Title: The Most Dangerous Thing
Review: I struggled with this book; not because it was bad, but rather it is a break in style from what I expect from Laura Lippman. I can genuinely claim Lippman is in my top 5 favourite authors, and I anxiously await each new release. The Most Dangerous Thing has her taking risk with her voice and unfortunately that collided with my preconceived notions. I believe this is an acquired taste and could prove to be one of her best books.
That said there are plenty of things I did love in the book. Given my background in psychology (and family science) I am always intrigued when an author successfully demonstrates the consequences of a quirk in human nature. In this book all the main characters act out of a perceived interest of the needs of the others, but yet no one talks with each other. Too often the stumbling blocks in life are not random, they typically are caused by our assumptions and general fear of confronting difficult situations.
The Most Dangerous Thing features five friends, their parents, a priest, and a homeless man. Lock into the prison a small neighborhood creates they all go about forging relationships built on secrets and distrust. That is pretty standard fare for most people, but their situation is brought to a head with the death of the homeless man. The events of that night are banished from the memories of all involved, never to be discussed again. Something isn't right, and everyone stirs with those problems, but yet remain silent out of solidarity to the other. Each assuming they are the only one struggling.
This plan works well, or at least passably until the youngest of the group some 30 years later, who has relapsed once again into alcoholism, is killed in a single vehicle accident; or maybe it was suicide. This brings all the surviving characters together once again, and this time the past won't stay silent. Truth, no matter how hard will win out eventually.
With this tale Lippman has revealed a great life lesson. Problems must be dealt with, the sooner the better. Either you deal with them in the present when they are at their smallest, or you postpone them to face later when they are bigger, accumulating more baggage and inflicting more damage as they steadily roll along. The best you can hope for is a miserable life and death before the truth finds you.
A recent This American Life detailed the story of Jeff Smith, a state senator from Missouri, who made a small mistake (a slap on the wrist crime) but decided to lie about it. He spent a year in Federal prison by the time he was done. Or we have the numerous examples of professional athletes that used illegal steroids from BALCO who thought it would be a good idea to lie to federal investigators. They still lost their reputations and all their officially recognized accomplishments, and now they went to jail too.
The beauty of what Lippman has done is create a complex interwoven tale of lies and secrets that will leave you pondering just what happened, why it happened, and just who is at fault. The reality is no one and everyone are at fault, much like the problems in our life. Happiness is not found in blame, because that is like pushing the river trying to get it right. Rather happiness is found in forgiveness and living in the now. Getting up from your mistakes and trying to live well today; to try again.
The only downside for me was the method of telling the story. Typically a book will start with the action, the big event, then spend the rest of the story explaining it. Lippman starts with the past and jumps to the future, switching perspective between all the main characters every chapter. The whole time she circles the main event in ever tightening circles until she finally gets there in the last pages. This had me wondering where we were going the whole time, and this ambiguity left me feeling uncomfortable. That is more of a statement about me, always liking to know where we are going, not wanting to give up control. I think a second read would much more satisfying, knowing all the spoilers. But again that's my personality and not a statement about the quality of the book.
That said there are plenty of things I did love in the book. Given my background in psychology (and family science) I am always intrigued when an author successfully demonstrates the consequences of a quirk in human nature. In this book all the main characters act out of a perceived interest of the needs of the others, but yet no one talks with each other. Too often the stumbling blocks in life are not random, they typically are caused by our assumptions and general fear of confronting difficult situations.
The Most Dangerous Thing features five friends, their parents, a priest, and a homeless man. Lock into the prison a small neighborhood creates they all go about forging relationships built on secrets and distrust. That is pretty standard fare for most people, but their situation is brought to a head with the death of the homeless man. The events of that night are banished from the memories of all involved, never to be discussed again. Something isn't right, and everyone stirs with those problems, but yet remain silent out of solidarity to the other. Each assuming they are the only one struggling.
This plan works well, or at least passably until the youngest of the group some 30 years later, who has relapsed once again into alcoholism, is killed in a single vehicle accident; or maybe it was suicide. This brings all the surviving characters together once again, and this time the past won't stay silent. Truth, no matter how hard will win out eventually.
