Affliction

Jan 11, 2010 Tyler rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Recommended to Tyler by: Various Reviews

What makes this story stand out is its narrator. Younger brother to Wade, the protagonist, the narrator relates his sibling's story with keen precision. And his account touches on family violence, a potent topic. Such a topic can be overdone in fifty ways and gotten right in perhaps only one. Having a narrator mediate the risk provides just the right distance. Russell Banks has an author's instinct for the best approach.

In the background, too, lies poverty. Banks avoids the temptation to lay it...more

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Apr 03, 2011 Zybahn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literature-contemporary

See the review at Casual Debris.

Small town New Hampshire police officer and local well digger Wade Whitehouse is having a crummy week. A crummy week following a crummy life. Overall a powerful novel, with some great characters, dialogue and absolutely fine writing.

Then why did it take me three weeks to finish this novel?

Told through the point of view of Wade's youngest brother Rolfe, who has pieced the events together in so horribly an obsessive manner that he can imagine what Wade was eating, t...more

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Apr 02, 2008 Cyrus rated it 5 of 5 stars

I wanted to review a Russell Banks book, because he is one of if not my favorite authors post the 1970s or so. I've read most of his books and I wont get into Affliction so much as to make this a review of the author, who to me stands in contrast to all the twee cutesy crap that everyone seems to wet themselves over these days. The characters are real people who have to live in the real world (not the real world of college professors or the idle rich) Events outside of their control collide wit...more

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Mar 10, 2008 Gerald rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: conservatives who want to cut social programs

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First of all, Russell Banks, thank you for your style. I had not read you before, and showing a masterful style is the first standard for my admission into the fan club of any novelist. Your style is intelligent, fluid, and rich. It is art. It is not USA Today, or even NY Times, not vanilla. Some readers who do not delight in its uniqueness will find it a rough go. Let 'em go.

This book should be required reading in high schools and colleges. I can think of no more relevant lesson than this, the...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Joey Gold rated it 4 of 5 stars

I half-expected something like "Mystic River"; a manly tale of complex relationships against a gritty scenery.
This book, however, is different in the way it goes deep into Wade, the main character. Although the landscape is rough and bleak, the way Russell Banks explores Wade's psyche is anything but virile. "Affliction" is a sensitive and uncompromising character study; I can see why Paul Schrader, the man who wrote "Taxi Driver", adapted this book into a movie.
The atmosphere is pessimistic....more I half-expected something like "Mystic River"; a manly tale of complex relationships against a gritty scenery.
This book, however, is different in the way it goes deep into Wade, the main character. Although the landscape is rough and bleak, the way Russell Banks explores Wade's psyche is anything but virile. "Affliction" is a sensitive and uncompromising character study; I can see why Paul Schrader, the man who wrote "Taxi Driver", adapted this book into a movie.
The atmosphere is pessimistic. Even when an occasional bright color beams its way in, such as the presence of Wade's joyful girlfriend Margie or that of a Halloween party, the tone and the rhythm of the language is always quite dour.
Self-pity is in my opinion the main venom that causes Wade's misfortunes. Throughout most of the book he tries to ignore an ongoing toothache. I think this pain symbolizes the sort-of "macho" modesty Wade is afflicted with.
I think there's a Walt Whitman element in this book, in the way Banks treats nothing as obvious or trivial. In other words, he "gets" into details; techniques of snow plowing, histories of statues, sudden brief biographies of minor characters. These passages add to the atmosphere but aren't strictly related to the storyline. The novel "Stoner" by John Williams is a great example of how to incorporate, or "sneak in" indirect details without distracting or overwhelming the reader.
Glenn Whitehouse, Wade's father, is a fantastic character. The violent, drunk dad is a cliché, but during the flashbacks describing Glenn's physical abuse Banks writes with clarity, with a Hemmingway-like visual style that is hypnotic. Along with Wade, Glenn is the most complete character in the book. Most of the supporting cast, such as Wade's younger brother (and the narrator), Lillian – his ex-wife, Jack – his workmate, etc., aren't really round characters despite being heavily featured. Glenn, on the other hand, hardly utters five sentences in the book (and maybe a dozen or so muttered curses and raging snarls), but leaves the biggest impression.
Needless to say, this is an imperfect yet powerful book. If it were a piece of music – maybe "Nebraska" by Bruce Springsteen or a great Neil Young song comes to mind. Something that is recorded with a rough, ragged sound but nevertheless has undeniable emotional energy. A dusty gem.

