Blame: A Novel

Great read! I didn’t want it to end. So well written. Well developed characters and expressive and gorgeous relationships. Bravo

So my review of this novel is kind of like reviewing an old friend because I've been reading this book over the course of the last couple months for my Novel Writing class. Reading something over a couple months span I've realized has its pros. I feel like I have a really firm grasp on this novel and the characters because I've spent so much time with it. For my class, I had to break down the novel and really spend an adequate amount of time with the chapters analyzing plot, character, pacing etc. Normally I don't spend that much time with a novel so I feel like this might just be one of the most well informed reviews I'll ever have up here. The Good: Michelle Huneven really knows how to develop memorable characters. Joey, Brice, Patsy and Gilles are brilliant characters. Huneven takes her time developing them and by the end of the novel, Patsy pretty much jumps off the pages. I love the concept of Blame because it's based on a situation that could (and probably has) happened. A woman gets black out drunk and runs over two people killing them. It's not an overly abnormal situation, it's happened and it's not too hard to imagine a situation like that happening to someone today. Huneven takes this reality and really delves into the consequences with Patsy. We get a real sense of what prison is like for someone like Patsy and we learn how someone might handle their guilt and transition into society after their prison term has ended. We learn that Patsy settles for things in life that she normally wouldn't have just because she feels it's all she deserves. It's a way to punish herself, to remind herself of the crime she committed. I love the slight but powerful nod to the gay community and the start of the HIV virus that Huneven slides into the story. She also throws an enormous wrench in the plot towards the end that is crazy awesome and makes the story that much more deep and meaningful. I also thought Huneven did well adding comic relief to the parts that were a little depressing. It's not a book I felt utterly sad about when I was done. I felt a sense of accomplishment when it was over. I also thought the ending was very well done. It wraps up the loose ends but not in the "everything-ends-so-perfectly" way. The Bad: Nothing really negative to say about the novel except that I HATE IT when authors don't put dialogue in quotations. I don't know why it irritates me as much as it does, but really.... That's why the quotations were made. What is the reasoning behind not using them? It bugs the crap out of me. But that really is just a nit-picky detail. I really don't have anything else negative to say about it. Overall, I really thought this was a great book. It was well written, the plot and characters were fully and wonderfully developed and it was really a polished piece of literature. I give it an A!

The beginning (or post-beginning; the first chapter is a pseudo-introduction to the main character through the eyes of a side character) are definitely interesting, as that's when the main plot takes place, and it's intriguing how each character deals with the rapidly evolving circumstances. The last few chapters are good as well, as that's when the 'big twist' takes place; once again, I found myself feeling for the main character, and how she takes it all in. I did appreciate how the ending was pretty subdued and left open-ended. The problem is, from maybe chapter 3 or 4, until the last 15-20% of the book, things more really slow. There are way too many characters to keep track of, and none of them are all that entertaining (some I found annoying), so without exciting external events to propel the plot forward, you're just stuck with them. Like others have said, the dialogue sounds like it's taken from a soap opera, or from a TV family in the 50's; it gets pretty distracting. In short, there were definitely parts and passages that I bookmarked because they 'spoke' to me, mostly involving forgiveness, redemption and acceptance, but I probably wouldn't read this book again from cover to cover.

I had never read Michell Huneven before but I have to say that this novel just captivated me on so many levels. She gives such an honest account of Love, sacrifice, addiction, and the human condition from the perspective of an Alcoholic and the people around her. Sometimes books with a central character that have an addiction can seam a little "preachy" but I really enjoyed this novel and the journey it took me on. It's one of those books that (a) will sometimes make you miss your subway stop because you are so engrossed and (b) make you a little sad then you read the last page and it ends. I'm just relieved she has written others, because I'm adding her to my holiday reading list.

