Theory of Remainders

by Scott Dominic Carpenter

Overview

At fifty-two, psychiatrist Philip Adler is divorced, alone, and gutted of passion. When a funeral draws him back to his ex-wife's homeland of France, the trip reunites him with a trauma he has struggled to forget: the brutal death of his teenage daughter fifteen years earlier. Prodded by his former brother-in-law and stirred by the unspent embers of his marriage, he embarks on a mission to resolve lingering questions about this past, hoping to heal himself along the way. The search leads to a disturbed man who may hold more answers than anyone expects-if only Philip can hear what he's trying to say. A suspenseful literary novel set in the lush backgrounds of Normandy, Theory of Remainders explores the secret ties between love, trauma, and language.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780988904910
Publisher:	Winter Goose Publishing
Publication date:	02/04/2013
Pages:	286
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.65(d)

About the Author

A professor of literature at Carleton College (MN), Scott Dominic Carpenter is the author of the recent collection This Jealous Earth (MG Press 2013), which was described as “charmingly nostalgic” (Publisher's Weekly) and “incredibly moving” (The Rumpus). The New Podler Review named it a “Best Book of 2012,” and author Siri Hustvedt called the collection “psychologically acute and elegantly written… By turns sad, funny, tender, and alarming.” A Pushcart Prize nominee, Carpenter has published broadly in literary journals. His work has been included in Best Indie Lit New England 2012.
His website is at www.sdcarpenter.com.

What People are Saying About This

Tripp Ryder

Carpenter creates an incredible sense of place as he evokes Normandy and its people. The writing, elegant and subtle, draws the reader into this thoroughly gripping tale. —Tripp Ryder, President, Midwest Independent Booksellers Association

Alison Feigh

There are no easy solutions when trauma is at the heart of the story… Theory of Remainders provides the reader with an emotionally rich portrayal of the experience of loss that looks past easy solutions and instead digs deep into human connections. —Alison Feigh, Jacob Wetterling Resource Center

Alice LaPlante

This beautifully written psychological thriller does more than keep us on the edge of our seat. Theory of Remainders explores the nature of familial relationships—how essential they are to our humanity, and how difficult it is to survive their loss. —Alice Laplante, Author of Turn of Mind.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/15/2013
Psychiatrist Philip Adler's life has been scarred by terrible tragedy—the murder of his teenage daughter, Sophie. Fifteen years later, he arrives at a psychiatric facility to interrogate the deeply disturbed Édouard Morin, who has been convicted of the murder. Haunted by this event, Philip hopes this meeting will provide closure and perhaps also reveal the location of his daughter's remains. Unfortunately, Édouard only toys with the doctor, lecturing him about math, irrational numbers, and fraction "remainders." This discussion of remainders plays cloyingly with the unresolved whereabouts of Sophie's remains, which Édouard will not disclose, and also highlights the larger thematic elements about life that this intelligent, ambitious debut novel explores. Carpenter has created fiercely intellectual and evenly matched antagonists who are skillfully realized and carry the momentum of the narrative through a few weak patches, where the plotting becomes thin. VERDICT Interested in the difficult journeys we make as we encounter life's sometimes terrifying, often unfair challenges, Carpenter gives much here that will resonate powerfully with readers. A promising and impressive work that in many places is riveting. Recommended for fans of literary fiction.—Patrick Sullivan, Manchester Community Coll., CT

Library Journal

For anyone who values a literary novel of substantial depth in character development, language, sense of place and reader engagement, Theory of Remainders ranks as a must-read.

Minnesota Prairie Roots

Every so often a reader comes upon a book that welcomes him like an old friend. The words flow, and the characters become real so quickly and easily that before you know it you are fully engrossed in the tale. Such is the case with Scott Dominic Carpenter's Theory of Remainders, a rare and wondrous novel.

Readers Favorite

Carpenter's (This Jealous Earth, 2012) suspenseful debut novel weaves together the consequences of a horrific trauma and the thirst for both vengeance and acceptance with explorations of the human mind, family dynamics and the complexities of language. A psychiatrist seems well-positioned to process the psychic damage of past events, but Dr. Philip Adler, 52, remains devastated 15 years after the violent death of his only child. As a result, his marriage has imploded, he has developed substance abuse problems, and he has run from the Normandy town where he and his family lived. Adler is a broken, lonely man trying to show strength to others through his clinical practice, but he's unable to reconcile the events of the past. Although Édouard Morin, a mentally ill local youth, confessed to the crime and has been institutionalized and everyone involved, including Adler's ex-wife and her new family, wants very much to forget the episode, the body of teenage Sophie Adler has never been found. When the death of Adler's mother-in-law impels him to finally return to Yvetot, France, he realizes that he must reach closure before he can try to build a new life. Of the many ways a novelist could approach the search for a missing body, Carpenter opts for a most complex and ingenious one--through a detailed analysis of the language used by the brilliant, psychotic Morin during his brief, ill-advised interviews with Adler. This taut, high-stakes plotline is very effective, but the novel contains much more than this. Although Adler is a former resident and fluent in French, he is an interloper in the close-knit community. He is an American; he lacks understanding of the intricacies of French culture; and he is a constant reminder of the town's inability to keep one of their own safe. As he stirs up unpleasant memories, the town mobilizes against him. The author's ability to satirize the French people's distaste for outsiders and their inflexibility brings mordant humor to the grim proceedings. Fully realized characters, a remarkable fluency of language, wit, and an extensive comprehension of French culture and history make this literary novel a stellar achievement.

Kirkus Reviews