Joey Gold
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Nov 17, 2012 Ubik 2.0 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Solido romanzo, molto ben costruito ed emotivamente coinvolgente, Tormenta fa tornare alla mente il dramma familiare di “A Thousand Acres” di Jane Smiley per molte analogie ma con una determinante differenza: mentre la vicenda di quel romanzo si svolgeva nelle fertili pianure rurali dell’Iowa, qui lo sfondo è dominato dai freddi boschi e dai picchi innevati del New Hampshire settentrionale quasi al confine col Canada.

In ambedue i libri tuttavia le incomprensioni e le rivalità familiari, la viole...more

Solido romanzo, molto ben costruito ed emotivamente coinvolgente, Tormenta fa tornare alla mente il dramma familiare di “A Thousand Acres” di Jane Smiley per molte analogie ma con una determinante differenza: mentre la vicenda di quel romanzo si svolgeva nelle fertili pianure rurali dell’Iowa, qui lo sfondo è dominato dai freddi boschi e dai picchi innevati del New Hampshire settentrionale quasi al confine col Canada.

In ambedue i libri tuttavia le incomprensioni e le rivalità familiari, la violenza di un capofamiglia despota e tirannico che incide profondamente sul carattere dei propri figli anche in età adulta, la comunità impegnata nelle occupazioni quotidiane del villaggio che può passare rapidamente dalla comprensione solidale all’emarginazione di uno dei suoi componenti, tutte queste caratteristiche segnano l’atmosfera e il ritmo della narrazione rappresentando in modo molto efficace lo spessore della vita dei personaggi. Questa caratteristica è accentuata dal fatto che è uno di essi a raccontare in prima persona e, per quanto si imponga e si sforzi di mantenere uno sguardo oggettivo, il coinvolgimento interiore con i suoi sensi di colpa e i suoi rimpianti non può essere compresso.

“Tormenta” è uno spaccato della realtà americana nei suoi territori più marginali che lascia il segno anche nel lettore europeo che sente il paesaggio e l’influenza di questo sul carattere delle persone come se lo avesse vissuto sulla propria pelle: basta l’immagine dello squallido “trailer” di Wade Whitehouse, fuori dal paese in un agglomerato di containers sulle sponde di un lago sul quale il vento spazza la superficie già ghiacciata in novembre per rendere tutta l’asprezza del luogo e la resistenza disperata e solitaria dell’uomo. In un clima del genere tutte le ingiustizie, vere o presunte, immotivate o causate dal suo stesso carattere, che Wade ha subìto e subisce nel corso degli avvenimenti rendono plausibile la sua reazione.

La violenza non più controllabile che egli scarica su un colpevole (il padre) e subito dopo su un innocente sembra l’unico inevitabile punto d’arrivo di una mente sicuramente fragile e minata dall’alcool ma allo stesso tempo sottoposta ad una pressione troppo grande: molto inquietanti e narrativamente efficacissimi sono gli istanti in cui il protagonista percepisce una sorta di scollamento fra sé stesso e le persone anche estranee che lo circondano: è un segnale che la mente comincia a perdere il pieno controllo della situazione esteriore e delle pulsioni interiori e va incontro ad una inevitabile deflagrazione.

La pietà del narratore – fratello che ripercorre le gesta di Wade e più ancora quella dello scrittore che non riserva al suo personaggio la sorte che ci si sarebbe potuta aspettare: lo scontro a fuoco o il suicidio, sembrano sottolineare una partecipazione ed una compassione verso un individuo oggettivamente deprecabile ma quasi impossibilitato a redimersi dalle circostanze che ne soffocano ogni speranza ed ogni sentimento positivo (l’amore per la figlia, l’eroismo nella difesa della madre, il tentativo di ricostruire con Margie, un’altra perdente, un rapporto stabile dopo il doppio fallimento del matrimonio).
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Aug 08, 2012 Randy Ehrler rated it 5 of 5 stars

“You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.”
― Sam Keen

Affliction is a beautiful, brutal telling of one man’s demise. The cause? Life!

Wade Whitehouse is a man who has reached middle age – nothing in his life even closely resembles the dreams and expectations he had for himself – he is filled with disappointment, resentment, anger and pain.

Find me one who isn’t!

Wade is everyman. He is a strong, physically powerful, former high school...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Razz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This started out slow for me. I was thinking that Bragg was Banks and I could never get into Bragg's books so I was not inclined to really get into it. However, I'm glad I stuck with the.book and only just realized that I had read "The Sweet Hereafter" by Banks several years ago and loved that!

