Customer Reviews

Matters of Chance: A Novel

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book had an excellent beginning, filled with promise but quickly devolved into predictability. Most affecting section was the main character's wartime experiences. There was some expectation that, once home, some dramatic conflict would start, since he was changed by his wartime exploits. Instead, we are subjected to a relentless onslought of perfect people who always do the right, noble thing. Bits of historic arcana are sprinkled in for some odd reason -- perhaps to remind us that there is a real world out there. Subjects such as homosexuality, adoption, adultery are all reacted to with grace and equanimity. Isn't pretty to think so. I don't have a problem with noble and uplifting characters -- but there has to some bad guys, if for no other reason than texture!

My book club read Haien's THE ALL OF IT and loved it. I was looking forward to another excellent book, but I was very disappointed. I didn't connect with any of the characters and I especially didn't care for the wartime descriptions; they didn't seem realistic. The twins were not characterized well; I didn't feel I knew them. Too much time passed, too quickly for any real feelings to develop. I have to admit I just skimmed the last half of the book to see what the big mystery re: the twins was. And that was anticlimatic. I liked the first novel so much better. It hardly seems to be the same author.

This book is about the 40's and 50's; it is written in the prose, style, and sentiment of those years; it has the manners and the voice of those decades. The writing is formal, the themes are idealistic, the plot is secondary to the characters. If you enjoy good writing about a special, simpler time, you'll enjoy this book. If you're strung out on 90's deconstructivism and can't or don't want to understand the codes and morays by which some people used to live, then you might think the book is trite or the author is somehow a betrayal to her gender (?). I for one found the female characters very strong and interesting, but then I think that mothers can be strong, passionate figures without being lawyers as well.

After reading several rave reviews of this book--by a winner of a prize for her first novel--I had high expectations. How disappointing to discover that this novel had all the philosophical merit of a romance novel--without the betrayals and steamy sex. And how disappointing to see a woman writer buy into all the 1950s mystique of waspy rich people, whose biggest decision is Episcopal or Presbyterian church, male primogeniture, wealth, happy housewives, and the like. The one section of the book that tries to explore further--our hero's World War II participation--leads nowhere as we return to the 1950s. "Fraternization" with the other classes does not lead to any social consciousness whatsoever; in fact, there are happy servants reminiscent of the "happy slave" myth, women whose greatest desire is to serve their rich white masters. And as for the women: poor Maud has to die off in order for our hero to find an even younger, more creative version to spend his later life with. How predictable is this--very, from a male author, sadly, too, here, from a woman.

Of the many new books I have read recently, I enjoyed this one the most. Ms. Haien writes well and captures the sincerity and decentness of her main character Morgan. His love for his wife and adopted daughters and the progression of his life through many stages lead the reader through every page. The veiled nature of the older woman whom he befriends lends a richness to the story and the plot twist near the end is unexpected. I have not read others of Ms. Haien's work, but I expect to as a result of the pleasure I received from this work.smh

My only words to describe my experience was to a dear friend who also read this extraordinary novel and my words were "Okay, now what do I do". It left me feeling as if any other book I would read would pale in comparison.

I liked the first 250-300 pages of this 440 page book. After that it crawled forward at a snail's pace, one predictable event after another, rich people leading the good life, the main character a man for whom most everything works out brilliantly. Eventually the author became stuck for an event and so killed off the wife. Surprising in a book by a woman author that the male characters are much more interesting and well rounded than the female. They are all sweet and adoring of the main character. Best character: the dog, Ralph. If this book had been published in 1960, the year the story ends, perhaps it would have been okay. Now old fashioned and disappointing. The writing is good, but long-winded.

I agree with a couple of the previous reviews. This book was just packed with perfect people who always have perfect, politically correct, supportive reactions to EVERYTHING that is thrown their way. It is so boring because it is so predictable. Every character will always do the best possible thing. I could not connect with any of them. They seemed inhuman and unrealistic. I read Haien's The All of It and enjoyed that short novel, but Matters of Chance has nothing to recommend.