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Good To A Fault
In a novel reminiscent of the work of Penelope Lively, Anne Tyler, and Alice Munro, acclaimed author Marina Endicott gives us one of the most satisfying, most profound, and most memorable reads of the year. Absorbed in her own failings, Clara Purdy crashes her life into a sharp left turn, taking the young family in the other car along with her. When bruises on the mother, Lorraine, prove to be late-stage cancer, Clara―against all habit and comfort―moves the three children and their terrible grandmother into her own house. We know what is good, but we don't do it. In Good to a Fault, Clara decides to give it a try, and then has to cope with the exhaustion, fury, hilarity, and unexpected love. But she must question her own motives. Is she acting out of true goodness, or out of guilt? Most shamefully, has she taken over simply because she wants the baby for her own? What do we owe in this life, and what do we deserve? This compassionate, funny, and fiercely intelligent novel looks at life and death through grocery-store reading being good, being at fault, and finding some balance on the precipice.
376 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2008
58 people are currently reading
4188 people want to read
About the author
Marina Endicott
14 books140 followersMarina Endicott was born in Golden, BC, and grew up with three sisters and a brother, mostly in Nova Scotia and Toronto. She worked as an actor and director before going to England, where she began to write fiction. After London she went west to Saskatoon, where she was dramaturge at the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre for many years before going farther west to Mayerthorpe, Alberta; she now lives in Edmonton. Her first novel, Open Arms, was short-listed for the Amazon/Books In Canada First Novel award in 2002. Her second, Good to a Fault, was a finalist for the 2008 Giller Prize and won the 2009 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book, Canada/Caribbean region. The Little Shadows, her latest book, longlisted for the 2011 Giller Prize, was a finalist for this year’s Governor General’s Award and will be published in the UK and Australia in spring 2012. She is at work on a new novel, Hughtopia.
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June 20, 2009
Finalist Scotiabank Giller Prize 2008
One of Globe & Mail’s Top 100 Books of 2008
Marina Endicott has come up with an original concept: Is her character Clara (Clary) acting out of goodness, or guilt, or a sense of responsibility? Is she selfless or selfish? Or do all of these come into play? Clara herself questions her motives, as will the reader, given the conflicting hints along the way.
The story opens with a collision: Clara Purdy, 43, a divorced, childless woman, is “thinking about herself and the state of her soul” when it happens. From out of the other car, the “Dart”, tumbles a whole family. “The old woman was stupidly plucking her bloody shirt away from her body, bits of flesh falling. Wherever Clara turned there were more. A boy, bleeding, holding his head.” Since they had been living in their car, now totaled, they are homeless, but they are not seriously injured. It wasn’t blood: Mrs. Pell, the grandmother, had been eating from a big bag of cherries. The father, Clayton (Clay), the daughter, Darlene (Dolly), Mrs. Pell, and baby Pearce, are fine. The boy, Trevor, suffered a minor scalp wound, but the mother, Lorraine, turns out to have a fever, and bruising. Not from the accident, though: she has cancer.
Whose fault is it all? We’re not sure. Is it Clayton, for driving too fast? Lorraine thinks it’s Mom Pell, since stopping for cherries meant Clayton had to drive fast, to make up the time. Clara feels she was at fault, feels sorry for Lorraine, and deep down, she’s dissatisfied with her life, so she takes the whole family into her home.
Before committing to this, Clara first tries to explain to Paul Tippett, the priest:
“I see what they need,” she finally said. “But I am unwilling to help.” But that was not it, she was not unwilling – she was somehow stupidly ashamed of wanting to help….
“I don’t want them in my house,” she said. But maybe she did.
“No one could plausibly expect you to take them in,” the priest said. ‘There are agencies…”
“It’s not what’s plausible; it’s what I ought to do.”
“You’ve visited them,” he commended her. “Many would not think to do as much.”
Many would not think to do as much, she thought, almost laughing…. “Visiting the hospital is – nothing! My whole life does not seem very worthwhile,” she said. “Or even real.” (p.25)
As it turns out, neither Clayton nor Lorraine live with Clara. Lorraine will remain in hospital for treatment, and Clay, the children inform Clara, is gone, taking with him her mother’s car, the stereo, the silver clock and teapot, some food, and money from her wallet. But not her credit cards, or so she thought at the time. Later, she discovers he’d taken her phone card, when she receives a whopping phone bill. It appears, that to absolve himself from responsibility, he’s phoned everywhere in an attempt to track down Darwin, Lorraine’s brother who “goes where the wind blows”.
And through all this, Clara, as a character, is surprisingly believable, although not necessarily likable. Yes, there is a measure of selfishness in her actions; she wants a family:
“When baby Pearce starts crying, Mrs. Pell shows no signs of going to see to him. So Clara went. Mine, she thought.” (pp. 29-30)
(Clayton wins, in close contest with his mother, as the most unsympathetic character in the book.)
The point-of-view switches from Clary, who has finally found some sense of purpose in her life; to Dolly, who struggles between her gratefulness for the physical comforts Clary provides, and her love for her mother; to Priest Paul, who grieves for his wife, seems capable only of speaking in Pulpit Prose, yet becomes intimately involved with Clara; to Lorraine, powerless to do anything but accept Clara’s help, and while acknowledging the impossibility of repaying her, does not feel indebted to her.
Through these characters, we understand that Trevor can’t even admit to himself that he loves Clary, because of his loyalty and love for his mother; and that baby Pearce regards Clara as his mother – Clary is ecstatic when Pearce’s first word is “Clah!”
Each of the characters in Good to a Fault is extremely well drawn, including minor characters not mentioned here. My favourites were actually Darwin and Dolly. Darwin is responsible – when he needs to be: he spends his nights in the hospital with Lorraine, and is a wonderful uncle to the children. He also becomes a good friend to Clary. Dolly is a treasure; I loved it when the perspective switched to her.
And we have a nice, tight ending, too, with all threads of the story pulled together, all characters’ true feelings and roles revealed in a very ingenious way. Good to a Fault begins with a compelling premise, and finishes with a fine flourish.
One of Globe & Mail’s Top 100 Books of 2008
Marina Endicott has come up with an original concept: Is her character Clara (Clary) acting out of goodness, or guilt, or a sense of responsibility? Is she selfless or selfish? Or do all of these come into play? Clara herself questions her motives, as will the reader, given the conflicting hints along the way.
The story opens with a collision: Clara Purdy, 43, a divorced, childless woman, is “thinking about herself and the state of her soul” when it happens. From out of the other car, the “Dart”, tumbles a whole family. “The old woman was stupidly plucking her bloody shirt away from her body, bits of flesh falling. Wherever Clara turned there were more. A boy, bleeding, holding his head.” Since they had been living in their car, now totaled, they are homeless, but they are not seriously injured. It wasn’t blood: Mrs. Pell, the grandmother, had been eating from a big bag of cherries. The father, Clayton (Clay), the daughter, Darlene (Dolly), Mrs. Pell, and baby Pearce, are fine. The boy, Trevor, suffered a minor scalp wound, but the mother, Lorraine, turns out to have a fever, and bruising. Not from the accident, though: she has cancer.
Whose fault is it all? We’re not sure. Is it Clayton, for driving too fast? Lorraine thinks it’s Mom Pell, since stopping for cherries meant Clayton had to drive fast, to make up the time. Clara feels she was at fault, feels sorry for Lorraine, and deep down, she’s dissatisfied with her life, so she takes the whole family into her home.