This book was narrated by the main character's younger brother. He pieced together the brother's tragic downfall and all the subsequent fallout.

I was confused halfway through the book as there were 2 descr...more

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Sep 07, 2010 Monica rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Affliction by Russell Banks tells the story of a man still in the shadow of his brutal father and his hopes of self discovery. Banks, throughout Wade’s younger brother’s narration, describes Wade as this misunderstood human being who seems to be haunted by something we are yet not told of. When Rolfe describes the town’s people reaction toward Wade they describe him as this big tough man that would be capable of hurting one if not treated properly. At the beginning of the novel Wade is running l...more Affliction by Russell Banks tells the story of a man still in the shadow of his brutal father and his hopes of self discovery. Banks, throughout Wade’s younger brother’s narration, describes Wade as this misunderstood human being who seems to be haunted by something we are yet not told of. When Rolfe describes the town’s people reaction toward Wade they describe him as this big tough man that would be capable of hurting one if not treated properly. At the beginning of the novel Wade is running late to have this ideal day with his daughter. We later see that he is in desperate need of wanting to become this ideal father for his daughter, Jill. This whole concept of becoming the best father is laid out almost all throughout the novel and we the readers question what is it that has Wade obsessing over becoming this awesome father? Later on when we find out about his father’s brutal assaults on him, we comprehend that Wade doesn’t want his daughter to deal with a father like his. Banks beautifully describes in detail every character important to the story line. Banks makes the reader feel like they are in this intimate conversation with a friend who is describing to them the story of his brother. However at the same time it’s this thrilling, intense story that has you wanting for more. Wade is the one brother whom Rolfe still has contact with, since the two older brother died at war and they’re only sister is married and rarely mentioned. We do find out that they’re father was an alcoholic who smoked and when drunk turns to their worst nightmare, however their father never laid hands on Rolfe. Every sibling of Rolfe goes their separate ways, but Wade is the only one still in their hometown unsure of who he really is or why he is still living there. As the reader continues to read ahead they desperately want answers to the questions being asked. One thing for sure is that like Wade’s toothache it’s really hard to forget such great pain when you are still scarred. Affliction is sure to make u feel touched and recognize the dreaded factors of a human being that make it like so. (less)

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Oct 24, 2009 Tim rated it 5 of 5 stars

A small-town New Hampshire cop's poisonous heritage of darkness and violence is drawn to the surface with tragic consequences for those in his orbit in "Affliction," an early confirmation of Russell Banks' status as an elite American writer.

"Sometimes you just forget who you are," Wade Whitehouse says. "Especially when you're sick of who you are." Wade — victim of an abusive father, divorced twice (same woman), beholden to a town selectman who pulls the strings in both his jobs (cop, well drille...more

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Oct 21, 2009 Michele Montgomery rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I chose this book because I am studying human behavior, mainly male violence and it did give me a little more insight than I did have before I picked it out to read it. However....

I'm somewhat saddened that the narrator, the main characters brother, didn't seem to be there for his older brother. I mean, Wade, the older brother suffered terribly at his fathers hands. Did Wade ever have a happy moment in his childhood? From what I gathered, that boy was beat mercilessly every time he went home and...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Lindsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

