Picturing the Wreck

by Dani Shapiro

Thirty years after his family and career are destroyed by an affair with one of his patients, psychoanalyst and Holocaust survivor Solomon Grossman finds a chance for redemption when he discovers where his grown son is working. Reprint. Tour.

Genres: Fiction, Psychology, Contemporary

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Dani Shapiro is the bestselling author of the memoirs Hourglass, Still Writing, Devotion, and Slow Motion, and five novels including Black & White and Family History. She lives with her family in LItchfield County, Connecticut. Her latest memoir, Inheritance, will be published by Knopf in January, 2019.

Reviews

[Moira · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wants to be a lot more meaningful than it is.

[Laura Crowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dani Shapiro is a master of creating tension and developing characters in a clean, precise fashion. Every word matters; every word counts. Including the images, metaphors, and titles of her books. That being said, sometimes I’d like a little more.

This is the third novel of Dani Shapiro’s that I’ve read. Its protagonist is rather unlikeable but the author, once again, manages to create sympathy in the reader for him, showing us how he got where he is and his desperate desire to make things right.

The ending is ambitious, told from Solomon’s point of view after he has died, and after mulling it over, I’m still not sure how I feel about it. It could have worked but I think it was too long, trying to expand something that probably should have been kept as succinct as the rest of the story.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holocaust survivor Solomon Grossman is a psychoanalyst in present-day New York and has been searching for his estranged son Daniel for decades. When Solomon sees Daniel on the national news at the site of a horrific plane crash in Los Angeles, Solomon hops directly on a plane to catch up with him before it's too late. In addition to remembering the precious memories he has left of his son, Solomon is haunted by thoughts of Katrina Volk, an ex-patient of his from thirty years ago with whom he had a sexual relationship. As Shapiro takes us elegantly and seamlessly between past and present, we learn how the events of Solomon's life have shaped the person he has ultimately become.

As always, Dani Shapiro is poetic and tells a beautiful story with Picturing the Wreck, although the plot is wearisome and slow at times. However, the novel may only appear to be tiring because the story moves at Solomon's slow and languid pace, which is agonizingly parallel to his overall persona. Shapiro's narrative continuously brings readers intimately close to the protagonists, and again it's easy to imagine Solomon's surroundings and see his memories as clearly as if we were the ones who lived them. Shapiro delivers a story that allows us to see and learn exactly why Solomon has become the way he is as a result of his actions. Solomon's tale of loss is quite sad and depressing despite its revelational -- and incredibly unique -- ending.

Although I wouldn't specifically recommend reading Picturing the Wreck, fans of Dani Shapiro who haven't read this novel will greatly appreciate it and her talents to candidly expose her characters to their fullest extent. No matter how melancholy Picturing the Wreckmay be, Shapiro is a master at adding vibrant color to her novels, even if those colors are the sad hues of gray and blue.

Read more book reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.

[Lisa Romeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written novel with a moving, often surprising narrative unfolding on one level, and a simultaneous back-story narrative told in an alternating, parallel fashion, with grace and assurance. A deeply compelling question about what it means to love and let go is at the core, layered with equally urgent inquiries about what biological parenthood means amid betrayal, divorce, class, family influence, mistakes, atonement -- and longing. This is one of Shapiro's earlier books and might be out of print; but if you can get your hands on a copy, read it.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

a jewish ww2 survivor ruins his life as a married father, psychoanalst, by having rough sex with a patient, whose father was a friend of goebel's.
he has lived a solitary life surrounded by photos from his marriage, in the house his wife's family bought them.
he sees his son on the news. his son is 40. he goes to him. they have a lifetime together in a few days.

[femily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t like the male protagonist. Yet I finished it happily and speedily and cried all my tears out at the end. All my tears. Worth it even if you find the male protagonist entitled and irritating.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very moving novel, one that remains with you long after you have finished it.

[Ayelet Waldman]

I recently met Dani Shapiro for the first time. She a delight. And gorgeous to boot.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

phenomenal writer

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The librarian suggested I read this when I was getting another of Dani Shapiro’s books, Inheritance. I finished it as it was short and I was hoping there would be something uplifting in it. I really didn’t like the male protagonist at all! Sure he had huge emotional baggage and had experienced serious trauma, but he clearly hadn’t dealt with it at all, even though he’s a psycho-analyst. I didn’t like it and I wouldn’t recommend it and I have no desire to read any of her other books. I thought Inheritance was great, but it’s a memoir.

[Romi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite liked this book. There is a lot to unpack here. It’s a sad look at a man who has destroyed his life with his choices and how he tries to deal with this reality years later. It was quite well done. I’d give it a 3.8.

[Sanné Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Karen Roebuck · Rating 1 out of 5]

👎👎

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

a well written tale of a broken man trying to fix himself

[Brian Almquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing, and definitely a product of the mid-90s. I'm not sure how well it ages, but some of it is charming for that. One aspect that seems especially quaint is that so much of the plot revolves around the crash of a major airliner at LAX which, while newsworthy, seems like it would be almost unimaginable today.

The sequence at the end either gives the whole thing heart, or is absolutely ludicrous, depending on your PoV.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, the human condition...so vulnerable. So many things tip the balance, make people angry, chane everything. Solomon Grossman's wife and son walked out on him thirty years ago when the boy was only a year old. They have had no contact in all this time. Solomon sees him on television, a press agent managing a airplane crash. Solomon rushes to LA to meet up with him, not knowing what lies beyond.

[Teri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is like every other Dani Shapiro book - a seemingly perfect family is destroyed by an unlikely tragedy. Why I keep reading her books - I don't know. I think this will be the last one I read.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really well-written book! I cried in the end...

[Sarah Oglesby · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting read - really liked how it was written.
a quick read that kept me engaged with flashbacks that develop the story and provide insight... recommend it for sure!

[Alex Proverb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book. I agree with another reviewer that this book wanted to be a lot more meaningful than it actually was. I dont know if I will read any more of her books though. Too depressing.

[MariNaomi]

Not really my thing. Still, Ms. Shapiro is a skilled writer, and I plan on giving her other books a try.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story. It was slow at times and often depressing.

[Ellenjsmellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fast read. I enjoy Dani Shapiro's novels.