Before committing to this, Clara first tries to explain to Paul Tippett, the priest:
“I see what they need,” she finally said. “But I am unwilling to help.” But that was not it, she was not unwilling – she was somehow stupidly ashamed of wanting to help….
“I don’t want them in my house,” she said. But maybe she did.
“No one could plausibly expect you to take them in,” the priest said. ‘There are agencies…”
“It’s not what’s plausible; it’s what I ought to do.”
“You’ve visited them,” he commended her. “Many would not think to do as much.”
Many would not think to do as much, she thought, almost laughing…. “Visiting the hospital is – nothing! My whole life does not seem very worthwhile,” she said. “Or even real.” (p.25)
As it turns out, neither Clayton nor Lorraine live with Clara. Lorraine will remain in hospital for treatment, and Clay, the children inform Clara, is gone, taking with him her mother’s car, the stereo, the silver clock and teapot, some food, and money from her wallet. But not her credit cards, or so she thought at the time. Later, she discovers he’d taken her phone card, when she receives a whopping phone bill. It appears, that to absolve himself from responsibility, he’s phoned everywhere in an attempt to track down Darwin, Lorraine’s brother who “goes where the wind blows”.
And through all this, Clara, as a character, is surprisingly believable, although not necessarily likable. Yes, there is a measure of selfishness in her actions; she wants a family:
“When baby Pearce starts crying, Mrs. Pell shows no signs of going to see to him. So Clara went. Mine, she thought.” (pp. 29-30)
(Clayton wins, in close contest with his mother, as the most unsympathetic character in the book.)
The point-of-view switches from Clary, who has finally found some sense of purpose in her life; to Dolly, who struggles between her gratefulness for the physical comforts Clary provides, and her love for her mother; to Priest Paul, who grieves for his wife, seems capable only of speaking in Pulpit Prose, yet becomes intimately involved with Clara; to Lorraine, powerless to do anything but accept Clara’s help, and while acknowledging the impossibility of repaying her, does not feel indebted to her.
Through these characters, we understand that Trevor can’t even admit to himself that he loves Clary, because of his loyalty and love for his mother; and that baby Pearce regards Clara as his mother – Clary is ecstatic when Pearce’s first word is “Clah!”
Each of the characters in Good to a Fault is extremely well drawn, including minor characters not mentioned here. My favourites were actually Darwin and Dolly. Darwin is responsible – when he needs to be: he spends his nights in the hospital with Lorraine, and is a wonderful uncle to the children. He also becomes a good friend to Clary. Dolly is a treasure; I loved it when the perspective switched to her.
And we have a nice, tight ending, too, with all threads of the story pulled together, all characters’ true feelings and roles revealed in a very ingenious way. Good to a Fault begins with a compelling premise, and finishes with a fine flourish.
November 25, 2017
Four very solid stars. Fault: weakness or failing.
Clara Purdy is driving along one day minding her own business when she hits the vehicle occupied by the Gage family. Chaos ensues, adults, children and a baby come clamouring out of the car, everyone heads to the hospital. Clara at first thinks she is free to go once everyone gets the all clear. No serious injuries. But there is a twist, and she somehow feels a moral obligation to take this family in temporarily.
I have to admit, these characters annoyed me. Clara was generous and they were ingratiatingly thankless.
Endicott is a remarkable writer- she brings these characters to life, whether we like them or not. The characters can be intense, but the writing is gracious and quiet. Was Clara’s goodness in the end her own weakness? This book could bring about some wonderful discussions. My only regret is leaving it on my TBR pile for so long. I look forward to reading more works by Endicott, a truly talented writer.
Clara Purdy is driving along one day minding her own business when she hits the vehicle occupied by the Gage family. Chaos ensues, adults, children and a baby come clamouring out of the car, everyone heads to the hospital. Clara at first thinks she is free to go once everyone gets the all clear. No serious injuries. But there is a twist, and she somehow feels a moral obligation to take this family in temporarily.
I have to admit, these characters annoyed me. Clara was generous and they were ingratiatingly thankless.
Endicott is a remarkable writer- she brings these characters to life, whether we like them or not. The characters can be intense, but the writing is gracious and quiet. Was Clara’s goodness in the end her own weakness? This book could bring about some wonderful discussions. My only regret is leaving it on my TBR pile for so long. I look forward to reading more works by Endicott, a truly talented writer.
November 10, 2011
Wasn't great... The characters were kind of boring after the middle of the book and it was painful to try and get through. The story was kind of bland there was no spark that made me want to keep reading it. The characters were in this constant state of mourning/depression and the only character that had any passion/fire was the mother, and she was made to be irritating and horrid woman. I thought this was going to be better than it was. Dissappointing.
August 29, 2011
Had been wanting to read this for a few years, and picked it up at the library for $1. What a deal! It kept me engrossed the whole way through. It's about a small-town Saskatchewan woman who causes an accident with a down-on-their-luck family of 5 and winds up taking in the couple's three children when the Mother is suddenly hospitalized with cancer. Sounds depressing...and the themes of loneliness, longing for human connection, mortality, illness and the cleavages between us that are often defined by class...are not the most uplifting. But the writing is superb, and the characters so well-drawn that I did not want the novel to end. It also has an element of suspense...you are never quite sure if the change in Clara's life will be permanent or if Lorraine will recover and take back her family. In the end, the novel expertly reveals the complicated nature of all people, and the way a community can be created out of disparate parts. It also explores the motives, selfish and otherwise, that push us to "do good." All that in one "simple" book...and there's even a bit of romance. I thought it was a mesmerizing, subtle, and powerful meditation on the human condition. Pretty much what I look for in a book.
July 6, 2009
"The cancer card trumps everything," protagonist Clara Purdy ruminates, and that sums up the premise of this novel. Throw this dreadful desease into the midst of any family unit (functional or dysfunctional) and everyone is afflicted, conflicted, guilt-ridden and exposed, not just the patient. Many outcomes are also possible: the patient can die, the patient can survive, the marriage may crumble, new romances may flourish, wisdom may arrive, and everyone is changed - tools for the writer's arsenal of possible endings, and Endicott skillfully uses them all.
That said, the reader has to wade through a neverendum of domesticity to get to the end: changing diapers, feeding the baby, bathing and clothing the children, cleaning the house, cooking meals, going to the supermarket, treating lice, getting the flu, avoiding child molesters, looking after the batty mother-in-law etc. etc. I found very little literature in all this. Is literature supposed to be an exact copy of real life?
The author has the nerve to subject the reader to all this domestic detail (the stuff we want to get away from by burying our noses in a novel - but there is no relief in this book, I caution you!), all the while giving us snippets of a plot line that moves at the slow but steady pace of a tortoise. Endicott must enjoy the trust and confidence of a publisher who is willing to wait for the twist which is normally expected on page 1 (wannabe writers please note!) but in this case happens around page 300, when the consequences of all Clara's "good actions" come home to roost.
There are a lot of "good" people in this book, ever willing to put their busy lives on hold to hover around a sick person and her family, and the bad guys are just poor, that's why they are bad. All these good and bad forces converge upon Clara who is selfishly trying to find fulfillment in her empty life and accepts the burden of instant single parenthood,guest invasion, home renovation, loss of both her cars, unemployment, becoming care giver to a cancer patient and the lover to a priest - all in a few swell swoops over a couple of months. Boy,does she know how to pack it in! Overworked single parents may find this book cathartic - their lives can't be any more hectic or worse than poor Clara's.
