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A review by despina19
2 A.M. at The Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino
4.25
4-4.5 stars
I love Marie-Helene Bertino's writing. After reading Beautyland, I wanted to dig into her backlist. So I started with this book, her first novel.
I could absolutely feel the foundations of what was to come in Beautyland being explored with this book. Bertino's writing, just like in Beautyland, tells a story, that seems light, humorous, full of ordinary absurdities, and the story builds as she brings to life this Philadelphia community with poetic prose. But the main characters' stories, Madeleine's, Sarina's and Lorca's, are darker than they seem.
I had this same experience reading Kaveh Akbar's Martyr recently; the writing was so gentle, the contents so heavy and dark. I started to wonder if Bertino is also a poet and heard her on an old podcast confirming that she did indeed start out as a poet and failed. I'm not sure about the failed part as I think when poets write novels, this gentleness and the way they play with language comes through. And it certainly did here.
The story takes place over 24 hours, from Christmas Eve Eve to Christmas Eve. We follow the stories of 9-year old Madeline, whose mother is dead and is neglected and abused by her widowed father. Madeleine has a gift for singing that she wants to share. Sarina, her newly divorced teacher, has recently moved back to Philadelphia connecting with former classmates who significantly impacted her at a particularly vulnerable time and changed the trajectory of her life. Lorca, the owner of The Cat's Pajamas, a jazz club, faces the potential loss of his business and problems in his personal life with his 16-year old son going down the wrong path and Lorca's own love life falling apart.
In less than 300 pages, Bertino builds a community where everyone has a distinct background and personality and tells a story that feels like a dream with a few elements of magical realism thrown in.
Many of these characters are seeking change, do-overs, a better future. Will they find it? The ending was a bit confusing, so I need to process. I reread very few books, but both of her books I've read so far are ones I would reread, and I know I would get more out of them each time. This was such a special book!
I love Marie-Helene Bertino's writing. After reading Beautyland, I wanted to dig into her backlist. So I started with this book, her first novel.
I could absolutely feel the foundations of what was to come in Beautyland being explored with this book. Bertino's writing, just like in Beautyland, tells a story, that seems light, humorous, full of ordinary absurdities, and the story builds as she brings to life this Philadelphia community with poetic prose. But the main characters' stories, Madeleine's, Sarina's and Lorca's, are darker than they seem.
I had this same experience reading Kaveh Akbar's Martyr recently; the writing was so gentle, the contents so heavy and dark. I started to wonder if Bertino is also a poet and heard her on an old podcast confirming that she did indeed start out as a poet and failed. I'm not sure about the failed part as I think when poets write novels, this gentleness and the way they play with language comes through. And it certainly did here.
The story takes place over 24 hours, from Christmas Eve Eve to Christmas Eve. We follow the stories of 9-year old Madeline, whose mother is dead and is neglected and abused by her widowed father. Madeleine has a gift for singing that she wants to share. Sarina, her newly divorced teacher, has recently moved back to Philadelphia connecting with former classmates who significantly impacted her at a particularly vulnerable time and changed the trajectory of her life. Lorca, the owner of The Cat's Pajamas, a jazz club, faces the potential loss of his business and problems in his personal life with his 16-year old son going down the wrong path and Lorca's own love life falling apart.
In less than 300 pages, Bertino builds a community where everyone has a distinct background and personality and tells a story that feels like a dream with a few elements of magical realism thrown in.
Many of these characters are seeking change, do-overs, a better future. Will they find it? The ending was a bit confusing, so I need to process. I reread very few books, but both of her books I've read so far are ones I would reread, and I know I would get more out of them each time. This was such a special book!