I finished this book a few days ago after taking a very long time to read it. The story held my grip initially, but then I just got bogged down with the obsessive (and often superfluous) details of the narrator, Wade's brother.
It was my first Russell Banks book. I have been meaning to read Rule of the Bone for years (and still might), but I saw a copy of Affliction at a used book store, so I picked it up and gave it a try.
In general I give Banks credit for creating a richly atmospheric suspense...more I finished this book a few days ago after taking a very long time to read it. The story held my grip initially, but then I just got bogged down with the obsessive (and often superfluous) details of the narrator, Wade's brother.
It was my first Russell Banks book. I have been meaning to read Rule of the Bone for years (and still might), but I saw a copy of Affliction at a used book store, so I picked it up and gave it a try.
In general I give Banks credit for creating a richly atmospheric suspense novel. Also, contrary to what another reviewer previously mentioned, I actually think he has an excellent ear for dialect, especially a northern New England one. Having lived almost my entire life in this area, I think Banks perfectly captures a rural New England (especially an uneducated one) tone.
I can't exactly seem to articulate what I felt the book was lacking. I guess one of its flaws was that it seemed very dated; obviously I know the book was written more than 20 years ago now, but it seems more "dated" because it doesn't contain a timeless element that real quality literature possesses, no matter how old the text may be. I also thought that in times it was just corny, like Wade's obsession with the sign of his favorite restaurant that reads "Home Made" cooking instead of "Homemade" and how he can't exactly figure out why the sign is wrong. I don't understand why this was a detail that should have been pondered on to the extent that it was. This detail, along with a few other instances, was just corny, for lack of a better word.
Throughout the book I saw glimmers of hope as far as excellent writing, but it was not consistent. I thought the last 50 pages of so contained some of the best writing in the entire book; I was disappointed that the whole text did not read this way.
However, despite its flaws, I do have to say that I did enjoy Affliction. I couldn't decide on whether to give it three or four stars. While it isn't a brilliant classic, it did evoke an intense atmosphere and suspense. I just think a large part of the book should have been cut out through editing (the editing of the narrator's thoughts, that is).
Also, I did appreciate the book's ability to capture the intense emotions and loyalty that tie in with a turbulent family situation such as Wade's. I enjoyed the ending and thought that with it some much-needed symbolism was finally introduced into the book. I did feel for Wade as a main character, so I give Banks credit for accomplishing that feat.
I wasn't completed wowed by the book, but, hey, I may still give Rule of the Bone a chance anyway.(less)

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Nov 12, 2009 S. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2009

A sad and powerful story, this is one of the best novels I've read so far this year. Early on there's a sentence about the snow falling and gravity, and I can't help but think of it as a metaphor for Wade, the main character, who seems hellbent on a path to his inevitable ruin. Banks is somewhat of a fatalist, even though he draws a contrast with Wade's brother Rolfe, the narrator, who seems both through character and circumstance (he managed to avoid childhood beatings) to escape a life like Wa...more

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Sep 11, 2009 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Banks' book starts off a bit slow with the overwhelming details of the town dwellers and the locale in NH. It helps but slows down the narrative before we're able to get to the heart of the story. Even the family conflict and addiction that becomes such a curse for Wade is presented almost halfway through the book culminating in a lot happening in the last few chapters.

I enjoyed Banks' writing and the details we get into this freezing, working class town that tends to break people down emotiona...more

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Aug 27, 2010 Snotchocheez rated it 4 of 5 stars

As I sit here typing this, I recalled why I chose to re-read this book: It's 96 degrees today with 95% humidity and wanted something cool to think about...and this filled the bill...albeit in a depressing manner. "Affliction" is chilly all right...and not just the setting (the New Hampshire Mountains in the wintertime)...it's somber, totally depressing stuff...and yet...not so over the top that you can't get chills down the spine wondering what nadirs of depravity the protagonist (a small town c...more

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May 24, 2007 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

A great and moody, wintry book, I fell right in. I'm fascinated by books that successfully make the narrator a character who is writing about someone else's life, and the narrator is barely involved in the actual story. It's so difficult to pull off, and so much fun to read when it's done well.

Didn't really love the ending, but I'm a scrooge about endings--I love so few.

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Jan 02, 2009 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literary-novels

This novel is often pedantic, and almost throughout, sentence for sentence, paragraph for paragraph, poorly written. However, it still merits reading and tells a gripping tale of male violence passed from generation to generation in a small New Hampshire town.

This being the first Banks novel I've read, I don't know if the basic problems with the writing are part of his overall style or just qualities of a book that is ostensibly narrated by a lackluster high school teacher. A friend told me, wh...more This novel is often pedantic, and almost throughout, sentence for sentence, paragraph for paragraph, poorly written. However, it still merits reading and tells a gripping tale of male violence passed from generation to generation in a small New Hampshire town.

This being the first Banks novel I've read, I don't know if the basic problems with the writing are part of his overall style or just qualities of a book that is ostensibly narrated by a lackluster high school teacher. A friend told me, when I was relating the same faults in Tom Perrotta's writing that Banks suffers from the same thing. Though the writing is weak, while you are reading it, it is still enjoyable, in that it paints a vivid picture and creates suspense, belief, and emotion as much as any much better writer. Some writers we read to relish the words they give us, others we read for the images that last in our minds well after we've put their books on our shelves. The best writers do both of these things. Banks and Perrotta do not.

However, I will read more of Banks's books, and I will remember Wade Whitehouse well after I've forgotten Banks's clumsy writing.