Clara and Lorraine the cancer patient, are well drawn and contrasted against the "baddies" Clayton and his mother Mrs. Pell. Darlene (Dolly), Lorraine's daughter is the ever-watchful eye but does not morph into a rounded character - perhaps children in their formative years are not expected to. The other characters were shapeless voices to me and the poor pastor is definitely a wimp - if the author expected that outcome of Rev. Paul, she definitely achieved it. The constantly shifting POV was distracting at times and the prose did not flow well in the places when it was written to reflect inner thoughts of the characters.
The ending however redeemed the novel when the final plot point dropped and made reading the book through to its conclusion worthwhile.
That said, the reader has to wade through a neverendum of domesticity to get to the end: changing diapers, feeding the baby, bathing and clothing the children, cleaning the house, cooking meals, going to the supermarket, treating lice, getting the flu, avoiding child molesters, looking after the batty mother-in-law etc. etc. I found very little literature in all this. Is literature supposed to be an exact copy of real life?
The author has the nerve to subject the reader to all this domestic detail (the stuff we want to get away from by burying our noses in a novel - but there is no relief in this book, I caution you!), all the while giving us snippets of a plot line that moves at the slow but steady pace of a tortoise. Endicott must enjoy the trust and confidence of a publisher who is willing to wait for the twist which is normally expected on page 1 (wannabe writers please note!) but in this case happens around page 300, when the consequences of all Clara's "good actions" come home to roost.
There are a lot of "good" people in this book, ever willing to put their busy lives on hold to hover around a sick person and her family, and the bad guys are just poor, that's why they are bad. All these good and bad forces converge upon Clara who is selfishly trying to find fulfillment in her empty life and accepts the burden of instant single parenthood,guest invasion, home renovation, loss of both her cars, unemployment, becoming care giver to a cancer patient and the lover to a priest - all in a few swell swoops over a couple of months. Boy,does she know how to pack it in! Overworked single parents may find this book cathartic - their lives can't be any more hectic or worse than poor Clara's.
Clara and Lorraine the cancer patient, are well drawn and contrasted against the "baddies" Clayton and his mother Mrs. Pell. Darlene (Dolly), Lorraine's daughter is the ever-watchful eye but does not morph into a rounded character - perhaps children in their formative years are not expected to. The other characters were shapeless voices to me and the poor pastor is definitely a wimp - if the author expected that outcome of Rev. Paul, she definitely achieved it. The constantly shifting POV was distracting at times and the prose did not flow well in the places when it was written to reflect inner thoughts of the characters.
The ending however redeemed the novel when the final plot point dropped and made reading the book through to its conclusion worthwhile.
October 19, 2018
What a perfect book Good to a Fault by Marina Endicott is! It reminded me of books I read back during my university years when I took my Canadian Lit course; books like Who Has Seen the Wind by W.O. Mitchell or Why Shoot the Teacher by Max Braithwaite. It's a gentle, loving, caring story that had me smiling and crying at different moments.
Clara Purdy lives in Saskatchewan and while driving home gets into an accident with a young family. Clara lives alone, her mother having passed away and is in a rut. When she goes to the hospital to check on the family, she discovers that the mother, Lorreine has to stay because they've discovered she has cancer. The family; Lorreine, hubby Clayton, grandmother Mrs. Pell and three kids; Dolly, Trevor and Pearce are basically homeless, living in their van as they drive to find work.
Clara makes a big decision and lets the family move into her house while Lorreine is in the hospital. Clayton takes her mother's old car and leaves (to find work somewhere?) and leaves Clary to fend with the rest. That is the gist of the story and we follow Clary (her nickname) as she recreates herself, rearranging her home to accommodate them all, learn to live a life with children (she is a divorcee who never had the chance to have children of her own) and all the things that entails.
It's a rich, wonderful story. The book is peopled with a wonderful cast of characters, starting with the lovely Clary. The kids are great as they try to adjust to living with her, trying to cope with their mother's illness. Grandma Pel is a cantankerous old biddy but a great character. Lorreine is brave, hard put. Her brother Darwin shows up, moving in with Clara and is fantastic, looking after his sister, helping Clary, recreating her home. And you've got so many others, the local priest, Paul, trying to cope with divorce and finding solace with this strange put - together family. I could go on; her neighbour, Mrs. Zenko, who helps so much and Clary's sister Grace, her hubby Morland and their daughter, Fern. There is something about them all to love and cherish.
The story is so well-written, and it draws you in. I wanted it to end a certain way, but it took a twist at the end and then another. I can't recommend this book more. It's a must read. Beautiful story and characters. (5 stars)
Clara Purdy lives in Saskatchewan and while driving home gets into an accident with a young family. Clara lives alone, her mother having passed away and is in a rut. When she goes to the hospital to check on the family, she discovers that the mother, Lorreine has to stay because they've discovered she has cancer. The family; Lorreine, hubby Clayton, grandmother Mrs. Pell and three kids; Dolly, Trevor and Pearce are basically homeless, living in their van as they drive to find work.
Clara makes a big decision and lets the family move into her house while Lorreine is in the hospital. Clayton takes her mother's old car and leaves (to find work somewhere?) and leaves Clary to fend with the rest. That is the gist of the story and we follow Clary (her nickname) as she recreates herself, rearranging her home to accommodate them all, learn to live a life with children (she is a divorcee who never had the chance to have children of her own) and all the things that entails.
It's a rich, wonderful story. The book is peopled with a wonderful cast of characters, starting with the lovely Clary. The kids are great as they try to adjust to living with her, trying to cope with their mother's illness. Grandma Pel is a cantankerous old biddy but a great character. Lorreine is brave, hard put. Her brother Darwin shows up, moving in with Clara and is fantastic, looking after his sister, helping Clary, recreating her home. And you've got so many others, the local priest, Paul, trying to cope with divorce and finding solace with this strange put - together family. I could go on; her neighbour, Mrs. Zenko, who helps so much and Clary's sister Grace, her hubby Morland and their daughter, Fern. There is something about them all to love and cherish.
The story is so well-written, and it draws you in. I wanted it to end a certain way, but it took a twist at the end and then another. I can't recommend this book more. It's a must read. Beautiful story and characters. (5 stars)
December 9, 2008
What an original theme, exploring what it is to be good. I don't think I've heard of a book that touches on this particular concept, at least not in contemporary literature. I usually have such conflicting thoughts and feelings toward Giller nominees, but I can safely say I understand why this book was shortlisted.
Endicott has clearly mastered point-of-view, and her transitions between voices are seamless. I didn't like Clara at first but it's clear we're not supposed to, that she's supposed to seem as needy and desperate as she does. But then she becomes three-dimensional, just as everyone else does, and it's so beautifully subtle the reader doesn't know it's happening until it already has.
I don't think the last 100 pages could have been handled any more skilfully. For such a "quiet" book, I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout those last pages. Would Clara and Paul find each other again? Would Clayton leave again? The suspense was strangely subtle, which I think is just another testament to the author's great skill.
All in all, a great title. A deliciously painful read, even.
Endicott has clearly mastered point-of-view, and her transitions between voices are seamless. I didn't like Clara at first but it's clear we're not supposed to, that she's supposed to seem as needy and desperate as she does. But then she becomes three-dimensional, just as everyone else does, and it's so beautifully subtle the reader doesn't know it's happening until it already has.
