfortunately this message can be read in many non-fiction works, due to it's unkindly similarities with a certain East coast political powerhouse family. Ted Kennedy might be the lesser known of the Kennedy brothers, but his scandalous story of drunk driving is not and while art may imitate life, Canin has imitated a little too much. Due to this readers have difficulty respecting the novel. Even though the writing is excellent, the content is not original bringing the book down to a mediocre novel as a whole.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.If you grew up in the Kennedy era, one can't help but see the similarities to the final fall of Camelot and all of the characters involved. Specifically, Teddy Kennedy and the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. I don't know if the author intended to draw such a close parallel but I couldn't separate the two events in my mind, which left me feeling uncomfortable. As uncomfortable as I felt back in 1969 when Teddy got off with barely a slap on the wrist. I'm a democrat so it's not sour grapes but rather unfair and unjust punishment for the death of a young woman. In America America I didn't feel like I really knew much about any of the characters and why they did the things that they did by the final page. Especially, Christian, Clara and their mother who seemed to be bordering on the edge of insanity...but why? Putting that aside, I did enjoy the narrative style. I would give this author another try but this book was just so-so for me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 29, 2011
I bought this for a class and was really confused untill I figured out that it was missing parts of the story, I'm not sure if this is only a mistake in the one i bought?
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.903957
Posted July 29, 2011
Great writing. Great story.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I found this browsing the clearance section of a bookstore (a shame so many literary novels end up there) and couldn't resist. Canin presents a sweeping overview of American politics and media's large hand in the midst. Although he focuses on one party, he also shows not only the admirable goals of that party, but also its downfalls. And there are some doozies in there that let people individually and collectively down hard.
Cory gets drawn from the working class into the wealthy political shakers, and his story is a lovely comparison/contrast of each. His ongoing loyalty is understandable and yet, we see the fault in it, as well.
As I finished the book, I was sorry it was finished, and this was largely because it was a soft ending for such a hearty story. But I suppose when it all comes down to it, all of that heartiness (swashbuckling, fighting, strong opinion flinging) does dwindle down into one soft but large thing: the individual American family.
This one is very highly recommended, especially to the young who often have such strong and one-sided opinions as to how it "should" be. Be aware not all is as it appears.
I absolutely loved this novel about politics, sex, and scandal set in the 1970's. Canin is a great writer and I will definitely look for more of his novels in the future.
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Posted January 1, 2010
I really enjoyed this novel. I will admit that it took me about a 1/4 of the book to get into it and understand what it was really about. It is written with intricate detail, and sometimes you have to really think about what you are reading and what part you have read that it relates to. Politically strong open discussion regarding mid 20th century politics, the art of lying, and how relationships can be forged or changed. It is an interesting read, and once I was in the book, I could not put it down without constantly thinking about what might happen next.
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Posted December 12, 2009
It has kept my interest--that's my barometer for how well a book is written.
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Posted October 12, 2009
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I bought America America a year ago and just got around to reading it. While there were moments where I felt the book dragged on a bit Ethan Canin always provided a hook back in, I never wanted to put it down. He kept me guessing, engaged, and always wanting more. I thought this book was one of those unique books where, as a reader, I felt that every word was perfect word choice. He creates a beautiful picture of American life from all different angles filled with deep, interesting, complex characters. Absolutely recommended for anyone who loves fantastic writing, politics, history or the American Dream
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 22, 2009
Before buying a book, I often read the reviews and start at the lowest ratings and...end there. If I read "left the reader guessing" or "couldn't get into it" or "boring", that's the book for me. I know immediately this is a find for a reader with an imagination and one willing to delve into a story written by someone highly respected in the literary field. I was thankful the author took me to Corey's past, present and back again and enjoyed every minute of it. Books are not to be inhaled, they're to be savored.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ChadAaronSayban
Posted August 5, 2009
This story, while beautifully written, is difficult to classify. Is it a historical fiction piece? Is it a murder mystery? A coming-of-age story? A political diatribe? A rags-to-riches yarn? Actually, a title as broad as America, America is fitting because it takes on all of these things at once. The shocking part is that it actually works. It doesn't feel like a reach. In fact, it works quite well by employing something rarely used anymore - the art of subtlety.
The characters - beginning with the first-person protagonist, Corey Sifter - are exceptionally well done. You really do feel that you know them so well - feeling what they feel and sensing what they sense. It is a remarkable art of character development that Canin successfully uses to pull the reader in. In addition to that, he employs a master's touch of laying out the atmosphere of Western New York - from its culture to the look of the trees and the heaviness of the air. The book is as much art as it is story. As someone who grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, I can tell you that Canin's portrayal of that part of the country is spot on. While some reviewers had a problem with Canin jumping back and forth in time throughout the story, I think he did a great job of leading the reader through it without needing to resort to labeling each change with a date. In fact, the layered structure makes the story more powerful and interesting than if it had been laid out chronologically.
