Envy (Hardcover)

At the party Will strikes up a slightly flirtatious conversation with Elizabeth, the ex-girlfriend whom he has not seen in twenty-five years. He discovered that she has a daughter, now in her mid-twenties, and after doing the math realizes the baby was born a few months after the two broke up. Although Elizabeth married late in her pregnancy, Moreland cannot help but wonder if he is the father. Their encounter turns hostile when he requests a DNA sample - a strand of the daughter's hair to determine paternity. He leaves the festivities a day early and when he returns home does not mention the incident his wife.

Carol Moreland, a calm, serene woman, had always been open to discussing anything with Will. Her husband thinks of her as a woman who "seems at peace with life, with herself. Not like me." Since the death of their son, however, she has distanced from her husband both physically and emotionally. She used to be a passionate sexual partner, up for anything - not any more. Oddly, though Carole practices yoga and meditation, she is addicted to violent true crime books - so graphic that she hides them from her young daughter. She really does not want to discuss their problems, although Will, as a shrink who is his own favorite patient, longs to talk about and analyze their lack of communication, among other subjects. Actually, Will is something of a motor mouth, always ready to go on at length about his feelings, problems, dreams, the unconscious, etc.. He is really too analytical and over-intellectualizes his own difficulties. Moreland winds up going back into therapy with his training analyst, Daniel, a psychiatrist's psychiatrist who has worked with him before.

Moreland also talks frankly with his aging father, a retired veterinarian, who at seventy has become an artistic photographer - even exhibiting his work in a SoHo gallery. He is having an affair with a younger woman, with his wife's consent.

The primary reason Will goes back into analysis, is because he has begun to have violent and vivid sexual fantasies about every women he sees, including his patients, which makes it extremely difficult for him to function effectively in his therapeutic role. He is depressed. He also obsesses about his past relationship with his twin, who was born with a port-wine stain that colored more than half his face purple. The boy was teased mercilessly by other children. As a result, he became shy and self-conscious at an early age. He actually took up long distance swimming because it is a loner's sport. Will has always felt guilty at having been born "unmarked." The man is stressed out to the extent that he has considered taking a leave of absence from his practice. I find Will to be a very sympathetic character and the source of much of the novel's humor, as well as its sadness. His conversations with his analyst and patients are also very interesting and provide tremendous insight into basic psychoanalytic techniques - except for one potential analysand.

An outrageous young woman, (highly inappropriate behavior), comes to Will's office for an intake. She is essential to the plot, but her interactions with Will are (hopefully) purely fictionalized. The girl, in her early twenties, is sexually obsessed with older men. In fact, she "collects" them. She describes her sexual adventures to Will explicitly, blow-by-blow accounts, obviously looking to excite him and add him to her collection. Her "Fatal Attraction" behavior provides an element of the suspense thriller at times.

Kathryn Harrison has done it again. This is a beautifully written, intelligent novel, whose characters, and their inner workings, are more exciting than what goes on in the world around them. Their development and dialogue are brilliant, as are the author's descriptions of the surroundings, the city and countryside, even the poignant photographs taken by Will's dad. There are also some major surprises which will shock - at least they shocked me - in terms of various betrayals. "Envy" is certainly an appropriate title for this book.

Much of the author's writing contains themes of narcissism, family violation, physical suffering and sexual taboo. "Envy" is more humorous than her other books that I have read, and more erotic. Although there are painful moments, and the subject of possible incest does come up, pain and suffering are not the main focus. "Envy" definitely deserves 5 Stars, as far as I am concerned, and I highly recommend it. Kudos to Kathryn Harrrison!
JANA

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews   Was this review helpful to you?

Report this | Permalink Comment Comment