I don't think the last 100 pages could have been handled any more skilfully. For such a "quiet" book, I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout those last pages. Would Clara and Paul find each other again? Would Clayton leave again? The suspense was strangely subtle, which I think is just another testament to the author's great skill.
All in all, a great title. A deliciously painful read, even.
November 25, 2012
This is a novel about what I will call, wanting a better phrase, the extraordinary ordinary, about the lengths to which people go and the barriers that prevent them from going further. It is a book for adults, full of the complexities of the intersections of life, love, religion, ethics, etc. I realize I could be writing about any good novel, not just this one, but there is nothing exotic or strange about the premise of this story, which is a car accident and its aftermath, nothing exotic or strange about the characters, all of whom are recognizably human and accordingly a mix of virtues, strengths, weaknesses, etc. The scenes are well-painted and change frequently enough to keep the limited action of the novel moving along. What I think I liked best about the novel is the fact that the author quite consciously puts the reader in the position of a god looking down on the lives of these many protagonists, and clearly thinks any god worth a damn would not only forgive all of them, but invite them in for tea, or maybe a beer.
September 2, 2009
An okay book. The story line was great but the writing lacked oompf. Too slow and lazy.
From back cover:
"In a moment of self-absorption, Clara Purdy's life takes a sharp left turn when she crashes into a beat-up car carrying an itinerant family of six. The Gage family had been travelling to a new life in Fort McMurray, but bruises on the mother, Lorraine, prove to be late-stage cancer rather than remnants of the accident. Recognizing their need as her responsibility, Clara tries to do the right thing and moves the children, husband and horrible grandmother into her own house-then has to cope with the consequences of practical goodness.
What, exactly, does it mean to be good? When is sacrifice merely selfishness? What do we owe in this life and what do we deserve? Marina Endicott looks at life and death through the compassionate lens of a born novelist: being good, being at fault, and finding some balance on the precipice."
From back cover:
"In a moment of self-absorption, Clara Purdy's life takes a sharp left turn when she crashes into a beat-up car carrying an itinerant family of six. The Gage family had been travelling to a new life in Fort McMurray, but bruises on the mother, Lorraine, prove to be late-stage cancer rather than remnants of the accident. Recognizing their need as her responsibility, Clara tries to do the right thing and moves the children, husband and horrible grandmother into her own house-then has to cope with the consequences of practical goodness.
What, exactly, does it mean to be good? When is sacrifice merely selfishness? What do we owe in this life and what do we deserve? Marina Endicott looks at life and death through the compassionate lens of a born novelist: being good, being at fault, and finding some balance on the precipice."
June 19, 2010
In a very convoluted way, Good to a Fault reminded me of one of the sub-plots in the book, Gone, Baby, Gone by Dennis Lehane.
As Clara Purdy robotically examines her mundane life, she subconsciously wonders what she has accomplished. Unfortunately, her meandering thoughts while driving create a bit of a predicament as she accidentally collides with another vehicle containing a down-and-out family whose vehicle was their primary residence.
Who is at fault is debatable, but Clara quickly scrambles to the hospital to ensure that the mother and baby’s injuries are minor, and therein lays the quandary. The Gage family quietly perplexed by Clara’s visit, views her genuine concern as an unnecessary intrusion while Clayton (the infuriating father), immediately manipulates the wretched situation to his advantage. Lorraine (the ambivalent mother) appears to be in worse health than a mere fender-bender. Meanwhile, others to consider include Mrs. Pell (Clayton’s cantankerous mother), Darlene (the shrewd daughter), Trevor (the ingenuous son), and Pierce (the precious baby boy).
A homeless family, a Good Samaritan, and unpredictably thought-provoking outcomes offer a profoundly compelling read. Marina Endicott’s stimulating scenarios left me questioning the ulterior motives of goodness and of mercy.
As Clara Purdy robotically examines her mundane life, she subconsciously wonders what she has accomplished. Unfortunately, her meandering thoughts while driving create a bit of a predicament as she accidentally collides with another vehicle containing a down-and-out family whose vehicle was their primary residence.
Who is at fault is debatable, but Clara quickly scrambles to the hospital to ensure that the mother and baby’s injuries are minor, and therein lays the quandary. The Gage family quietly perplexed by Clara’s visit, views her genuine concern as an unnecessary intrusion while Clayton (the infuriating father), immediately manipulates the wretched situation to his advantage. Lorraine (the ambivalent mother) appears to be in worse health than a mere fender-bender. Meanwhile, others to consider include Mrs. Pell (Clayton’s cantankerous mother), Darlene (the shrewd daughter), Trevor (the ingenuous son), and Pierce (the precious baby boy).
A homeless family, a Good Samaritan, and unpredictably thought-provoking outcomes offer a profoundly compelling read. Marina Endicott’s stimulating scenarios left me questioning the ulterior motives of goodness and of mercy.
November 22, 2010
This book was surprisingly good. I was in intrigued by the premise: a woman feels guilty for crashing into a down-and-out family and maybe gets more than she bargains for. The characters were very real, from the guilt-ridden, unlived life of Clara to the school-of-hard-knocks wisdom of Lorraine, to her 11-year-old daughter. The back of the books asks "when is sacrifice merely selfishness?" Endicott does a good job of exploring this question from all the different vantage points and gives us a good cross-section of Canadian characters. Although not explicitly religious, one of the characters, Paul Tippett, is a Gerard Manley Hopkins loving Anglican priest, who is often distracted during his visitations with snippets of poetry. He's a downtrodden romantic, bit of a doormat, and yet really likable because his heart is so in the right place. And because of him, Endicott weaves a sort of "Go Between God" spirit that infuses the plot. Its a very believable story about trying to the right thing and getting side-swiped by hidden motivations. But also how Life (God) can take up these tainted efforts and still weave something more human. I was reminded of Dickens' and how he often throws together unlikely characters into a reconstituted family. Beyond nuclear. In fact, reading this book inspired me to read one of the Dicken's Christmast stories next (The Haunted Man)
December 15, 2009
A quiet, lovely, empathetic novel about a middle-aged, unmarried woman who takes in three children. Endicott captures the pleasure of everyday life: shopping for a party, eating outside, standing on a beautiful rug. More impressively, at least to me, she shows how even stressful moments--your kid pees his pants, you get in a fight with your boss, the cake you spent hours making falls face-down on the floor--are beautiful in their own way. It's something I feel strongly in life, and have rarely seen in fiction.
March 19, 2021
I love how tightly woven and carefully crafted Endicott's books are. We get complex characters and plenty with a heavy dose of kindness and love. We get budding relationships that are delicate with both grand potential and the risk of being stunted before they begin. We get beautiful descriptions, both through the narration and through the eyes of characters who see the world in specific ways. Endicott's stories are gentle even while permeated with hard emotions--they make you feel safe in the sway of a confident storyteller who knows her characters and her message, and you like those characters and you like that message.
March 11, 2011
Good to a Fault is one of several of the Canada reads 2010 books that I plan to read this year. It was first by virtue of the fact that it popped up on my library request list and therefore I had a limited time in which to read it. It took me the entire three weeks to get started, and then I finished it in about four hours.
As you can imagine, it’s slow to start. I can’t say why – it’s not the fault of Endicott. In fact, she takes the reader straight into the action with the car accident that changes so many lives taking place on the first few pages. It’s just that by putting it so early you might sacrifice the impact, as I didn’t really know or care about any of these characters. Yet.