With this tale Lippman has revealed a great life lesson. Problems must be dealt with, the sooner the better. Either you deal with them in the present when they are at their smallest, or you postpone them to face later when they are bigger, accumulating more baggage and inflicting more damage as they steadily roll along. The best you can hope for is a miserable life and death before the truth finds you.
A recent This American Life detailed the story of Jeff Smith, a state senator from Missouri, who made a small mistake (a slap on the wrist crime) but decided to lie about it. He spent a year in Federal prison by the time he was done. Or we have the numerous examples of professional athletes that used illegal steroids from BALCO who thought it would be a good idea to lie to federal investigators. They still lost their reputations and all their officially recognized accomplishments, and now they went to jail too.
The beauty of what Lippman has done is create a complex interwoven tale of lies and secrets that will leave you pondering just what happened, why it happened, and just who is at fault. The reality is no one and everyone are at fault, much like the problems in our life. Happiness is not found in blame, because that is like pushing the river trying to get it right. Rather happiness is found in forgiveness and living in the now. Getting up from your mistakes and trying to live well today; to try again.
The only downside for me was the method of telling the story. Typically a book will start with the action, the big event, then spend the rest of the story explaining it. Lippman starts with the past and jumps to the future, switching perspective between all the main characters every chapter. The whole time she circles the main event in ever tightening circles until she finally gets there in the last pages. This had me wondering where we were going the whole time, and this ambiguity left me feeling uncomfortable. That is more of a statement about me, always liking to know where we are going, not wanting to give up control. I think a second read would much more satisfying, knowing all the spoilers. But again that's my personality and not a statement about the quality of the book.
Publisher: Published May 1st 2012 by
HarperCollins Publishers (first published August 23rd 2011)
Copyright: 2011
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780062122926
Quick Review: 3.75 stars out of 5
Why Did I Read the Book:
This is an author I
keep as current as possible with.
Where Did I Get the Book: Sent by the publisher
for the TLC Tour.
Synopsis: Some secrets can't be
kept. . . .
"The Most Dangerous Thing"
Years ago, they were all the best of friends. But as time
passed and circumstances changed, they grew apart, became adults with families
of their own, and began to forget about the past--and the terrible lie they all
shared. But now Gordon, the youngest and wildest of the five, has died and the
others are thrown together for the first time in years.
And then the revelations start.
Could their long-ago lie be the reason for their troubles
today? Is it more dangerous to admit to what they've done or is it the strain
of keeping the secret that is beginning to wear on them and everyone close to
them? Each one of these old friends has to wonder if their secret has been
discovered--and if someone within the circle is out to destroy them.
Author Biography: Laura Lippman was a reporter for twenty years, including
twelve years at The (Baltimore) Sun. She began writing novels while working
fulltime and published seven books about “accidental PI” Tess Monaghan before
leaving daily journalism in 2001. Her work has been awarded the Edgar ®, the
Anthony, the Agatha, the Shamus, the Nero Wolfe, Gumshoe and Barry awards. She
also has been nominated for other prizes in the crime fiction field, including
the Hammett and the Macavity. She was the first-ever recipient of the Mayor’s
Prize for Literary Excellence and the first genre writer recognized as Author
of the Year by the Maryland Library Association.
Ms. Lippman grew up in Baltimore and attended
city schools through ninth grade. After graduating from Wilde Lake High School
in Columbia, Md., Ms. Lippman attended Northwestern University’s Medill School
of Journalism. Her other newspaper jobs included the Waco Tribune-Herald and
the San Antonio Light.
Ms. Lippman returned to Baltimore in
1989 and has lived there since. She is the daughter of Theo Lippman Jr., a Sun
editorial writer who retired in 1995 but continues to freelance for several
newspapers, and Madeline Mabry Lippman, a former Baltimore City school
librarian. Her sister, Susan, is a local bookseller.
Other Reviews: LA Times, Life in Review, Life is Short read fast
Interesting that you say this may become one of her best books, despite it being a departure from the norm (which you have always enjoyed). I'd be interested in seeing what you thought about this after reading it a second time at a later date!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being on the tour.
I love that you got a deeper meaning out of this book than just what was on the surface.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's hard to admit the truth in the moment, but I tell myself that I'd rather admit it now than face additional questions later -- like why I lied in the first place!
Evidently a number of fans have struggled with this book.
ReplyDelete