Customer Reviews

Shipwreck

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Just as he did in his 1996 novel, About Schmidt, Begley here provides another character study of a middle-aged man who doubts his success and questions his good fortune. John North, like Schmidt, faces a crisis of conscience, questioning every aspect of his life while trying to avoid the messy consequences of his betrayal of his wife and his marriage. In this elegantly written novel, Begley presents North as a New York writer whose novels have won prizes, but who has endangered all he values in life by succumbing to the sexually voracious appetites of Lea Morini, a French journalist who has interviewed him for the Paris Vogue magazine. Totally committed to preserving his marriage, North also believes that he can continue his relationship with Lea because adultery is wrong "only if it is discovered."

In a bar called, L'Entre Deux Mondes, a "place between two worlds," or no-man's-land, North tells the story of his dalliance with Lea to his alter-ego, a "man so like me in appearance and demeanor." Hypersensitive to nuances and observant of the smallest details, however dense he may be about his personal life, North gives insights into the creative process which ring with truth, however much he may rationalize and temporize about his emotional weaknesses. His satirical comments about literary awards, the juries which determine the prizes, and the play-acting which accompanies the prize announcements provide a sense of realism.

Although North leads his companion (along with the reader) to think that he succeeds in solving the problem of Lea in the end, the reader cannot be sure that this is really the case, or that the concluding plot twist is truthful. North, the writer, believes that it is "a colossal mistake" to tell his story, as he has been doing, when he could be writing it. "That is how I could give it a proper conclusion," he tells us. The writer succeeds by "inventing: erasing what's inconvenient and bringing in whatever is useful and getting rid of what is improbable," he explains. The irony, of course, is that in the end, the story of North, Lydia, and Lea IS written and the reader has just read it. One can only wonder how much of the "inconvenient" has been "erased" here, either by Begley or by North, so that the dilemma of Lea can be resolved--if it is resolved. Mary Whipple

Louis Begley's latest novel, SHIPWRECK, is a tour de force that captures the madness of a high-profile author caught in a torrid affair with another woman.

John North, Begley's protagonist in SHIPWRECK, seems to have it all. He has just been awarded one of literature's top prizes and he has an adoring wife. For the most part, North is living the American dream --- that is until one day in Paris when he begins to question the value of his work while waiting for a writer from Vogue magazine.

Lea, the young journalist, is immediately starstruck with North's presence and decides he must become another addition to her long list of conquests. Meanwhile North, who is old enough to be Lea's father, is completely smitten with the leggy French vixen and sparks begin to fly.

While it appears that North narrates SHIPWRECK while downing shot after shot of whiskey inside a mysterious Parisian café with another person, it doesn't take too long for the reader to realize that North is actually alone. Ultimately Begley, author of the highly acclaimed novel ABOUT SCHMIDT, allows the reader to decide whether or not North is talking to himself --- and that's the brilliance of this mesmerizing story.

Begley does a wonderful job portraying North's wife Lydia as the ultimate victim of his extramarital activities. North cheats on his wife throughout the novel with Lea, but he doesn't deny for a second that his adulterous behavior is wrong. Even while North enjoys the numerous trysts with Lea, he never stops thinking about his wife and realizes from the onset of the affair that he's headed for troubled waters.

Not only is North grappling with the realization that he's in over his head with the affair, he is also constantly questioning the value of his literary career. In some respects, SHIPWRECK is about more than just an acclaimed author dealing with an obsessed sexpot.

Begley delves into the issue of adultery --- how the French view it as compared to American social values. North also is dealing with a bout of alcoholism throughout the book, although his overindulgence with the bottle is again presented as an afterthought in an effort not to stray the reader from the true essence of the novel. But here again, Begley's brilliance as a writer is apparent as he illustrates to the reader that North uses alcohol frequently as medication.

In addition to the social ramifications, SHIPWRECK is also steamy and suspenseful. You can picture SHIPWRECK as a film, equipped with a star-studded cast similar to About Schmidt.

