Customer Reviews

A Man of Affairs

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Would you like it if something you had spent your life building was harshly taken from you? Ol' John D. really puts it to you. A long-established business has it's founder die and the sharks are gathering. Weak family members are likely to let the company have the guts devoured, then casually sold away, reaping huge profits in the process. Only Sam Gliddin can save the day. Originally published in 1965, it is now a tad outdated, but still worth a weekend's read.

I managed to find a few of JDM's novels back in the inner recesses of a book stall in Singapore. I wanted to re-discover why he was one of my favorite writers over 30 years ago. Except for some of the circumstances and the money exchanges, this book was every bit as good and exciting as anything on the market today. JDM's writing is polished, smooth-flowing and filled with such vivid descriptions that you can almost picture the people, good and bad, and how the islands look and feel. I have a few Travis McGee novels to re-visit and I'm sure I won't be disappointed. JDM passed in 1986 but he left volumes of relaxing and dramatic novels to enjoy on a lazy afternoon sitting in the shade of several palm trees, and drinking the fresh juice. I also enjoy the little asides about the amusing quirks of dogs, cats, fish, and of course, humans. He doesn't waste words and he keeps you on edge, waiting for the next chapter, and with a few deft strokes, brings the characters to life. He was very talented and prolific, and was a master storyteller. I suggest finding/buying a few of his books and see why we old loyalists love to visit his stretch of Florida landscapes like Yoknapatawpha County. It's fun to see some of his old cronies back on the pages, like Meyer, and of course, all the sun-tanned, bikini-wearing fair maidens.

First published in 1957, A Man of Affairs is one of John D. MacDonald's rare forays into writing a pure 'business' thriller. One of JDM's strengths is to render financial and corporate problems down to their human essences - explaining shares and dividends in terms of small towns, family homes and personal relationships.

In A Man of Affairs, the focus is solely on the lattermost point. From the set-up, JDM makes it clear that the stakes of the book aren't about life and death, or even wealth and discomfort. The conflict is about pride and ambition. How far will some men go for power, and where are the limits of self-respect?

The protagonist is Sam Glidden, an executive (not a shareholder) in a small-town manufacturing company. He owes a debt of honor to the company's founder - a debt which he maintains by sticking about at the business (despite being a 'bright young thing'). Unfortunately, the second generation of the company's ownership is not as worthy of Sam's loyalty (or are they?).

The book begins with the advent of an ambitious corporate shark, Mike Dean. Glidden and the company's current lackadaisical ownership are flown to a secluded island, so that he can seduce them into a buy-out (to be followed by a barely-legal stock inflation and unloading).

The island is filled with debauchery - 1957-style. The drinking begins at dawn, followed by sun-tanning, barracuda-fishing and prolific adultery. When the sun goes down, there's a brief and sodden discussion of business, followed by more drinking, a bit of singing and shameless bed-swapping.

Against this background, Glidden is tempted (repeatedly) by the nubile flesh of those around him (including one of the [married] bosses) and by the generous, Faustian offers of Mike Dean. Although the conflict of the book is set up nicely - Sam vs. Mike, Sam vs. the Old Guard, Sam vs. himself - everything is resolved far too neatly.

After positioning everything so nicely, John D. MacDonald effectively punts for the final third of the book. Sam makes tough, terrible decisions, but never needs to fret about them, as the rest of the world invariably maneuvers to prove him right (posthumously). Awkward interjections of physical violence make the conclusion all the sillier - despite Glidden's moral and intellectual challenges, his 'success' eventually hinges on his upper arm strength.

The one tiny, golden highlight of the book's conclusion is the final page. The denouement of the story is surprisingly romantic, and even a bit poignant. It does not, however, redeem the lackluster fumbling of the previous pages. This book is excellently set up, but poorly resolved - John D. MacDonald comes down with ill-timed cold feet and sabotages his own work.