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A review by thejoyofbooking
Lamb: A Novel by Bonnie Nadzam, Bonnie Nadzam
4.0
Lamb reminded me quite a bit of Nabakov’s Lolita, so if that type of relationship skeeves you out, this may not be the story (or the review) for you. That said, Lamb’s relationship with Tommie is not NEARLY so disturbing as Humbert Humbert’s is for his Lolita, so if you’re bothered by it but not completely uninterested, there are some interesting things here. Minor spoilers throughout this review, but the read itself is more about the language and the interior thoughts than the plot, so I don’t think I’m ruining anything here.
David Lamb has just buried his abusive father, his marriage is over, and his job is at risk because he’s sleeping with a coworker. In the middle of all this, he’s approached by a garishly dressed girl who asks him for a cigarette. After pretending to abduct her to help her get back at the friends that put her up to it, Lamb strikes up a friendship with the girl, which culminates in another “abduction” – one that is totally consensual (inasmuch as an 11-year-old can give consent) and designed to break them both out of their rut.
Lamb and Tommie’s road trip is punctuated by his stream-of-consciousness ramblings about whether they should turn back or think about it in the morning, his repeated attempts at getting her to leave and go back on her own, and a make-believe world in which Lamb describes their destination with such imagery and prose that you’re certain it can’t be real. Their friendship deepens into something father-daughter-like but also something of equals – it’s not remotely sexual at this point.
Once they reach the cabin, things get a little weird, and my semi-fondness for Lamb began to deteriorate pretty rapidly. He starts to isolate Tommie and, it appears, tries to initiate an intimacy well beyond the boundaries of their agreement. He had invited his coworker girlfriend out to visit, which I thought was a cover for his absence, but she comes, and Lamb’s treatment of Tommie during this section is completely unforgivable. His thought processes become increasingly bizarre until finally, finally, he returns Tommie to her home, where he speeds off with her in his rearview mirror, with hardly any compassion for what her life will be like going forward.
It’s hard to say what I think about this novel. The relationship between the two main characters is twisted, but I think the author was trying to show that such a relationship can be sincere. By the end of the story, I rather think she proved the opposite. The language is beautiful and haunting, and there are passages that really stand out, such as the first morning breakfast they have at the cabin. It’s a lovely read, but not an easy one to stomach.
David Lamb has just buried his abusive father, his marriage is over, and his job is at risk because he’s sleeping with a coworker. In the middle of all this, he’s approached by a garishly dressed girl who asks him for a cigarette. After pretending to abduct her to help her get back at the friends that put her up to it, Lamb strikes up a friendship with the girl, which culminates in another “abduction” – one that is totally consensual (inasmuch as an 11-year-old can give consent) and designed to break them both out of their rut.
Lamb and Tommie’s road trip is punctuated by his stream-of-consciousness ramblings about whether they should turn back or think about it in the morning, his repeated attempts at getting her to leave and go back on her own, and a make-believe world in which Lamb describes their destination with such imagery and prose that you’re certain it can’t be real. Their friendship deepens into something father-daughter-like but also something of equals – it’s not remotely sexual at this point.
Once they reach the cabin, things get a little weird, and my semi-fondness for Lamb began to deteriorate pretty rapidly. He starts to isolate Tommie and, it appears, tries to initiate an intimacy well beyond the boundaries of their agreement. He had invited his coworker girlfriend out to visit, which I thought was a cover for his absence, but she comes, and Lamb’s treatment of Tommie during this section is completely unforgivable. His thought processes become increasingly bizarre until finally, finally, he returns Tommie to her home, where he speeds off with her in his rearview mirror, with hardly any compassion for what her life will be like going forward.
It’s hard to say what I think about this novel. The relationship between the two main characters is twisted, but I think the author was trying to show that such a relationship can be sincere. By the end of the story, I rather think she proved the opposite. The language is beautiful and haunting, and there are passages that really stand out, such as the first morning breakfast they have at the cabin. It’s a lovely read, but not an easy one to stomach.