The plainspoken narration of Rolfe Whitehouse describes the dead New England town, much like Stephen King's dead New England towns. Literature makes this place look bleak. Maybe it is. Wade's interactions with his daughter Jill and observations about Lawford show a great grasp of working class themes. Wade's toke run with Jack Hewitt shows how Banks knows these people, knows what drives them and gives them pleasure, as does the desolation of Wade's life in his messy trailer. Jack doesn't want to be pathetic like Wade, but we know that's exactly what he'll be when he "shoots" Twombley. Does the snowy sinister solitude of Wade's mornings plowing the roads of Lawford predate Fargo and A Simple Plan? The males that are violent in these pages are always beating on someone to overcome their own inadequacies. The "Home Made Cooking" sign at the diner shows the small town stupidity and rot of Lawford.

Rolfe's a bit anti-semitic when he describes Mel Gordon, and Wade's hatred of the schmuck, but the two brothers' voices are so intertwined that it's hard to tell whose lens we are looking through. His crippled lawyer is more potent than Wade, whose stoned ex-wife screws her own handsome lawyer.

When Lillian asks Wade, as a teenager, why he didn't defend himself against his father, he says not to ask him that, and we know that he would've killed his old man. Mrs. Whitehouse freezes to death from the frigidness of her life. Wade becomes responsible, seems to be pulling his life together in that house on Parker Mountain.

Here, the narrative veers into strange territory. Rolfe might not be such a reliable narrator. Has he helped push his brother into the paranoid, homicidal stupor that drags him through the rest of the novel? Wade and Jack and their pickups on the frozen pond, cuts a perfect scene. Everyone, Rolfe, Alma Pittman, Lillian, Jill, Pop, the Gordons, Margie, all curse Wade. Banks wants us all to feel implicated, all feel guilty. Not that Wade should be forgiven, but it's certainly not as simple a crime as one might think from the outside.

With each interview, at the end of the book, Rolfe eliminates another possibility of someone who Wade has killed. This brilliant suspense building technique brings time and life to a story that's all about death.

The very end is extremely trite - a sort of cheap Where Are They Now?/America's Most Wanted blotter of bullshit.

Nonetheless, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the imagery of daily brutal life, hunting accidents, drunk dads, pickup trucks, and good old gals past their prime, and kids too smart for their parents and the tragedy.(less)

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Aug 24, 2008 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction

This is a dark, disturbing book but so compelling. Wade Whitehouse is caught up in a maelstrom of violence and self-destruction that is certain to end in a horrific last stand. The story is told with great care by his younger brother and is set in a New Hampshire town in the midst of a shrill winter. Banks once again holds me in the spell of his masterful prose.

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Sep 28, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tyler can tell you most of what you need to know. Banks is outstanding as a painter with the words of the working poor. He understands that those who are down and out, did not always get there because they were stupid or lazy or worthless (though sometimes bad decisions do alter life's course).

The hard part about reading this outstanding author, is the pain. I tend to have between two and five books going at a time, and that's a good thing, because reading Banks, and only Banks, is one of the mo...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Josh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

Okay...

I don't know if I can do Banks' novel any justice with a review. Just a few hours after finishing it, I'm still awe-struck and a little numb. All evening, I've felt myself digesting it. Felt it seeping from my brain into my blood. 'Affliction' is the kind of novel I would love to write. So, much of my adoration comes from a craft standpoint. I've read a few reviews complaining about Banks' style and I will say that it's challenging, but really only at the beginning. When I took Jonis Agee...more Okay...

I don't know if I can do Banks' novel any justice with a review. Just a few hours after finishing it, I'm still awe-struck and a little numb. All evening, I've felt myself digesting it. Felt it seeping from my brain into my blood. 'Affliction' is the kind of novel I would love to write. So, much of my adoration comes from a craft standpoint. I've read a few reviews complaining about Banks' style and I will say that it's challenging, but really only at the beginning. When I took Jonis Agee's novel writing class at UNL, she warned us repeatedly of "long front porch" openings. The novel is a house, she said, and "long front porch openings" spend too much time outside the house, afraid to go in and, instead, describe, at length, the walk up. 'Affliction' does this. A lot. I'll admit, I tried reading this book a few months back and couldn't get through the first two pages. But I saw Paul Schrader's film adaptation and found myself thinking about it nearly every day. I can honestly say that the story haunted me. It kept playing in the back of my head. And the last line...well, I won't spoil it for you. But, I thought: if the ending of the novel is even half as powerful as the ending to the movie, I'll force my way through the beginning. And it is. The ending is there, in all it's depressing, heartbreaking glory. Schrader's 'Affliction' is faithful to Banks' book in every detail; it speaks, I think, to Banks' talent that someone (me) can know what's coming and still be riveted on each page.