--- Reviewed by David Exum

Begley brings you into his world once again but, this time he is lewd....never crude always witty... this tale will hold your attention and leave you wondering how many characters such as the main one in this book truely exist...I know that I know at least 2!!

Other reviews had given me high expectations about this book, regarding both the plot of the story and the literary qualities of the novel. I was disappointed on both counts. The plot is commonplace from the humdrum beginning to the highly predictable end. The characters --especially the French ones-- adhere regrettably faithfully to the stereotypes of American literature. The author has an undeniable talent for writing about sex, but indulges in it to the point of making the rest of the story appear like a pretext for doing just that. And, as a social critique, the book barely matches "the Bonfire of the Vanities", itself hardly a gem of modern literature. The supposed moral conflict that afflicts the lead character is a joke, as he clearly does not have any deep feelings for his mistress and their relationship boils down to lust, at least on his side. An elegant style, occasionally perceptive passages about some universal difficulties of "grown-up life" and a handful of smart literary tricks unfortunately do not add up to a great book. The author's talent is not in doubt, but he did not put enough effort into this book to make it a noteworthy addition to the heritage of literature on adultery and related moral conflicts.

I think I'm going to enjoy writing about Louis Begley's 'Shipwreck' more than I enjoyed reading it. Probably a lot more. There's so many ways to describe why I was so disappointed in this book.

The main character, and essentially the narrator of the story (though it's told through the filter of a mostly-silent third party), is John North. North is a published author of several novels of critical success and a faithful, loving husband to Lydia. Faithful, that is, until he meets young journalist Lea and begins an affair with her.

The disappointing part was that this had potential to be a good story - potential that went unrealized for the most part. 'Shipwreck' has a good ending, I will give it that, but getting there is simply a chore, and the payoff isn't worth the extra effort.

The story is basically a character study, but the main problem is that John North isn't an interesting enough character to merit a study of such length. North is neurotic and arrogant and prissy, which would all be fine if he had something interesting to say - but he doesn't. He questions and doubts and bends over backwards trying to gaze into his own navel constantly. His neuroses infect every aspect of the story and his passions are as tepid as the coffee you forgot to drink earlier this morning.

North cannot seem to say something straight out - he wanders from point to point as he tells his tale, bouncing off tangential stories often. This reminded me of the wanderings of Jose Saramago, who often rambles on as well. The sharp contrast is that Saramago wanders into flights of fancy and imagination crafted in language that makes you want to weep, while North, in Begley's hands, rambles deeper and deeper into the mundane. One makes the tangents worth reading on their own merit, the other makes them feel like roadblocks to the story.

There's nothing special about the craft of 'Shipwreck' either. The language is nothing to brag about and the story structure in linear and predictable. I suspected the ending would be at least a high point of the book, and I was at least right in that, but as I say, getting there was much, much harder than it needed to be.

Comparisons leap to mind. If 'Shipwreck' was a piece of music it would be most likely heard in an elevator, unobtrusive background noise played through tinny speakers. If it were a meal it would be vaguely satisfying but bland, something slightly greasy purchased at a drive-up window. If it were a razor blade it would be dull from use and irritating on the skin. If it were a painting it would be something seen on the wall of a hotel room - flat colors depicting a generic landscape, something safe and unoffensive.

There are better books along these lines - Susan Minot's 'Rapture,' for example, is a much more engaging story and told very thoughtfully, and actually expresses real passion and emotion without overplaying it. Put simply, 'Shipwreck' looked to be a story about hidden passions and life-changing decisions, but instead was an examination an uninteresting, neurotic, and ultimately cowardly character.

And yes, writing about it was far more fun than reading it.

I enjoyed reading this book, although there were some elements I found irritating. First, the irritating bits: The prose has no breaks or chapters; the conversation occurs over the course of three days. Surely at least each day warrants a chapter or section.

