Published by Knopf Canada.
The subtitle reads "A Novel About a Family That Puts the Personality in Disorder". The first half of the novel seems to be about the "personality", and the second the "disorder". At first this novel seems to be about the Flanagan family and all their little quirks. While they seem lovable in that quirky kind of way, the reader can also discern an undertone of discord. The story is told from the viewpoint of the oldest son, Collie (named after the dog by his mother). Collie is by far the most average character of the novel, and he struggles to understand the rest of the Flanagan family from the standpoint of sanity. At times it seems the other characters are black boxes to Collie, like he doesn't understand the logic behind their actions any better than we do. At other times it's clear that he has at least become habituated to their strangeness. The reader can see that the characters, whom we might call eccentric and interesting were we unaffiliated with them, are at the same time alienating to a young boy (Collie at the beginning of the book, with whom the reader empathizes).
Around the middle of the novel tragedy strikes. To explain the story would be a disservice to future readers, as this passage is one of the most affecting of the novel. After so many pages of lightheartedness (strained, though it may be), Kelly manages to foreshadow disaster and express a great loss in one short series of events that seems both inevitable and unjust. We continue to follow Collie as he attempts to deal with the events, with minimal support from his strange and occasionally hostile family. By the end of the novel, he seems reconciled to the other Flanagans, but the reader isn't sure whether it's a harmonious reconciliation or whether Collie is admitting defeat.
The high-energy existence the Flanagans exhibit is reflected in Kelly's style of writing, peppered with internal references and metaphors that keep the reader at attention. I couldn't help but feel involved with this book, these characters. Reading this reminded me of the days when I only read classic, historically tested literature. Very highly recommended.
