Good authors make you care about characters with whom you have nothing in common. Think Allison Johnson in Willy Vlautin's Northline, or Stoner in John William's eponymous novel.I am only halfway through Jami Attenberg's The Middlesteins, but I am living alongside this family as they deal with divorce, ambition and a mother with an unhealthy relationship with food.
Yes, it's a dark novel, but it's funny too, and warm. A serious book that doesn't take itself too seriously. Jonathan Frazen said, "The Middlesteins had me from the very first page," and I have to agree. There is something delightfully dysfunctional about this family.
If you are looking for an engrossing summer read then look no further.
The author, Jami Attenberg, will be appearing at the Morges Book Festival alongside other writers, such as Nathan Filer (The Shock of the Fall) and Sadie Jones (The Outcasts, Fallout). You can find ot more about the festival at www.lelivresurlesquais.ch. Personally, I can't wait!
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