Customer Reviews

The Pursuit of Happiness

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not a fan of love stories, though love is part of many novels. This book, on the surface, seems to be little more than a tragic love story. But it is set during the McCarthy era in New York, and it depicts people and places with resounding veracity.

I was drawn to this by the author's other works, which can be wild, wacky and funny, but this novel is a different style for Kennedy. You may not find it to your liking, but there is a haunting that remains in your soul after reading this book that makes it worthwhile.

This is the sixth novel that I've read by Douglas Kennedy, and all are excellent, but really, they're more than excellent, because his work overall is exceptional, the man has talent, because simply he has the novelist's skill to write a strictly transfixing tale and draw the reader in no matter the apparent banality (on the surface) of the general plot. Unfortunately I have left this particular novel till now to read, and without question it is Kennedy's best work.

The Pursuit of Happiness is a perfect example of a seemingly mundane plot:

The time is post WW2, when life's possibilities for young Americans seemed limitless.

Privileged WASP girl, Sara, defies conservative well-to-do parents, graduates Bryn Mawr, and against her parent's wishes chooses to live in Manhattan with a low paying writing position at Life Magazine. Sara's brilliant and rebellious older brother Eric Smythe is also living in the big city, writing plays and dabbling in the then "fashionable" political persuasion of communism. Both are writers and have the potential to be great ones. Sara meets handsome war time journalist, Jack Malone, (great name) at her brother's bohemian New Year's Eve party and they fall in love at first sight. They make love that night only the next morning Sara discovers Jack has to go back over seas that day but "promises" to write her three times everyday and return in nine months to live happily ever after...this never happens. Poor Sara writes him and never receives a word which proceeds to ruin her life...and on from there.

This could well sound interesting to some and soap opera clichéd to other's, however, the story is anything but "interesting" or clichéd because it is Kennedy's skill at characterization, his ability as a writer to give the reader a close empathic identification with the main character, all set in the context of post war Manhattan - a time and place where dreams can and do come true.

Written in the first person, we see, feel and experience all Sara Smythe's lows and extreme highs - we want her to win because she is at bottom a woman who knows herself and is willing to do anything necessary to do the "right" thing in life but later learns a valuable lesson.

Personally, as an amateur writer of fiction, the ability for a male writer to write so convincingly as a woman is astounding to me. One of Kennedy's other excellent novels, A Special Relationship, proved this skill beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Pursuit of Happiness is almost epic in its scope, set against the McCarthy witch hunts aimed at the American entertainment Industry during the 50's, forcing, like the Nazi SS, innocent citizen's to name names to protect their livelihoods, destroying too many lives...this is a period in American history that should never be forgotten.

The Pursuit of Happiness is not only a good novel but a great one, proving to me that the art of the novel is alive and well.

Having visited New York in early 2001, and being a keen fan of Kennedy, I grabbed his then new work with keen interest.

Kennedy has written his most complete work to date. While his previous works were superb, ranging from travel books, to three well executed thriller-page turners, Pursuit represents an ambitious advance.

The plot centers on a relationship based in the Marcarthyist period in the US, and the principal location is New York.

Having only just visited New York for the first time, I greatly enjoyed Kennedy's description of NYC main streets and avenues that I had only just visited weeks before.

The advance for Kennedy comes in his greater scope of plot and storyline, and even his greater self confidence as a novelist. He manages to very competently convey the issues, concerns and emotions of his main character, a woman in 1950's America.

Douglas Kennedy brings to life the America of the McCarthy era. In telling the story he shows the prejudice and fear that can be promulgated from the idealism and ignorance of the media, governments and men. His words allow readers to feel the power of a few over many - and what can be sacrificed if the needs of family and future are threatened. He brings to the fore the importance of the freedom of speech and freedom of thought and association. This story is even more poignant as we read it in this era of Bush and we reflect on those who are currently incarcerated by the United States for political association without trial - one can't help but wonder how much has changed. Kennedy entwines his political story with a tragic love story- albeit a somewhat melodramatic and occasionally predicable one but one never the less that more than keeps the readers interest as the messages behind the story seep through. This is a book that makes you search for more whilst at the same time asking questions about any society, which allows itself to be repressed. Let us hope that the world' s fear of terrorism does not also allow us to repeat the McCarthy era.
Douglas Kennedy, I hope, will make others think and question this new era of political righteousness.

I loved this book - could not put it down. It is utterly involving and feels real. No cop-outs, great characterisation, good plot, rich language - a quality pageturner.

I have two positives for this book: the main character is a strong (but imperfect) female, which is refreshing, and the story flows quickly (therefore, good for a beach or airplane read). But overall, this is an historical romance, and is escapist reading rather than literature. Nothing, not a thing, is left to the reader to interpret or imagine. There is no subtlety. Every emotion, every nuance, is spelled out by the writer...so much for 'Show, rather than tell.' Nope, you get the experience, and then you get the characters' conversations about the experience, and in case the message has not been hammered home, we have the narrative re-explaining what happened and how the character reacted and what life truth has been learned. Then again, I finished the book, so it was good enough to read through and enjoy. But I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone, I think Marjorie Morningstar (Wouk) would be a much better choice for someone looking for a love-of-my-life-but-not-meant-to-be? sort of story.

I love this book. Couldnt put it down. The ups and downs in this book are like a roller coaster ride with your emotions, I even cried when I read it. Very touching and moving story about love, life and giving it all.

This is one of Douglas
Kennedy's best books.It
starts out in present, &
goes back to word war 2.
I've read this book twice.
It was very hard to put down.

What a great read this is! Unputdownable from start to finish. The insight into New York in the McCarthy era coupled with a fantastic love story filled with every twist and turn you can imagine, makes this book one of the best I've read in a long time. Do yourself a favour and read this one. You will love every moment of it.

At first I was disinterested in a story that I thought to be a romance written by a man...but then I started reading and couldn't stop. It's more of a life story of a family that's lives are interwoven with another woman and her life. How the groups become entagled and grow. Almost like two ships that pass in the night and somehow become connected. So no matter where they go or what they do they are always together. A story about a love that is timeless and strong and something that neither party can deny or control and the beauty of the inner strength that holds us together as individuals. A good read.