The story does not use quotation markings. This I can see because the narrative is 99% one character. There are periodic quotes from a listener with no visual designation as such, and this was mildly confusing, but I can see the reason for the absence of quotations. I recall Ann Rice's "Interview with a Vampire," (a completely different type of book) where quotations were used and it really got to be quite troublesome to navigate them all, in my opinion.

Aside from the lack of quotations, the story is really a monologue by one character, whom to me, seemed very full of himself in dominating so very much of the conversation. I found this irritating, a selfish trait this character had, who even admits he loathes people who talk too much. Who was this listener, who remained nameless and without personality? I felt like I wanted to know who this listener was. I don't think though, the story suffers greatly from it being told in this way; to me it was just a bit irritating.

One other little thing I did not like was some areas that to me seemed like filler or fluff - irrelevant discussions of other elements of the speaker's life. Some things like details of other members of his family, his wife's family, even his father's death, seemed like they belong in another story. This story is about adultery. Let's keep it focused. To me, even in a novel, just about every word counts. The speaker is a writer, and he even admits that writers adding this filler is not something he likes.

As for what I found strong in this story: For one, I believe the ending is just right. I was expecting some drama, hoping it was not too much, hoping it was consistent and believable. It was. It warrants a sequel so we can learn more.

I liked some small passages of text, one that sticks out, and is reminiscent of Cheever, is "I may go to a museum or an afternoon movie, the latter though very seldom because I am afraid of being taken for one of those men who go alone to the movies mainly to rub their elbow against the woman in the next seat." Wonderful.

The story is gripping and maintained my interest; I wanted to know how the predicament was resolved. I am hoping the author is considering a follow-up.

This is the third book that I have read by Louis Begley, and though they have all been outstanding, this one is by far the best. This is the book that solidifies him in my mind as one of the best authors alive today.

In case the title of the book is not a strong enough hint that there will be no happy ending to the story, Begley quickly sets a tone of personal destruction and moral failure. His main character, John North, opens the book by approaching a stranger in a bar, and offering to buy him a drink if he will sit and listen to a story that North has never told anyone before. The story is a long one, told over several days and several bottles of whiskey. And the silent listener, whose name we never learn, whose voice we never hear, and whose judgment we never receive, is described as being nearly identical to North in every detail - a physical manifestation, perhaps, of North's troubled conscience.

And yes, his conscience has ample reason to be troubled. The tale he tells is one of deception, weakness, and tragedy. North, a prize-winning novelist, recounts to his companion the details of his affair with Lea, a young French journalist who interviews him for an article about his latest book. North succumbs to his desire for Lea, despite his love for his wife Lydia and his fear of the pain she would suffer if she were to discover his infidelity.

Begley proves in this novel that he is both a gifted storyteller and a master of painting with words the entire spectrum of human emotions. His first-person narration is infused with an overwhelming feeling of honesty, ruthless self-reflection, and guilt. Begley writes about love as well as he does about fear, about lust as well as he does about anger. As a character, North is one of the most genuine I have found in literature. He hides nothing from us, makes no excuses for his weakness, and delivers his self-condemning story with unflinching honesty.

I discovered Shipwreck on the "recommended" table at my local library. However, I'm afraid I cannot second the opinion of my local librarians.

I had a very difficult time getting through Shipwreck. Although, I must say that it had nothing to do with the writing (which was excellent), or with the story (which was compelling, yet somewhat predictable), or with the immoral characters.

No, the biggest problem for me was a practical one---the book had no breaks in the text. There are no chapters, no line breaks, nothing. It simply rambles on until it's done. I suppose it's only fitting to ramble on, much like a drunken person would do in a bar while telling a story. However, it does not really go well with the intelligent and well-written text that would clearly not be the words of a drunk.

Due to the lack of chapter breaks, it became very difficult to simply stop in the middle of the story and pick it back up again (the next morning, for example).

Overall, I found the book to be an interesting expose of an adulterer's mind. Or---simply put---a good read, but not outstanding.