Clara Purdy is in her forties and instantly comes across as somewhat dowdy and as a bit of a shrinking violet. The Gage family, on the other hand, is Lorraine, Clayton, Mom Pell, Darlene (Dolly), Trevor and Pearce. When Clara’s life quite literally collides with that of the Gage’s it changes all of their lives.
I really began to warm to Clara after she takes in the Gage children and Mom Pell. Slowly she seems to come to life; she feels good, and acknowledges it. With the ongoing assistance of her neighbour Mrs. Z, her cousin Grace and Grace’s husband Moreland, as well as Lorraine’s brother Darwin, Clara takes care of Dolly, Trevor and Pearce while their mother is in the hospital. Oh, and there’s the friendship of her minister Paul, who’s personality, like Clara’s really sneaks up on you.
She feels they’re beginning to form a little “family”, and eventually I started to feel that way as well.
Now there’s no way Endicott could truly give equal face time to all her characters, and there are many in this book. But you never feel as if there are too many. They each seem to play a rather vital role in the ensemble. Clara, of course is the most developed, and it’s a joy to watch her come to life, doing things she never imagined she’d do.
Dolly is also incredibly well done, and Endicott captures the voice of this nine year old (?) in a way that makes you want to hug her, but you don’t because you know she won’t like it. Dolly is the kind of kid that takes care of her little brother, sneaks into neighbour’s houses to explore, steals books until she realizes she can buy them and otherwise keeps herself fairly locked tight.
And for whatever reason, despite not being as developed as Clara and Dolly, my hands down favourite character is Darwin. It’s easy to tell why Lorraine loves her brother so – he’s an incredibly charming guy. For a fictional character.
When the inevitable happens and the children go back to their parents, I felt terrible for Clara. Irrationally so, perhaps. Dolly, Trevor and Pearce are not Clara’s children, as Lorraine has reminded her. And despite her dislike for the man, there was no real reason for Clara to call children’s services about Clayton.
But I still sympathized. This cool little family that has built itself up around her since she has taken in the children seems to dissolve overnight. The Gage’s are gone (and angry), Grace and Moreland are away, Darwin leaves with the ‘change of the wind’ and in her self-indulgent anger Clara ends her relationship with Paul.
It’s hard to watch, but it is the way of life. ‘Nothing endures but change’. But in a lovely moment at the end of the book Darwin works his magical charm and Clara, and myself, are left a little less lonely.
It’s hard to watch, but it is the way of life. ‘Nothing endures but change’. But in a lovely moment at the end of the book Darwin works his magical charm and Clara, and myself, are left a little less lonely.
Clara’s children, as Lorraine has reminded her. And despite her dislike for the man, there was no real reason for Clara to call children’s services about Clayton.
As you can imagine, it’s slow to start. I can’t say why – it’s not the fault of Endicott. In fact, she takes the reader straight into the action with the car accident that changes so many lives taking place on the first few pages. It’s just that by putting it so early you might sacrifice the impact, as I didn’t really know or care about any of these characters. Yet.
Clara Purdy is in her forties and instantly comes across as somewhat dowdy and as a bit of a shrinking violet. The Gage family, on the other hand, is Lorraine, Clayton, Mom Pell, Darlene (Dolly), Trevor and Pearce. When Clara’s life quite literally collides with that of the Gage’s it changes all of their lives.
I really began to warm to Clara after she takes in the Gage children and Mom Pell. Slowly she seems to come to life; she feels good, and acknowledges it. With the ongoing assistance of her neighbour Mrs. Z, her cousin Grace and Grace’s husband Moreland, as well as Lorraine’s brother Darwin, Clara takes care of Dolly, Trevor and Pearce while their mother is in the hospital. Oh, and there’s the friendship of her minister Paul, who’s personality, like Clara’s really sneaks up on you.
She feels they’re beginning to form a little “family”, and eventually I started to feel that way as well.
Now there’s no way Endicott could truly give equal face time to all her characters, and there are many in this book. But you never feel as if there are too many. They each seem to play a rather vital role in the ensemble. Clara, of course is the most developed, and it’s a joy to watch her come to life, doing things she never imagined she’d do.
Dolly is also incredibly well done, and Endicott captures the voice of this nine year old (?) in a way that makes you want to hug her, but you don’t because you know she won’t like it. Dolly is the kind of kid that takes care of her little brother, sneaks into neighbour’s houses to explore, steals books until she realizes she can buy them and otherwise keeps herself fairly locked tight.
And for whatever reason, despite not being as developed as Clara and Dolly, my hands down favourite character is Darwin. It’s easy to tell why Lorraine loves her brother so – he’s an incredibly charming guy. For a fictional character.
When the inevitable happens and the children go back to their parents, I felt terrible for Clara. Irrationally so, perhaps. Dolly, Trevor and Pearce are not Clara’s children, as Lorraine has reminded her. And despite her dislike for the man, there was no real reason for Clara to call children’s services about Clayton.
But I still sympathized. This cool little family that has built itself up around her since she has taken in the children seems to dissolve overnight. The Gage’s are gone (and angry), Grace and Moreland are away, Darwin leaves with the ‘change of the wind’ and in her self-indulgent anger Clara ends her relationship with Paul.
It’s hard to watch, but it is the way of life. ‘Nothing endures but change’. But in a lovely moment at the end of the book Darwin works his magical charm and Clara, and myself, are left a little less lonely.
It’s hard to watch, but it is the way of life. ‘Nothing endures but change’. But in a lovely moment at the end of the book Darwin works his magical charm and Clara, and myself, are left a little less lonely.
Clara’s children, as Lorraine has reminded her. And despite her dislike for the man, there was no real reason for Clara to call children’s services about Clayton.
February 7, 2011
Throughout my life I have been surrounded by good people, people who are inherently good and those who choose to do good, who consistently and selflessly choose to help others more vulnerable, more in need than themselves. I have been disappointed when some have needed acknowledgement or “credit” for the good they have done probably thinking this some type of character flaw.
“Good to a Fault” throws virtue and sacrifice up in the air and then settles them back down with humanity and humor through the story of a woman who was probably “good enough” until an accident results in her caring for a family in grave crisis in her own home. Even Clara would admit she was barely living her life and could afford (emotionally, physically and financially) to care for this family. Yet, she is surprised by the overwhelming exhaustion this effort takes and how her efforts are viewed by the family and others. Her thoughts toward the end reflect the themes of morality, class, and social responsibility with which the novel wrestles: “Clary…was not good. She got what she wanted by manipulation and sweetness and good grooming. There was no good in her. (She) tried to run their lives and then sulked when they said no…She had done nothing for them that was not self-serving, and then she’d has the nerve to be angry…”
I learned from the stories the characters told, the searing honesty through which Clara and others look at themselves, their acknowledgement that their sacrifices have often been motivated by self interest and have diminished their relationships. In the end, this is a love story wih gentle reminders about forgiveness and tolerance in a complicated world.
“Good to a Fault” throws virtue and sacrifice up in the air and then settles them back down with humanity and humor through the story of a woman who was probably “good enough” until an accident results in her caring for a family in grave crisis in her own home. Even Clara would admit she was barely living her life and could afford (emotionally, physically and financially) to care for this family. Yet, she is surprised by the overwhelming exhaustion this effort takes and how her efforts are viewed by the family and others. Her thoughts toward the end reflect the themes of morality, class, and social responsibility with which the novel wrestles: “Clary…was not good. She got what she wanted by manipulation and sweetness and good grooming. There was no good in her. (She) tried to run their lives and then sulked when they said no…She had done nothing for them that was not self-serving, and then she’d has the nerve to be angry…”
I learned from the stories the characters told, the searing honesty through which Clara and others look at themselves, their acknowledgement that their sacrifices have often been motivated by self interest and have diminished their relationships. In the end, this is a love story wih gentle reminders about forgiveness and tolerance in a complicated world.