Sure, there is more than a little myth-building going on. And that may be Banks' downfall and, quite possibly, his voice. Shortly after watching Schrader's film, I borrowed a collection of Banks' short stories from my friend Gunter, and had the same problem with the openings to those stories. I couldn't get 'in.' It felt, at times, like Banks was trying to sum up the human condition with each and every line. I ended-up thinking he was probably more than a little pretentious. I still do. Looking through his work, his other novels, I'm more than a little overwhelmed at the idea of touching another one. But this story, the story of 'Affliction,'--not the rise, but the horrible fall of Wade Whitehouse--is too good to stop just because, sometimes, Banks' artistry gets in the way.

I also think the myth-building may be necessary, given Banks' choice of narrator--Wade's educated, history teacher of a little brother, Rolfe. I've read more than a few reviews of 'Affliction' labeling Rolfe's narration as dull and overly-detailed. And, to be honest, there were times when I thought that Rolfe could simply be Banks himself. But there is, I think, a point to Banks' choice of Rolfe as our storyteller. I'm not sure what the point is yet, but I know it's there. Rolfe, as a student and teacher of history, is trying to relate the history of a family he long ago (and justly) abandoned. And through Rolfe, Banks is trying to tell the history of violent men at large. Sure, this is heady stuff. It's more than a little ambitious; but that's what I like about 'Affliction.' It wears its bigness on its sleeve. You could probably label it "the great American novel," and I doubt you would be wrong, at least in regard to Banks' intentions for 'Affliction.' You might not agree with me, but I think he pulled it off. 'Affliction' is the best novel I've read in years, mainly because I was utterly and completely absorbed in it, in its characters and location and, particularly in the plight of Wade Whitehouse himself. I love (but also dread, because it ties my damn stomach in knots) when a character starts down a path that ultimately leads to bloody tragedy. Again, I knew what was coming but I still found myself biting my coffee stirrers, balling my napkins, chewing the insides of my mouth, hoping, praying that Wade would make it out somehow.

I felt the same way reading A.M. Homes' 'Music for Torching,' another great novel with a similar gosh-bang-wow of an ending; I think, though, that Banks has a lot more compassion for his characters than Homes does. WIth Homes, I'm always wondering if I'm not being let in on the entire joke (that fact that a novel like 'Music for Torching,' might be, to her, a satire instead of just dead serious kind of pisses me off--but I could just be an idiot). At least with Banks, pretension and all, you get serious treatment of complex characters. That's what I like about 'Affliction' the most--Banks never lets you think, even for a second, that the citizens of Lawford, New Hampshire, are anything but real people. And that's what makes Wade and his environs all the more terrifying. The characters, the story, how Banks' people speak, they are never trying to make a statement or represent a certain condition. In the act of being, though, they make broader statements about the human condition.

I feel like I'm writing in circles. I'm indulging in a little pretension myself. So I'll stop and just tell you, point-blank, go and read 'Affliction.' You won't regret it.

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Sep 13, 2010 Nesma rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Affliction by Russell Banks is an interesting novel that describes the hard life of Wade Whitehouse, a policeman in the state of New Hamshire. The narrator, Wade's brother Rolfe, tells the story of his "older brother's strange criminal behavior and his disappearance" (1). The narrator's mood and voice throughout the novel grabs the readers attention and makes the reader want to know more about Wade. Wade Whitehouse goes through tough times in his life and his brother expresses those moments thro...more Affliction by Russell Banks is an interesting novel that describes the hard life of Wade Whitehouse, a policeman in the state of New Hamshire. The narrator, Wade's brother Rolfe, tells the story of his "older brother's strange criminal behavior and his disappearance" (1). The narrator's mood and voice throughout the novel grabs the readers attention and makes the reader want to know more about Wade. Wade Whitehouse goes through tough times in his life and his brother expresses those moments throughout the novel. Wade was always beaten by his abusive father as a child. Wade's father was "a truculent man who drank heavily" (95). His violence and the way he abused his kids effected Wade the most. Wade grew up to be a heavy drinker and always felt lonely. He and his wife Lillian got divorced and his daughter Jill lived with her mom. This was Wade's second divorce and he lost his house to Lillian which caused him to live in a "dingy apartment" (53). The author places Wade's story in the winter season where the snow adds on to the readers interpretation of the novel. Because the author chooses to make the season winter, he is revealing the discontent, anger, and hatred in the novel. Wade is unhappy with his life and it is "a wonder he survived it all" (53). The amount of snow the author places in the setting represents the misery in Wade's life. Wade loses conrtol over his daughter, loses his mother, and loses part of his identity. In order to feel safe again, Wade escapes from reality by drinking heavily. Rolfe, the narrator, creates a shallow mood in order to show his brother's misery. This tone adds to the reader's view of Wade. To me, Wade is a man who just wants more attention and love because he was not given these things as a child around his father. Overall, this book was interesting because of the way the author tells Wade's story. The author talks about a specific part of Wade's life and then summarizes the terrible things that happened to him. What I found interesting the most was how the story was told from Rolfe's point of view. This added on to my understanding of the relationship and connection between Wade and Rolfe.
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Oct 31, 2012 Lucinda K rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. Russell Banks creates a compelling portrait of a small-town American lifestyle that most people never encounter these days. He does the same thing in one of his other novels, The Sweet Hereafter, and I would recommend both: with the caution that those who don't like small-town settings will despise these books.

