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A review by bangkok67
Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars. by Joyce Carol Oates
5.0
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John Earle “Whitey” McClaren is an influential citizen and family patriarch in Hammond, New York. Whitey stops his car along the highway when he sees police officers mistreating a dark-skinned young man. Whitey's good samaritan instincts get him a thorough beating that ultimately brings on a stroke. Whitey's family of five grown children and his beloved wife, Jessalyn, rush to his bedside, but just as it appears he will survive his injuries and the stroke, he dies from a staph infection.
The opening passages of this novel shocked me as I am sure it did most readers. Here we are in the throes of a national tragedy of yet another black man killed by police, and JCO has already prepared a book to tell us how a family reacts to the loss of a man they loved and respected. Jessalyn's journey through grief is gruesome. She begins to fade away, tremendous weight loss and hair that suddenly turns gray. Everyone worries about Jessalyn, but she wants to be left alone.
The oldest son, Thom, sees, from the beginning, that Whitey has suffered physical attacks that do not correspond to a stroke. He takes photos of his father in the hospital, resolving to find out what happened on the highway that afternoon. Thom's obsession is to find the facts and get justice for his father.
Beverly, the oldest daughter, tries to be helpful to her mother but she is more annoying and needy, and her mother and siblings wish that she would stop crying and go back to her own life that may be in a shambles. Lorene, a young principal at a local high school, has difficulty coping but does not seek help. Sofia, a lab assistant, is lonely and trying to decide what to do with her life. Virgil, the youngest son, continues to fade in and out of the family's lives. According to Jessalyn, he is a gentle soul, and he is the only one she wants to see and have at home with her.
JOA's 800-page novel thoroughly explores grief and growing up to be decent adults. I found myself worrying about Jessalyn throughout the entire story. Her profound grief process is written with clarity and insight, as we would expect from Oates. She has written before about the loss of her husband. I felt that profound understanding of grief in this character's experience.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this new novel.
John Earle “Whitey” McClaren is an influential citizen and family patriarch in Hammond, New York. Whitey stops his car along the highway when he sees police officers mistreating a dark-skinned young man. Whitey's good samaritan instincts get him a thorough beating that ultimately brings on a stroke. Whitey's family of five grown children and his beloved wife, Jessalyn, rush to his bedside, but just as it appears he will survive his injuries and the stroke, he dies from a staph infection.
The opening passages of this novel shocked me as I am sure it did most readers. Here we are in the throes of a national tragedy of yet another black man killed by police, and JCO has already prepared a book to tell us how a family reacts to the loss of a man they loved and respected. Jessalyn's journey through grief is gruesome. She begins to fade away, tremendous weight loss and hair that suddenly turns gray. Everyone worries about Jessalyn, but she wants to be left alone.
The oldest son, Thom, sees, from the beginning, that Whitey has suffered physical attacks that do not correspond to a stroke. He takes photos of his father in the hospital, resolving to find out what happened on the highway that afternoon. Thom's obsession is to find the facts and get justice for his father.
Beverly, the oldest daughter, tries to be helpful to her mother but she is more annoying and needy, and her mother and siblings wish that she would stop crying and go back to her own life that may be in a shambles. Lorene, a young principal at a local high school, has difficulty coping but does not seek help. Sofia, a lab assistant, is lonely and trying to decide what to do with her life. Virgil, the youngest son, continues to fade in and out of the family's lives. According to Jessalyn, he is a gentle soul, and he is the only one she wants to see and have at home with her.
JOA's 800-page novel thoroughly explores grief and growing up to be decent adults. I found myself worrying about Jessalyn throughout the entire story. Her profound grief process is written with clarity and insight, as we would expect from Oates. She has written before about the loss of her husband. I felt that profound understanding of grief in this character's experience.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this new novel.