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Book Talk
Gty on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg
Alfred A. Knopf, 2015
Reviewed by Ken Wilkins
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GARTH RISK HALLBERG
I see you
Lets get it out of the way early: this is a long book,
but do not let that put you oif. Garth Risk Hallberg,
who grew up in Greenville, NC, and attended Parrott
Academy, has penned an extraordinary novel. It has a
complex plot, characters that are three-dimensional and
more, symbolism, mystery and themes addressed with
a depth that astounds. It may be difficult to imagine
reading a book of nearly 1,000 pages, but this is one that
tempts the reader to dive in for a second look.
The story is set mostly in 1976 and 1977 in
Manhattan. This was a time before AIDS and when
punk had replaced the hippie movement (but kept
the drugs) as a method of rebellion by young folks.
Hallberg, who as best I can tell was not even alive then, puts us precisely there.
City on Fire is about many things: the wealthy Hamilton-Sweeney family, the
punk scene, a murder mystery, connections and the blackout of 1977. It cannot be
pigeon-holed into some specific category.
I jokingly referred to it once as a detective novel. There is indeed a murder and a
detective who becomes obsessed with the case, but City on Fire is much more than
that story, although the murder plays a central role in connecting all the characters
and plots.
The subplots involve Regan (nee Hamilton-Sweeney) and Keith Lamplighter
and the breakup of their marriage. The machinations of Regans uncle by marriage
provide the underpinnings of evil that seem to move everything in the family, but
beneath all their troubles, it is obvious that Regan and Keith love each other very
much.
Another story line tells of Samantha Cicciaro and Charlie Weisbarger, a pair of
teenagers from Long Island, longing to be of the city and its punk rock scene. Said
scene includes much R-rated material, and Sam and Charlie both partake, as do
many other characters. Charlie ends up grounded, and they lose each other, but
here again it is obvious that they love each other, even though neither realizes it.
Then there are William Hamilton-Sweeney III (Regans estranged brother) and
his boyfriend, Mercer Goodman, who is black, fresh from Atlanta, Georgia, a
teacher and an aspiring writer. William, known as Billy Three Sticks when he was
the front man of a defunct punk band called Ex-Post Facto, is a heroin addict and
an artist. These two also love each other. |
In the background most of the time is Amory Gould, brother of the second wife
of the head of the Hamilton-Sweeney empire. This modern-day Machiavelli has
manipulated his sister into her marriage and inserted himself into the company,
with more ambitious plans underway.
With all this, we have a novel that would keep an English class busy for at least
one semester. City on Fire was greatly anticipated, and its publication by Knopf
came after a bidding war that ended at a $2 million advance. This is one thing, •
however, that lives up to its hype.
A brief review cannot do justice to this long, complex, marvelous novel. Garth
Risk Hallberg, who fled the South for New York, in City on Fire has revealed his
Southern roots. This book focuses on place and relationships, but race and even
religion figure prominently. These are the hallmarks of Southern fiction. His-
characters could live anywhere, and their motivations are universal. The essential
message of the book is found in its final two sentences: “I see you. You are not alone.”
20 TheShoreUM i February 2016