Even in our progressive, tell-all society, polygamy is still a somewhat taboo and widely misunderstood topic. The only intimate details about the polygamist lifestyle to which most of us are privy have come through fictional avenues, such as the notable HBO dramatic series “Big Love.” Brady Udall adds to that growing list of sneak peeks this year with “The Lonely Polygamist.” In this piece of fiction, Udall not only delivers a hefty dose of entertainment, humor and drama, he also proves he’s done his homework when it comes to this particular way of living.
Careful not to cast a positive or negative light on the polygamist (and, in this case, Mormon) lifestyle, Udall paints a picture of a family stretched beyond its means, literally and figuratively. The father, Golden Richards, offers little attention to his four wives and 28 children, instead choosing to affix his focus on his construction job that keeps him away from home for days at a time (building a brothel) and his budding interest in an extremely off-limits but nonetheless alluring woman.
Told from the perspectives of three characters (Golden, the patriarch; Trish, wife No. 4; and Rusty, an attention-hungry, trouble-making son), “The Lonely Polygamist” examines plural marriage and, indeed, family life in general, from every possible angle.
Udall’s sense of humor is not lost in this often melancholy piece of work. He is descriptively humorous at the exact times when it is necessary. An example of this is his unveiling of the family’s preferred method of transportation, a hearse. His humor saves “The Lonely Polygamist” from falling into a black hole of sorrow and sadness. Without it, the characters would be one-dimensional, and the plot would likely be simply despair-inducing.
As it is, the novel is exhausting, if only for the simple fact that Golden can’t seem to stop screwing up. Following the cause-and-effect trail of his actions is tiring, and at times, depressing, but also deeply riveting. From the very first page, the reader is engrossed in the lives of these people and is constantly seeking more information, a point on which Udall does not disappoint.
Though the novel moves in and out of the streams of consciousness of its three main characters, its plot is not as confusing as it would seem to be. Instead, the steady flow of flashbacks and memories provides the reader with fascinating and integral pieces of the puzzle and is done in such a way that one wouldn’t even realize it until the details have already been divulged — a task not easily mastered by many authors.
From the opening page, where a chart detailing the four branches of Golden’s family can be found, to the very last word, “The Lonely Polygamist” is a tale that cannot be described as anything other than deeply captivating. The story ends with a funeral and a wedding, each event focusing on unexpected members of the Richards clan, and Udall leaves the reader hoping there is more to come from this very talented and insightful author.
Rating: W W W W W
| Tweet | Follow @wkdr |
|
|
