How to Cope with Suburban Stress is an enigmatic novel by David Galef, revolving around the life of a psychiatrist and his family. The narrative showcases the complexities and frustrations in their lives while comparing between Good and Evil.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Galef's third novel, a fractured tale of suburban angst and ennui, revolves around the marital difficulties of Michael Eisler, a psychiatrist who constantly squabbles with his domineering executive wife, Jane, at the expense of the mental health of their prepubescent son, Alex, who slowly sinks into a depression. Meanwhile, in a ham-fisted subplot, budding pedophile Ted Sacks loses his job as a data recovery specialist and slips further into the seedy chatroom-centric realm of would-be child molesters. He soon grows tired of chatting about molesting "boyz" and begins stalking them in Alex's neighborhood. The doomed marriage plot, though familiar, is sharply drawn, but Galef's style doesn't lend itself to the thriller format used to render Sacks's clumsy moves toward abducting Alex. The climax contains some frighteningly tense moments when Sacks brings the boy back to his apartment, but the book limps through its saccharine dénouement. Galef's subtle portrayal of domestic tension makes for a worthwhile read, but pedophiles are hard to write, and Sacks, unfortunately, is no Humbert Humbert. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
a courageous book that displays Galef’s considerable skills quite brilliantly. Prepare yourself for a rough ride—but don’t miss this one. -- Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2006
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Courageous and Powerful Offering,
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This review is from: How to Cope with Suburban Stress (Hardcover)
The devil has come to Fairchester, an upper-income enclave of Americana, where crime consists of a bat-wielding malefactor who goes about knocking post office boxes off-kilter. The devil takes the guise of Ted Sacks, a pedophile who visits on-line chat rooms to swap notes with similarly inclined monsters and rigs up his bathroom as a personal pleasure palace...should he ever actually work up the nerve to lure a child into his lair. At the same time Ted is embarking on his flights of sexual fantasy, Michael Eisler is trying to cope with a different kind of suburban stress, the impending failure of his marriage and the toll that is taking on his young son, Alex. Mr. Galef expertly interweaves the two storylines--we know a collision is imminent and that Alex will be involved in some way. The tension ratchets up higher and higher and the author refuses to avert his eyes from what must happen, without exploiting (soiling) the reader. Give Mr. Galef credit for a book of remarkable courage and integrity. It's strong stuff, especially for parents, but a novel of skill, poise, frankness and maturity.
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