Review of LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND
More than a summer vacation gone awry ... much more.
This is a very good summer read that is hard to write about without giving too much away. It is a story of a summer vacation gone very much awry. It is set in the plush environs of Long Island, but New York City frames it. It is a story of what we take for granted. It is a story of race. It is a thriller with pink flamingos and mysterious explosions. The family goes to leave the world behind and succeed in a way that they could not have anticipated. None of it is a “reach” and the ending makes sense.
My only quibble is not with the book. It is a very literary (see below) read. My quibble is with the critics who describe it as a racially significant novel. Did they read the book? Race is a part of the story – not an insignificant part but the main plot line is to race what a Porsche is to a VW Beetle. Did the publisher have to take this angle in order to get it reviewed? Is it a sign of the myopic world of literary criticism (and most any other form of criticism) that is perfectly represented by the slow irrelevance of the all the arts sections of The New York Times? Maybe I am wrong. Maybe to a reader younger than me, this book, in fact, is just what the blurbs say it is. Regardless, you can read it on a long plane flight and you will remember it.
My latest definition of “literary”:
A shelf is life long – literally. When you see it on the bookshelf, you remember reading it. It resonates.
It is not all about the writer despite any efforts to disguise the fact.
The writing is clear. You look forward to descriptions and digressions and believe the dialogue is true.
No gimmicks re punctuation and structure – like pornography … you know it when you see it.
The plot frames comfortably what the book tries to be. (see my comments on The Guide and why the “literary thriller” is problematic).
Somebody stays with you when you close the book.
Its opening and its conclusion work.
It is the right length.
Leave the World Behind
Rumaan Alam (2021)
304 pages