May We Be Forgiven

by A.M. Homes May 1-28, 2013 I've been stewing over this one for a few weeks now, wondering what the hell to say about it. I started out at an insanely fast reading pace, then considerably slowed down on the crazy. This one stalled my quick-reading streak a bit, but mainly because it was much longer than the last few books I read, and also because of the aforementioned crazy. One of the reviews on the inside flap said something like, "starts out at 100 mph, then it really gets going." And that couldn't be more true. On Thanksgiving, Harry's sister-in-law kisses him while they are cleaning up after dinner. His brother, George, a tv executive, is fairly absent in his family's life and on the verge of a breakdown. One day, he cracks, and rams his car into another filled with a family, all of whom he kills, except for an 8-year old boy. While sitting in jail, George's wife and Harry's affair kicks into full gear. Asleep one night in George's bed with George's wife in George's pajamas, Harry is awakened by an intruder. It's George, who proceeds to bash the bedside lamp over his wife's head until she is unconscious and near death. A few days later, confirmed that she will be a vegetable, they pull the plug and she is gone. This all happens by page 37!!! From there the insanity ensued, but again, I'm just not sure how I feel. Harry's wife divorces him, he is tasked with raising George's children, has ridiculous affairs, and the list goes on. I am the first to admit that I love a book to take me away from reality, but this was so far off the cliff I'm not sure I could hang on any further. Before page 37, I was recommending this book to everyone I knew. By the end, I was telling my fellow readers to proceed with caution. I welcome any other opinions. I'm also going to check out the consensus on Goodreads. Ed and Joanna, I'm glad we sort of agree on this one. It's not that I hated it; the plot is smart, funny and outrageous. But at some point I wanted to be reeled back to a normal, believable life. Apparently, Homes is known for her f-ed up style, but I'm not sure I want any more of it? * * * * *