Book 26 - Flesh and Blood by Michael Cunningham

Book 26

Flesh & Blood by Michael Cunningham

461 pages - 1 day

I know what you're thinking - one day?! Well, I had the fortune to be flying across the country on a non-stop flight so let's just say I had PLENTY of time to catch up on my reading.

Michael Cunningham, who you might know as the author of The Hours (one of my favorites), uses Flesh & Blood to tackle pretty much every problem, hurdle, and issue that could strike a family over a period of four generations. I loved The Hours but I didn't love A Home at the End of the World (it was good, just not great) so I started Flesh & Blood with a big question mark in my mind. If I'm honest, I'll admit that the question mark lingered throughout the entire reading... will I like it or won't I... despite the fact that I devoured the book in one (very long) sitting.

Regardless of my skepticism, I was drawn into the story of the families. It's amazing to me how often authors create a family dynamic that is entirely foreign when families are, ostensibly, something we all have in common. I don't need to identify with the particulars (who dies, who breaks up, who does what) but it seems to me that emotions and relationships are less unique that we think and that there should be at least something within a family story that rings true. Cunningham hits the nail on the head (most of the time) and depicts a family that is completely different from my own in terms of specifics but they feel the same. I identify with them, I pick sides and favorites.

The book is alternately stark and incredibly sad and hilarious - again, very true to the actual nature of families and interaction. I can't tell/don't know what Cunningham's family life was like growing up or as an adult but his writing gives you the feeling that he's very empathetic, that he would understand whatever family dynamic you threw at him; that he would find the beauty and the perversion in it.

I can't say that this book will make it into my top 5 or 10 but it affected me in a way that not all books do. Even though I was on a cross-country flight, I didn't want to dive into another book, I wanted to let the characters and the story linger with me, I actually wanted to hug the book (what? this doesn't happen to you?).

That can't be a bad thing.