The Burgess Boys in Around the World in 80 Books

Jan 25, 2013 John rated it liked it

Shelves: goodreads-giveaway, no-real-lgbt-characters

2.5 Stars. The Burgess Boys is a book-club friendly novel that gently tackles themes of dislocation from within progressively larger social units: the family, an immigrant community in a small town, the small town where some Burgesses stayed and the big town where some Burgesses ended up. On the surface, this fits the mold of a quirky tale about a dysfunctional family. The small town vs. big city themes are pretty familiar to anyone with a TV, to put it kindly. At its best, the novel offers insi 2.5 Stars. The Burgess Boys is a book-club friendly novel that gently tackles themes of dislocation from within progressively larger social units: the family, an immigrant community in a small town, the small town where some Burgesses stayed and the big town where some Burgesses ended up. On the surface, this fits the mold of a quirky tale about a dysfunctional family. The small town vs. big city themes are pretty familiar to anyone with a TV, to put it kindly. At its best, the novel offers insights into how we either engage with or distance ourselves from other people’s problems. Perhaps the book will encourage some readers to empathize more with people from different backgrounds. Ms. Strout’s prose is at times stunningly beautiful and the dialogue (particularly scenes with Helen) can be very funny. One gets the cozy feeling of being in the hands of a capable writer, albeit one who takes surprisingly few risks for a Pulitzer-prize winner.

I hadn’t read any of Ms. Strout’s past work, but I was hoping for something a little more challenging and ambitious. Those hopes were dashed in the first few pages. I admit that I might have pulled the ripcord around pg. 50 if not for the sense of obligation that comes with a free advance copy. Even as I generally found the story of the Burgesses to be engaging, I couldn’t escape the feeling that the characters, plot elements, and themes all seemed pretty tired. There is a Disney-like safeness to the telling of this story. Yes, you will be confronted with some uncomfortable things (tragic death, bigotry, the plight of Somali refugees, and perhaps most horrifying of all, empty-nest syndrome and divorce), but the sharp edges are rounded off, almost as if this is fiction for teenagers. Zadie Smith and Jonathan Franzen come to mind as writers who have tackled some of these themes with far deeper insight and in ways that take readers out of their comfort zones. Unlike NW and Freedom, the Burgess Boys doesn’t contain any shattering insights or kick-in-the-gut moments. There is nothing to fear in Ms. Strout’s world, no snake lurking in the bushes. The Burgesses and the poor souls drawn into their orbit are all very familiar types and behave pretty much how you would expect.

This is a novel that readers are more likely to enjoy because it reaffirms their world view rather than because it challenges it. Families need to come together, communities need to come together. Hard to disagree with that. I would have liked to have seen more characters finding happiness and fulfillment in “untraditional” lifestyles. There are no happy single people in this book, or even happily partnered people without children. There is a glimmer of hope for sad-sack Susan in the end, but really, wouldn’t it be less awkward if she just found a new spouse like Bob? No 3-dimensional LGBT characters are to be found in this book, not even in Park Slope. Just a stick-figure gay neighbor and some homophobic remarks for comic relief, because, hey, we’re all liberals here. The women in this book are all defined in relation to men (even Margaret is Bob's future wife) and the title’s focus on the “boys” could generate some interesting book club discussion. At the end (spoiler alert), it is just not an option for Jim and Helen to remain separated. They have to get back together guys! They just have to! Because as awful as Jim is, the Burgesses just cannot have their patriarch in turmoil, which is the only possible outcome outside of marriage. How about that for 2013.
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Jan 19, 2014 Wanda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: literary-fiction

Another literary gem from Elizabeth Strout. The Burgess Boys is the story of three siblings, Jim, Bob, and Susan Burgess who grew up in Shirley Falls, Maine, the same town found in the novel Olive Kitteridge. In their youth (Jim-8-the twins Bob and Susan-4) their father was killed in a tragic accident. He had left the children in the car to go down to the end of the drive and young Bob slipped the car out of gear allowing it to roll down and cause the death of their father. Their lives were chan ...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Andy Plonka rated it liked it

I didn't like this book much though it was competently written. I din't like any of the characters and felt little sympathy for them. The seemed to act out of self interest and complained when things didn't work out to their advantage. ...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Nikki Morse rated it liked it

The first 100 pages were so dull I barely made it through them. I picked it up again after a months absence to find the middle 100 pages slightly better and the last 100 downright great. Glad I made it through but hoping for a more consistent experience in my next novel.

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May 07, 2013 Susan rated it liked it

On the whole, I liked it, altho the characters are very dysfunctional people. It kept me wanting to read on, and left me with a feeling of hope for their unhappy lives.

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