Within that framework, a man who has escaped this small town's dead-end life and found success elsewhere, recreates the events that lead to tragedy involving his older b...more

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Sep 08, 2009 Idalia Herrera rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Affliction by Russell Banks is a fiction novel unlike one I ever read before. To start off, the story is told by the main character's brother, Rolfe Whitehouse. He tells the story of his brother Wade Whitehouse who lives in a New Hampshire town where he is a well digger and a policeman. He is what they call a "blue-collar American" everyman who is struggling to disperse himself from being the typical macho man like the other men in his family. The author uses Rolfe's point of view to start o...more The Affliction by Russell Banks is a fiction novel unlike one I ever read before. To start off, the story is told by the main character's brother, Rolfe Whitehouse. He tells the story of his brother Wade Whitehouse who lives in a New Hampshire town where he is a well digger and a policeman. He is what they call a "blue-collar American" everyman who is struggling to disperse himself from being the typical macho man like the other men in his family. The author uses Rolfe's point of view to start off the story and unfortunately, we find out from the beginning that Wade has committed something awful in the town he grew up in. Russell Banks uses many ways to interpret Wade's struggles and one of them being through Wade's severe toothache throughout the whole book.

Wade suffers from a terrible toothache that at first he cannot seem to relieve. Like Thomas C. Foster explains in his witty guide, How to Read Literature like a Professor, an illness, disease, or in this case an ache, is never just what it is. The toothache was continuously mentioned for a reason and it was to physically represent Wade’s inner struggle to not become like the Whitehouse men; abusive, drunk and brute. Yet, the toothache also played a role as escapism for Wade because “ending his toothache or even easing it somewhat, would expose him to a flurry of faces, voices and questions that he preferred not to meet right now” (page 135). The continuous aching intensifies as the events unfold. The more Wade went around trying to handle personal problems the worse the physical pain gets until he decides to take matters into his own hands and remove the tooth with a pair of pliers. Removing the tooth was not the solution because “removing the tooth had opened a shaft, a dark tunnel, and sparks, cinders, hot gases [that:] flew up and scorched his mouth” (page 298). Pulling out the tooth was just a slap of reality in Wade’s face.

One of the main themes of this story is violence and machismo. Wade is an individual who grew up in a violent house hold where being a man with power was a top priority. His father Glenn Whitehouse was a drunk who made it known to his family that he was a man of power and should be feared. The author constantly goes back and forth with flashbacks of when Glenn beat his children and his wife when he felt that his authority was being challenged. Through Rolfe’s point of view, he makes it clear that neither he nor Wade wanted to grow up to be like their father but quite frankly that was a challenge, especially for Wade. Living in the same small town with a lifestyle that constantly reminded him of his past, made it difficult not to follow the same path of the Whitehouse men who were “solitary dumb angry men” (page 323) but “wade and [his:] pop and his father and grandfather, had once been boys with intelligent eyes and brightly innocent mouths, unafraid loving creatures…what had turned them so quickly into the embittered brutes they had become?” (page 323). These questions and thoughts basically ate Wade inside which eventually lead him to his downfall and straight to the same inevitable path as his father.
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Oct 14, 2010 Ray Catellier rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful book. I remember how poignant the performances of the actors in the film version with Nick Nolte and James Coburn.

I can relate and sympathize with Wade Whitehouse, with his problem with anger, depression and alcohol issues, and how Wade can spiral out of control.