September 15, 2016
I liked it due to the subject matter. How far would one go to do the right thing or make oneself feel better about a bad situation?
I can see how this would lead to a great discussion for a book club. SOOO many questions to consider.
I was at a disadvantage not knowing my Canada geography. I had to look up Saskatoon (beautiful city with the river). I also wasn't knowledgeable about any of the book/poem references.
Good to a Fault is not a page turner, but a slower paced story of people doing the best they can with their life circumstances.
My favorite character was Mrs. Zenko. Lovely neighbor who was a side character, but was a support for so much of what Clary was able to do for Lorraine and the kids.
I can see how this would lead to a great discussion for a book club. SOOO many questions to consider.
I was at a disadvantage not knowing my Canada geography. I had to look up Saskatoon (beautiful city with the river). I also wasn't knowledgeable about any of the book/poem references.
Good to a Fault is not a page turner, but a slower paced story of people doing the best they can with their life circumstances.
My favorite character was Mrs. Zenko. Lovely neighbor who was a side character, but was a support for so much of what Clary was able to do for Lorraine and the kids.
March 23, 2011
In simple, clear prose, Marina Endicott takes you inside the lives of all her major characters - which is actually no mean feat. You understand how they all feel in an exceedingly complicated situation, and all are well drawn. Whether it's Clara, Paul, Lorraine, or Darwin, you understand where each of these people are coming from and why they do what they do. Found this quite compelling in a gentle way.
December 12, 2017
A sweet, character-rich novel. I really enjoyed this one.
November 10, 2011
When Clara Purdy is involved in a minor car accident, is it a mix of misplaced guilt and personal dissatisfaction, or simply an altruistic wish to help someone less fortunate, that prompts her to take in and care for the homeless Gage family? Good To A Fault is a thought provoking novel that examines some intriguing moral and social questions.
After years of dutifully caring for her parents, 43 year old Clara discovers that she is dissatisfied with the emptiness of her life but is at a loss to know how to change it. The collision prompts her to open her heart and her home to the homeless Gage family but the situation grows more complex when Lorraine is diagnosed with late stage Lymphoma. What was a temporary impulse to help the family get back on it's feet becomes a daunting responsibility when Lorraine must remain in hospital for treatment and her husband Clayton abandons his family to Clara's care. Clara finds she is unable to, nor wants to, leave the fate of the family to social services and so chooses to keep the three children, Dolly, Trevor and Pearce and their grandmother, Mrs Pell with her. While Clara fleetingly regrets her impetuous decision she finds that she enjoys caring for the children, and with their father gone, their grandmother indifferent and Lorraine desperately ill, Clara begins to fantasise about keeping them to raise as her own. Endicott so deftly explores the blurring of the line between altruism and egotism, when the desire to help someone else becomes a means to satisfy your own needs is it still the right thing to do? As the reader you can not help but consider what choices you would make in the same situations. I like to think I would do everything possible but I think if tested, uncomfortably, my generosity would have limits.
Good at Fault is not only a thematically rich novel but is also populated with interesting, authentic characters who evoke compassion, distaste, love and resentment.
One of the biggest struggles for me was the inherent conflict between Lorraine and Clara. Lorraine is desperately ill, she has no resources to help herself or her family, yet she is nothing if not practical and so she is willing to take Clary's offer of help. It's not so much a matter of taking advantage but more taking what is available and making the most of the opportunity to ensure her children are cared for. I sympathise with her motives, I can not imagine being so isolated at a time when need was greatest, still as Clary's attachment to the children grows I, like Clary, begin to resent Lorraine's claim. After all Clary offered the children opportunities and a level of care Lorraine can't but, and it is a huge but, Lorraine is their mother and she does love her children, she just simply can't shower them with the trappings that a middle class mentality consider to be indicators of good parenting. This thread really challenged my thinking and honestly, I felt ashamed that even if for only a moment, I felt Clary deserved the children more than Lorraine.
Good At Fault engages the reader in both an internal and social debate about a wide range of issues and I think it would be an ideal read for a book club. While I felt it dragged a little in places, it provokes thought and emotion and I found myself ruminating on it long after I had put it down. A compelling read, Good At Fault is a wonderful novel.
I am tagging along on a discussion of this title by Mari at Bookworm with a View and Judith at Leeswammes Blog. See my additional comments at Book'd Out
After years of dutifully caring for her parents, 43 year old Clara discovers that she is dissatisfied with the emptiness of her life but is at a loss to know how to change it. The collision prompts her to open her heart and her home to the homeless Gage family but the situation grows more complex when Lorraine is diagnosed with late stage Lymphoma. What was a temporary impulse to help the family get back on it's feet becomes a daunting responsibility when Lorraine must remain in hospital for treatment and her husband Clayton abandons his family to Clara's care. Clara finds she is unable to, nor wants to, leave the fate of the family to social services and so chooses to keep the three children, Dolly, Trevor and Pearce and their grandmother, Mrs Pell with her. While Clara fleetingly regrets her impetuous decision she finds that she enjoys caring for the children, and with their father gone, their grandmother indifferent and Lorraine desperately ill, Clara begins to fantasise about keeping them to raise as her own. Endicott so deftly explores the blurring of the line between altruism and egotism, when the desire to help someone else becomes a means to satisfy your own needs is it still the right thing to do? As the reader you can not help but consider what choices you would make in the same situations. I like to think I would do everything possible but I think if tested, uncomfortably, my generosity would have limits.
Good at Fault is not only a thematically rich novel but is also populated with interesting, authentic characters who evoke compassion, distaste, love and resentment.
One of the biggest struggles for me was the inherent conflict between Lorraine and Clara. Lorraine is desperately ill, she has no resources to help herself or her family, yet she is nothing if not practical and so she is willing to take Clary's offer of help. It's not so much a matter of taking advantage but more taking what is available and making the most of the opportunity to ensure her children are cared for. I sympathise with her motives, I can not imagine being so isolated at a time when need was greatest, still as Clary's attachment to the children grows I, like Clary, begin to resent Lorraine's claim. After all Clary offered the children opportunities and a level of care Lorraine can't but, and it is a huge but, Lorraine is their mother and she does love her children, she just simply can't shower them with the trappings that a middle class mentality consider to be indicators of good parenting. This thread really challenged my thinking and honestly, I felt ashamed that even if for only a moment, I felt Clary deserved the children more than Lorraine.
Good At Fault engages the reader in both an internal and social debate about a wide range of issues and I think it would be an ideal read for a book club. While I felt it dragged a little in places, it provokes thought and emotion and I found myself ruminating on it long after I had put it down. A compelling read, Good At Fault is a wonderful novel.
I am tagging along on a discussion of this title by Mari at Bookworm with a View and Judith at Leeswammes Blog. See my additional comments at Book'd Out
April 3, 2016
An accident is the catalyst for some pretty life-changing experiences for Clara and Lorraine. Clara makes a left turn right into the vehicle in which Lorraine is a passenger. Lorraine's husband, Clayton is driving and her mother-in-law and three kids are also in the car with her. They all live together, in the car. When Lorraine is in the ER, what was initially thought to be bruises, turns out to be something much more serious. When Clara hears the diagnosis, she, wracked with guilt, believes she has no alternative but to make an offer to Lorraine's family, an offer which will forever change her life and how she lives it, as well as the lives of everyone else involved in the accident.
