Review of MAN OF THE YEAR by Caroline Louise Walker

4 Stars

I loved this book which is the interior monologue of a man whose public and private personas are entirely different.  It brought to mind the oft-quoted lines from Walter Scott’s poem Marmion:  “Oh, what a tangled web we weave / When first we practise to deceive!”

Dr. Robert Hart has been chosen as Citizen of Year in his home community of Sag Harbor, NY, but his happiness at receiving the award is tainted.  He suspects that his wife Elizabeth is having an affair with Nick Carpenter, their son Jonah’s best friend, who is staying in their guest house for the summer.  Though he has no real evidence, he devises a convoluted, highly questionable plan to keep Nick away from Elizabeth, a plan that if discovered would put Robert’s medical career in jeopardy.  Of course things go awry, and he has to take desperate measures to keep his life and reputation intact. 

Robert is the first person narrator throughout, though there are chapters interspersed that present the viewpoints of other characters connected to Robert:  his best friend’s wife, his office manager, his son. These latter sections clarify how others perceive Robert so that the reader is not left with only Robert’s perspective which is certainly skewed.  He is definitely not a reliable narrator. 

Though the novel begins slowly, once initial relationships were established my interest was maintained.  There is considerable suspense:  how will Robert put a stop to Elizabeth and Nick’s alleged affair?  Then when things go wrong, how will he “whack-a-mole [his] next risk”?  There is more than one surprise twist to keep the reader on his/her toes.

The book is really a character study of one man.  Dr. Hart is successful and seems not to lack confidence, but it becomes apparent that much of that self-assurance is a façade.  Being very insecure, he lets his imagination run wild and he jumps to conclusions.  I was reminded of Othello when Desdemona’s father tells him, “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. / She has deceived her father, and may thee.”  Elizabeth was unfaithful to her first husband so Robert easily suspects she could be unfaithful to him.

What stands out is Robert’s narcissism and supreme arrogance.  He describes Elizabeth as being “worthy” of him and when he thinks his wife is attracted to someone else, he assumes that attraction lies in the fact that the man has features similar to his.  Even when Robert knows he is wrong, he refuses to admit it:  “Backtracking shows weakness.”  He takes enjoyment in manipulating people to do as he wants. 

There are actually no likeable characters.  Robert and his family are acquainted with many people, but Robert knows that he can confide in no one:  “There’s not a soul in Sag Harbor I can call – not one good friend or mild acquaintance who could lend an ear without clanging the gossip chain.”  By the time the ending is reached, Robert is not the only character who proves to be morally bankrupt.  This lack of sympathetic characters is not a problem; in fact, it seems appropriate that Robert is surrounded by such despicable people. 

This book reminded me of Herman Koch’s novels Summer House with Swimming Pool and The Dinner.  Anyone who liked either of these should pick up Man of the Year.