Canin also does a wonderful job weaving the fictional Senator Henry Bonwiller into the actual Presidential campaign of 1972. He was able to insert his candidate in among the real-life history without tearing it all apart - an admirable accomplishment in itself. It felt organic rather than shoehorned. Anyone interested in writing historical fiction should pay particular attention to how this story does it so well. However, nobody reading this book is going to have any trouble figuring out which side of the political aisle Ethan Canin falls on. I'm an independent thinker and I like it when writers provoke me to reassess my own beliefs, but it is certainly not lost on me that the book was released in the middle of a Presidential election season. I don't mind authors inserting issues they find important into their fiction, but frankly, Canin gets a bit carried away and beats the reader over the head with it, especially near the end. It is the one flaw of the book that it feels like a bit of a rant and sticks out from everything else. I don't mind the message, but a bit of a softer touch might have blended better with the rest of the story.
While there is little real action or dramatic tension, I never felt like the story dragged. That says something for the writing, because that is no easy feat. The real story is the assent of Corey Sifter and how he grows to understand all of the people involved in his life, although sometimes painfully late. America, America does a beautiful job of showing just how the coming-of-age of a young man might look within the womb of a struggle for national power. His ultimate lesson is that he has to learn how to learn - and it is a neverending struggle. This is certainly a book worth reading, if for no other reason than to enjoy the rich characters and lush scenery.
Anonymous
Posted July 18, 2009
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0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.At key points in this novel the reader is left guessing. Often times beautifully written, but not to the point. The main character never sways emotionally and can seem self-absorbed at times.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 23, 2009
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I was deeply disappointed by this book. I got it out of the library based on the B&N recommendation, they've been mostly on the mark. This book was very boring. I tried but couldnt get into it.
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Posted March 9, 2009
What a complex novel and a profound, moving portrait, both intimate and grand, of a place and a people. It is the story of Corey Sifter, a working class boy, who gets drawn into the maw of a powerful political family, the Metareys, in upstate New York in the early 1970's. Specifically, Corey comes under the influence of the family patriarch, Liam Metarey, a complex and ambitious man, publicly and privately generous but ultimately loyal to a personal cause that by novel's end will bring great harm to many around him. It is reminiscent of the Kennedy story but also a much larger account of the decline of liberalism; and at the same time it is a deeply moving personal story, one of loyalty and love and the kind of American values--modesty, work, charity--that have in the last three decades been usurped by jingoism. I must say I loved it. In a life of reading novels (I am almost 60), I have read few to equal this one.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.sluggo
Posted March 9, 2009
While the writing style was pleasent enough, I kept reading... and reading... {and reading}, and waiting for something to grab my interest. When was something going to happen? The characters were fairly dull and I finally put it down about a third of the way thru and have no desire to complete it. It almost felt like a waste of time.
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Posted March 3, 2009
I found America, America an aborbing read that is at once interesting and emotionally evocative. Canin has always been strong in the depth of his characters and developing unique ways each approaches thier life. Interestingly placed in a time when our country was on the verge of a political, moral, ethical and cultural crisis, the story is timely for our current predicament. In inhabiting a coming of age boy from a working class family, the reader experiences as well as witnesses the American dream along with the American nightmare. The writing is excellent, with descriptions that enliven the reader's senses and musings that awaken the reader's senibilites. It is at once lyrical and informative.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 31, 2009
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I loved this book. The writing style was different from most book, but I found that I liked it. I could not stop reading it. I liked how we got to the climax one point at a time.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 12, 2008
This is a well written novel. Many times I reread sentences or paragrahs because of the beauty of the writing and the insights the author was conveying. The main character, Cory Sifter, who is the narrator, talks about feeling 'wistful melancholy'. I especially felt that sadness during the last part of the book. I didn't love this book, but I did appreciate it. It would make a wonderful book club selection.
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Overview
In the early 1970s, Corey Sifter, the son of working-class parents, becomes a yard boy on the grand estate of the powerful Metarey family. Soon, through the family’s generosity, he is a student at a private boarding school and an aide to the great New York senator Henry Bonwiller, who is running for president. Before long, Corey finds himself involved with one of the Metarey daughters as well, and he begins to leave behind the world of his upbringing. As the Bonwiller campaign gains momentum, Corey finds himself caught up in a complex web of events in which loyalty, politics, sex, and gratitude conflict with morality, love, and the truth. Ethan Canin’s stunning novel is about America as it was and is, a remarkable