It's an interesting case study on "what would you do". How far would you go to "make things right"? I don't know that I would go down the road that Clara did, and I certainly wouldn't be as patient as she was, especially in light of some of the initial goings on. It certainly makes one think, though, as to how life can change in an instant and how fortunate some of us are over others.
I really liked what Lorraine has to say to Clara, at one point in the story:
"You can't stop thinking of us as low-class, you can't stop!" she said. "You keep thinking you're better than me, even though you try not to. It's built into your whole life. But we're the same as you, we're just the same."...
..."Here's the difference between us: you got taken to the dentist more, and your mother filled your head with stuck-up shit about how great you are, and you got to live in the same house all your life. That's most of it. You went to school for longer, and you worked in a clean office instead of cleaning the office. You have a better-looking face and better-looking clothes, and that give you some feeling that you're better than me."...
..."I'm trying to tell you how it is for me," Lorraine said. "Here it is: it's the same as it is for you."
How many times do we look at "down and out" people and think (even if it's just for a second), "Wow, if they'd only get a job and take a bit of pride in their appearance." When really it should be "there but for the grace of God"!
The story moves along fairly well and it's a good story at that, one that makes you think! I like books that make you think!
It's an interesting case study on "what would you do". How far would you go to "make things right"? I don't know that I would go down the road that Clara did, and I certainly wouldn't be as patient as she was, especially in light of some of the initial goings on. It certainly makes one think, though, as to how life can change in an instant and how fortunate some of us are over others.
I really liked what Lorraine has to say to Clara, at one point in the story:
"You can't stop thinking of us as low-class, you can't stop!" she said. "You keep thinking you're better than me, even though you try not to. It's built into your whole life. But we're the same as you, we're just the same."...
..."Here's the difference between us: you got taken to the dentist more, and your mother filled your head with stuck-up shit about how great you are, and you got to live in the same house all your life. That's most of it. You went to school for longer, and you worked in a clean office instead of cleaning the office. You have a better-looking face and better-looking clothes, and that give you some feeling that you're better than me."...
..."I'm trying to tell you how it is for me," Lorraine said. "Here it is: it's the same as it is for you."
How many times do we look at "down and out" people and think (even if it's just for a second), "Wow, if they'd only get a job and take a bit of pride in their appearance." When really it should be "there but for the grace of God"!
The story moves along fairly well and it's a good story at that, one that makes you think! I like books that make you think!
April 9, 2010
I was expecting to like this book much more than I did. It was short-listed for the 2008 Giller Prize, and of all the books on the short list that year, this was the one that seemed most interesting to me. I bought it then, but didn’t read it until after it was chosen for the 2009 Canada Reads.
The protagonist Clara is a lonely woman in her forties, who has worked in the insurance business for years. She’s responsible for a minor car accident, and out of guilt or boredom or a selfless sense of doing what is right or a selfish need to feel like she matters, Clara takes in the homeless family she hit after it’s discovered the mother is severely ill with cancer and must be hospitalized.
Fellow Canadian writer Elizabeth Hay describes this book as a “...wise and searching novel about the fine line between being useful and being used.” It also asks us when is helping selfish.
I liked the idea of the book, but I didn’t really enjoy the reading of it. Many people find books about domestic life boring, but that’s not what bothers me about this novel. One could call it a “quiet” book, but that doesn’t put me off either. I’ve enjoyed many quiet novels about domestic life; yet, this book just seemed too detailed. At times, I found it downright boring.
The incessant quoting of poetry by the priest (and love interest) got on my nerves. The dialogue of the kindergarten-aged Trevor didn’t seem authentic. And I found it unbelievable that the ten-year-old Dolly would be reading and seemingly understanding Vanity Fair. I think that was pushing the attempt to create an intelligent, precocious child a bit much. But on the whole, I found the characters realistic. I certainly wanted to know what was going to happen to them. I did care about them.
There’s a scene near the ending of the book with a symbolic baptism, complete with a rebirth for Clara. Is that cliché? I had such a scene in a novel I was working on years ago. When I get back to it someday, I might just take out that part. Still, there’s nothing wrong with character development.
The protagonist Clara is a lonely woman in her forties, who has worked in the insurance business for years. She’s responsible for a minor car accident, and out of guilt or boredom or a selfless sense of doing what is right or a selfish need to feel like she matters, Clara takes in the homeless family she hit after it’s discovered the mother is severely ill with cancer and must be hospitalized.
Fellow Canadian writer Elizabeth Hay describes this book as a “...wise and searching novel about the fine line between being useful and being used.” It also asks us when is helping selfish.
I liked the idea of the book, but I didn’t really enjoy the reading of it. Many people find books about domestic life boring, but that’s not what bothers me about this novel. One could call it a “quiet” book, but that doesn’t put me off either. I’ve enjoyed many quiet novels about domestic life; yet, this book just seemed too detailed. At times, I found it downright boring.
The incessant quoting of poetry by the priest (and love interest) got on my nerves. The dialogue of the kindergarten-aged Trevor didn’t seem authentic. And I found it unbelievable that the ten-year-old Dolly would be reading and seemingly understanding Vanity Fair. I think that was pushing the attempt to create an intelligent, precocious child a bit much. But on the whole, I found the characters realistic. I certainly wanted to know what was going to happen to them. I did care about them.
There’s a scene near the ending of the book with a symbolic baptism, complete with a rebirth for Clara. Is that cliché? I had such a scene in a novel I was working on years ago. When I get back to it someday, I might just take out that part. Still, there’s nothing wrong with character development.
January 24, 2013
Marina Endicott's novel Good to a Fault is one of those rare pieces of fiction that makes compelling drama out of the stuff of everyday life while avoiding sentimentality and remaining true to its author's literary ambitions. Forty something Clara Purdy's uneventful and unfulfilling life is thrown into disarray in the wake of a car accident, but not in the way we expect. Clara, alone in her car, is shaken up but not hurt, and neither are the six members of the Gage family, who occupy the other car. But Lorraine Gage, the young mother of Dolly, Trevor and Pearce, and wife of Clayton, is diagnosed with advanced lymphoma after being examined at the hospital. Clara, a claims adjuster who knows a thing or two about liability--long divorced and living by herself in her parents' house after the recent death of her mother--and motivated by a potent mix of guilt and loneliness, invites the itinerant Gage family to temporarily share her home. Soon after this Clayton takes off, who knows where, and Clara is left with the children and selfish, contrary Mrs. Pell, Clayton's mother. What ensues is not high drama but an awakening of sorts. Clara has no choice but to rouse herself from her middle-age stupor and forge emotional connections when Lorraine's recovery takes the better part of a year and she is the sole provider for three children. Along the way various others barge into Clara's life, and after discovering the joy and heartbreak of depending on and providing for other people, once the children are gone Clara finds herself unable to return to the tentative aloofness and crushing solitude of her old life. This is an unpretentious novel that shows us what it is like to place oneself at risk emotionally, to be vulnerable and to live in the world. Endicott's characters experience joy and sorrow and disappointment, they argue and make up, they connect and drift apart. This is real life, masterfully rendered. Essential reading.