One could think of Wade as a 'monster' and a bad person, but I don't see him as this at all. I see Wade as a wonderful man, but who has suffered a great amount and given a raw deal in life.

Wade, just like all of us, needs someo...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Sara Dyck rated it 4 of 5 stars

Banks is asking, and trying to answer, the question: How did unafraid and loving boys turn “so quickly into the embittered brutes they had become?” It is set in small-town NH during deer-hunting season and gave me an understanding of a old-style masculine sub-culture I don’t often see in literature. The characters are believable and Banks manages to arouse sympathy in the reader for even the most damaged and damaging, as they struggle to overcome their impulses.

Note: If you are also an Anita Bro...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Hadeel Ayesh rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
The book was/is very interesting. To be honest when i started Affliction, it sounded very dull, but i had to read more in depth in order to get the concept. Wade Whitehouse, the main character is the type of person who has a routine. This can help the reader notice when he isnt acting like himself. The whole concept of the book is based around Twombley's death, his ex-wife Lillian and Wade's never ending toothache. Because of past information learned in english classes, i have learned that if...more
The book was/is very interesting. To be honest when i started Affliction, it sounded very dull, but i had to read more in depth in order to get the concept. Wade Whitehouse, the main character is the type of person who has a routine. This can help the reader notice when he isnt acting like himself. The whole concept of the book is based around Twombley's death, his ex-wife Lillian and Wade's never ending toothache. Because of past information learned in english classes, i have learned that if anything is repeated more than once, it will most likely have a symbolic meaning. As i read throughout the chapters, Russell Banks describes Wade as a man who has lots of stress. One being his divorce, twice to the same woman, Lillian. He rarely gets to see his daughter Jill, and when he does they wont get along very well. The toothache, in my opinion, demonstrates the pain Wade feels inside but doesn't get to show. He soothes the pain by drinking and smoking. Due to his drinking and frustration, he decides to claim custudy of Jill. After he finds a lawyer, he thinks it over realizing he doesnt know if he can handle having Jill by himself. Wade became obsessed with the shooting of Twombley and trying to regain custudy of his daughter. i think that the idea of him being obsessed about the shooting in particular grabbed my attention. Wade has nothing to do with it, yet he is determined to seek justice. One thing in particular that seemed to stand out to me through out the book is the fact that Rolfe, Wade's brother, narrates the whole novel. What i found odd was how he knew what everyone said, did and felt. Wade occasionally calls his brother to talk to him about Lillian, Jill, Twombley and Jack. The concept of Rolfe knowing what was happening exactly wasnt as believable to me, there had to be a catch. Disregarding Rolfe's narrating, he seems to keep his opinion very minimal. He focuses on the important events in Wade's life, ocassionally adding relevant information when needed. (less)

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Mar 18, 2011 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I probably would not have picked up this book if it hadn't been this month's title for our library's book discussion group. It wasn't an easy book to get through, partly because it's about the impact of domestic violence, partly because I had some issues with the writing. As always, though, the discussion made reading it worthwhile and cleared up the problems I had, at least to some degree. Banks does a good job developing his characters, and the setting (a remote part of New Hampshire in winter...more

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Aug 10, 2009 Joseph rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

The more I read of Banks, the more I wonder how I've made it this long without reading more of him. His prose is beautiful and his subject matter is always darkly compelling.

Affliction is no exception, delving deeply into a man it would be easy to ignore. In fact, for the most part, that seems to be Wade's defining feature; he's overlooked for so long, until even after it would seem impossible to avoid him, he disappears. It would be easy to say the book describes his steady descent into madness...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Bro_Pair أعرف rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: carribean-queens

Tour de force is thrown around a lot, but the last hundred pages of this book are almost unbearable, such is the pressure. You think, New England pastoral, and immediately bad prose races through the mind. But even the hills exhale with Russell Banks. Writing about the forbidding New England winter, he's as effortless as Naipaul in the Caribbean. As with William Kennedy, Banks may write about little people, but the stakes are tremendous; cosmic; and shared by the reader. There is little distance...more

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Mar 18, 2009 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am overwhelmed with awe at the perfection of this book. It is set just a few miles from my childhood home, with characters so finely drawn that I could see and hear them, though admittedly I am already familiar with this particular population. This concept of a life balanced on the fulcrum of time and circumstance is one that I agree with wholeheartedly. Watching this particular life as it sways and teeters, as a few random events, assumptions and reactions tip it over in a dizzying and dramat...more

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