At first, Michelle Huneven's new novel, BLAME, reminded me a lot of Stewart O'Nan. It sounded more like non-fiction. The author did not rely on plot points; things just sort of happened as they would in real life. Patsy MacLemoore, a history professor with a drinking problem, goes to jail for killing two people with her car during a blackout. She takes responsibility for her actions, starts attending AA meetings daily, teaches reading in prison and wins early release by joining a fire-fighting team. The man whose wife and children she supposedly killed forgives her, and she contributes to his son's education. When I read the summary on the cover, I wondered why the publishers would reveal the only twist in the whole book. Someone else was driving when Patsy supposedly hit that mother and daughter. But this book isn't about twists. It's about how Patsy deals with her guilt. I kept thinking that, like most alcoholics, Patsy would have at least one relapse or that she'd have an affair. Nope. She gets out of prison and keeps going to AA meetings, gets a job teaching ESL and eventually wins her college job back. And she marries the last person you'd think she would. Perhaps the most interesting and funniest character in the book is Gilles, Patsy's husband's sister's kid. He's gay and he hooks up with Patsy's old boyfriend, who didn't know he was gay, although Patsy accused him of it often enough. Gilles winds Patsy like a clock. He throws away her funky shoes when she wears them to an art show; and he`s her main confidant. Gilles is also the saddest character in the book for reasons I will leave unsaid. When he goes, the book loses heart. Patsy becomes a whiner. She laments not having an affair with a colleague; she complains about her husband's inability to believe she was not guilty; she whines about her step daughter's taking over her house and her husband's reluctance to attend her Cambridge lectures. In other words, Patsy is a neurotic, but that doesn't mean she's not a great character. She's so well-rounded I thought she'd bounce, and I liked her despite her faults. Read this novel if you're looking for something different, but don't expect any Jeffery Deaver-like twists.

From the exciting, powerful first chapter to the end, this is a wonderfully written book. great insight into what it takes to overcome tragedy. Really about why an essentially good person does something bad and what she does to redeeherself. Highly recommended.

At first I was mezmerized by this tale and couldn't put it down, but not too long afterward I became annoyed by the lack of quotation marks. Come on, is this really necessary? Do I have to constantly think about who is saying what to whom throughout an entire book? I understood the ploy in the beginning as the main character devolves from her stupor, and it was effective, but once the story gets going, the lack of quotes becomes annoying. If I'd known this was the author's technique, I'd never have purchased the book, or at least not at top price. Bargain book sale, maybe. Overall, I'm disappointed. By the way, I'm a retired Advanced Placement Literature and Composition teacher. For the most part, I know my books.

I was really intrigued with the author's method of introducing Patsy through the eyes of a character who subsequently disappeared again till much later in the book - and then became extremely important to the plot! In fact, I'd forgotten the description of the story by the time I actually read the book and at first thought Joey was the main character. I also loved how Brice kept re-emerging in the story each time I thought he'd faded out. Of all the characters gathered around Patsy, I loved how this unlikely reprobate was usually the one she could count on. The author, I think, had a playful way of surprising the reader by snatching away characters then having them reappear unexpectedly. I assumed we'd never see Cal Sharp ("Auntie!") again, then lo and behold! All the characters interested me, but I have to say, Cal really piqued my interest. I knew someone once who loved playing "earth mother" to all the needy souls around her and I quietly noticed that she'd drop those who made improvements or advancements in their lives. As though for the sake of her own ego, she needed their neediness. I thought of Cal as a male version of this person and so when Patsy made her revealation to him (that it had never been her after all who had struck and killed the mother and daughter) I was holding my breath... And sure enough, Cal reacted the way this acquaintence would have. He didn't want Patsy to have that weight lifted - He needed her haunted and guilt-ridden. I admired the way the author summed his whole character up in a 2-line exchange between Patsy and Audrey: They acknowledged that the people closest to Cal were invariably birds with broken wings to whom he could play the Rock of Gibraltar (my words, not the author's). Only complaint: I didn't like the lack of quotation marks. I stumbled through paragraphs a few times trying to mentally insert them so I could understand what was actually being spoken aloud. I've never understood the point of eschewing quotation marks, it's irritating and disrupts the flow. I loved the way most characters turned out differently than you expected. In big ways: Patsy (going from destuctive drunk to practically a saint), Cal (going from stalwart supporter to morally superior) and in little ways (Joey seemed like a weird little brat and becamse adorable) and Gilles (angelic but his diaries revealed that even he had his snide little observations about his friends). The only one who remained constant was March - I despised her at the beginning and despised her even more toward the end! Long review for me, and it wasn't a very long book. I guess that's a sign of a great author, that she packed so much food for thought into a relatively short novel.

This is one of the best books I have read~!! I didn't want it to end~!! The story line is great and easy to follow. It really is a page turner and it is really hard to put down~!! The only "slightly" negative comment is that the ending seemed hurried and left a lot hanging with no explanation. But, that is a minor flaw. Maybe it was just that I didn't want the story to end. Highly recommended~!!

This is an interesting read with a surprising ending. I enjoyed the chronicles of the protagonist's alcoholism, and how the author dealt with the aftermath of the accident. The book has a great ending.

novelist shows great promise...characterizations are excellent