November 17, 2011
"Also nominated for the 2008 Giller Prize, this novel is a searching, hard-edged exploration of social relationships in a prairie city. Clara Purdy's mother has died, and her 45-year-old daughter is confronting how bleak her life is, when a traffic accident and a young mother's serious cancer combine to land her with three young children, their aged grandmother and an aggressively unhinged husband. The extraordinary manner in which Clara copes requires some suspension of belief from the reader, but the resulting circumstances work to bring Clara alive as she becomes the centre of a whirl of vivid characters brought together by the cancer threat. I found Marina Endicott's treatment of Clara painfully honest, her middle-class sensitivities shaping her attitudes of unconscious social superiority, even as her enduring instincts to love and nurture push her to remarkable lengths to help the stricken family.
This novel is superbly written, its character interactions are subtle and interesting, and it tells a complicated story well -- this is definitely one of the stronger Giller nominees. Like De Sa's Barnacle Love, this book deftly captures the texture of daily life in all of its social complexity. Good to a Fault may lack the driven iconoclastic edge of Cockroach, and the powerful larger-than-life characters of Through Black Spruce (which would be my choice for the Giller Prize,) but this is an excellent book that deserves to be read.
"
This novel is superbly written, its character interactions are subtle and interesting, and it tells a complicated story well -- this is definitely one of the stronger Giller nominees. Like De Sa's Barnacle Love, this book deftly captures the texture of daily life in all of its social complexity. Good to a Fault may lack the driven iconoclastic edge of Cockroach, and the powerful larger-than-life characters of Through Black Spruce (which would be my choice for the Giller Prize,) but this is an excellent book that deserves to be read.
"
July 28, 2010
Good to a Fault is the ANZ LitLovers reading group choice for August, and it’s a wonderful book for discussion. It was shortlisted for the 2008 Giller Prize in Canada, and won the 2009 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Canada and the Caribbean.
Once, exasperated by a rather dreary visit to some nice friends of my mother’s, my father (sotto voce) said that very good people were usually boring. My father himself is a very good man so I was a bit shocked, but have since then sometimes thought that he might have been right. After all, there’s a whole media industry devoted to gossip: the cult of celebrity proves that most people would rather read about bad behaviour and scandal; it’s not easy to make the everyday niceness of people interesting reading.
Even harder is to make exceptional goodness interesting reading, but Endicott has achieved it. Her heroine, Clara Purdy, is a very good person. When she has a car accident with an itinerant family in crisis, she takes them into her home because the mother is diagnosed with late-stage cancer.
To read the rest of this review please visit http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/201...
Once, exasperated by a rather dreary visit to some nice friends of my mother’s, my father (sotto voce) said that very good people were usually boring. My father himself is a very good man so I was a bit shocked, but have since then sometimes thought that he might have been right. After all, there’s a whole media industry devoted to gossip: the cult of celebrity proves that most people would rather read about bad behaviour and scandal; it’s not easy to make the everyday niceness of people interesting reading.
Even harder is to make exceptional goodness interesting reading, but Endicott has achieved it. Her heroine, Clara Purdy, is a very good person. When she has a car accident with an itinerant family in crisis, she takes them into her home because the mother is diagnosed with late-stage cancer.
To read the rest of this review please visit http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/201...
May 4, 2012
Profoundly human is certainly the phrase to describe this novel, which is probably why it is so uncomfortable to read. It is human, both in thought and in action. It's something that is completely realistic and the emotions and reasons behind them are uncomfortably familiar.
Clara hits a car that the Gage family is living in as well as driving. At the hospital the mother, Lorraine, is diagnosed with cancer. She takes in three kids and a husband, who later bolts, into her home while Lorraine undergoes treatment. Clara becomes very attached to Darlene (Dolly), Trevor, and Pearce and then the issue becomes is she caring for these kids for the right reasons, should she even have offered her home to these people, etc.? She is taken advantage of as much as she takes advantage so the whole mess seems that much more real.
It's not my favourite book or something I would read again, more so because of the writing I think, but it was very well done. I can see why it was up for the Giller.
Clara hits a car that the Gage family is living in as well as driving. At the hospital the mother, Lorraine, is diagnosed with cancer. She takes in three kids and a husband, who later bolts, into her home while Lorraine undergoes treatment. Clara becomes very attached to Darlene (Dolly), Trevor, and Pearce and then the issue becomes is she caring for these kids for the right reasons, should she even have offered her home to these people, etc.? She is taken advantage of as much as she takes advantage so the whole mess seems that much more real.
It's not my favourite book or something I would read again, more so because of the writing I think, but it was very well done. I can see why it was up for the Giller.
February 3, 2010
Marina Endicott's Good to a Fault is a lovely read. The book dances deftly and with ease between sad and happy, anger and calm, disappointment and contentment; a believable tale told with honesty and sincerity. All characters, down even to the baby, receive enough attention and treatment to give us a full portrait of each, allowing for the transmission of some profundity from more than one source, which too often seems to be only the main character.
I found myself interested in and relating to the character of Paul Tippet most easily, and, with a measure of self-awareness while reading, hoping to be more like him in some ways, less in others.
I really, really enjoyed reading this book.
I found myself interested in and relating to the character of Paul Tippet most easily, and, with a measure of self-awareness while reading, hoping to be more like him in some ways, less in others.
I really, really enjoyed reading this book.
January 4, 2016
This was the perfect book to end 2015 and begin 2016 with. I was absorbed right from the start and couldn't put it down (often reading until 3 a.m.!) even though it is by no means a fast-paced story. The emotional undercurrents are weighty, complex, elusive, urgent, and unpredictable—as they are in "real" life. The characters and dialogue feel authentic; I recognize myself (or someone I know and love) in each main character—even the less likeable ones—and appreciate how their respective stories, contradictions, flaws, struggles and perspectives are relevant and loosely bound to the rest. That thread of commonality appeals to me on a deep emotional level, so I got a lot of gratification from seeing that laid out with such care. I'll read more by this thoughtful, sensitive author without a doubt—I like how she sees the world, and our clumsy, imperfect grace as we try to find our way.
July 22, 2009
Clara Purdy, a 40-year-old, spinsterish woman is at fault in a car accident with a homeless family. When the mother's bruises (Lorraine) turn out to be late stage cancer, Clara tries to do the right thing by taking in the three children and their grandmother. It not only turns her life inside out, it shows the fine line between being good and being selfserving, being good and being taken advantage of. The children have to cope with mixed loyalties, Lorraine faces death and losing her children, Clara serves everyone while entering motherhood with three small children. An excellent read where Endicott doesn't chose the easy happy ending but also doesn't leave you feeling empty and depressed.
August 8, 2012
I didn't enjoy this book. I found the story slow moving and predicatable. The husband Clayton was a jerk with a sense of entitlement. The priest constantly quoting poetry was annoying. The mother-in-law was the most interesting character - even if she was obnoxious. Clara -or Clary as she is later called - was just a lonely person who had nothing better to do than help a family in need to spend some of her money and fill her empty hours. I forced myself to finish it just to confirm what I already predicted would happen. Not a book I would recommend unless you want to cross an award-winner off your to read list.
January 6, 2010
Recommended by eb (thanks!) I liked it very much: it reminded me a little of Ann Tyler, with a dramatic story told in a quiet way. I really identified with the self-contained spinster who steps up to help the family (except, of course, I could never, ever be so compassionate. And I don't like babies.) This book is also a tribute to Canadian medicine; the ill, homeless mom was completely covered, no questions asked, no charge. In this country, she would have been taken in, treated, and sent home with a $2.5 million bill.
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