what we read: A Relationship, Mid-life Questions, and a Rental House

Title: Rental House

Author: Weike Wang

We vanquished the doldrums of a Minnesota February by gathering at Shirley's new digs downtown, where the winter sun cheered us despite the fact that it was -7° F. outside. We were greeted by an uncharacteristically lavish spread provided by Shirley's daughter Celia and the lovely Elizabeth. After the requisite tours and general chitchat, we got down to the serious business at hand.

First, from the publisher, a short refresher on what this book is about:

From the award-winning author of Chemistry, a sharp-witted, insightful novel about a marriage as seen through the lens of two family vacations.

Keru and Nate are college sweethearts who marry despite their family differences. Keru’s strict, Chinese, immigrant parents demand perfection (“To use a dishwasher is to admit defeat,” says her father), while Nate’s rural, white, working-class family distrusts his intellectual ambitions and his “foreign” wife.

Some years into their marriage, the couple invites their families on vacation. At a Cape Cod beach house, and later at a luxury Catskills bungalow, Keru, Nate, and their giant sheepdog navigate visits from in-laws and unexpected guests, all while wondering if they have what it takes to answer the big questions: How do you cope when your spouse and your family of origin clash? How many people (and dogs) make a family? And when the pack starts to disintegrate, what can you do to shepherd everyone back together?

Insights and Opinions

+ Overall, our reactions to this book were mixed. Some questioned the voice of Keru, the main character in the book, finding it flat and cold. Liz wondered why Keru and Nate were even together as they didn't seem to enjoy each other's company and most of their interactions were uncomfortable and strained. Others felt that Keru's insights into human motives, especially when seen through the eyes of immigrants or those who live in solidly conservative states in the U.S., were both profound and educational. Margy had read all three of Wang's novels, including Chemistry and Joan is Okay, and suggested we would all benefit from doing the same. "I wondered how we would react to this one after having read the other two," she said. "Keru is much harder and far less vulnerable in this one than she is in the others."

+ The central device used in this novel is the rental house, a place where Keru and Nate can go to vacation, to be together since they work in separate cities, and to spend time with each set of parents separately. In one section, Keru's parents visit. In another section, Nate's parents come to stay. Then, Nate and Keru attempt to vacation together but are invaded first by pushy neighbors who intrude in every possible way and then, unexpectedly, by Nate's ne'er-do-well brother looking for money. The cultural differences between the two sets of parents, along with their parental expectations of their children, are vast. Seeing our two protagonists in the company of their respective parents gives the reader tremendous insight into how each of these young adults have turned into the people that they are. Similarly, seeing Nate with his brother, who is clearly the family favorite despite his obvious shortcomings, is a window into Nate's viewpoint on life.

+ Lois pointed out what she saw as the turning point in the book -- the point close to the end of the story where Keru is finally able to explain to herself who her husband is and who she is and what each of them wants.

+ One of Keru's odd habits is, when she is most uncomfortable, to throw things. This is how she and Nate first come together. When they first meet and are having their first interaction, she picks up objects close at hand and pitches them into the crowd. Later, on one of their vacations, she throws a rock at a woman who's upset that they're dog isn't leashed. Even later, at one of the rental houses, she throws a log. There's no explanation of this behavior and the reader is left to puzzle it out. Steve wondered what our reaction was to her "throwing things" habit. Liz felt it was an important fact that was abandoned partway through. Jocey found it troubling and wondered: was this rage? Discomfort? Uncertainty over what to do?

+ All parties found Nate's brother to be repellent and a con artist, but Steve admitted he admired his altruistic ideals and that he probably would have fallen for the con because of them. He found the relationship between the brothers interesting and caused him to ponder, now that he's older, if he would do things differently. "I think you can make amends," he said.

+ Steve wondered if the relationship between Keru and Nate was warmer at the beginning of the book as opposed to later in the text. Margy felt that everything in both of their lives was obligation, including their relationship. "I felt like she was committing to the marriage out of obligation because that's what you do."

And In Other News

+ Shirley shared with us excerpts from what she is currently reading: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson, recommending that we all do likewise.

+ Steve recommended Big Jim and the White Boy, a graphic novel he feels is an excellent companion to Huckleberry Finn and James.

+ Jocey then bundled up in about 2,000 pounds of clothes to walk to her next destination. All we could see were her eyes.