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Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? by Dave Eggers – review Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? by Dave Eggers – review
(about 3 hours later)
Dave Eggers has always seemed a very 21st-century phenomenon, and not merely because the debut that made him an American literary star – A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius – was published in the year 2000. Books have been only part of a portfolio that includes editing print and online publications and running philanthropic and social projects.Dave Eggers has always seemed a very 21st-century phenomenon, and not merely because the debut that made him an American literary star – A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius – was published in the year 2000. Books have been only part of a portfolio that includes editing print and online publications and running philanthropic and social projects.
But, as a writer, Eggers has become increasingly 19th century. Although his debut work was a memoir – recounting, with many digressions and literary games, the experience of being orphaned young and becoming guardian to his younger brother – he soon turned to fiction and, since 2012, has been publishing substantial new novels at the rate of one a year.But, as a writer, Eggers has become increasingly 19th century. Although his debut work was a memoir – recounting, with many digressions and literary games, the experience of being orphaned young and becoming guardian to his younger brother – he soon turned to fiction and, since 2012, has been publishing substantial new novels at the rate of one a year.
This recent spurt of fiction is also politically and polemically engaged in the tradition of Dickens and Zola. The financial crash was the background to A Hologram for the King (2012), while The Circle (2013) was a thriller prompted by the way modern communications technologies have redefined privacy and secrecy. These books are now followed by another novel located in a frightened, divided, deceitful and possibly disintegrating America.This recent spurt of fiction is also politically and polemically engaged in the tradition of Dickens and Zola. The financial crash was the background to A Hologram for the King (2012), while The Circle (2013) was a thriller prompted by the way modern communications technologies have redefined privacy and secrecy. These books are now followed by another novel located in a frightened, divided, deceitful and possibly disintegrating America.
Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? is a hostage drama of sorts. It opens with Thomas, the disaffected protagonist, explaining to Kev Paciorek, a Nasa astronaut who just missed out on the space shuttle when funding was withdrawn, why he has been kidnapped and tied to a post in Building 52, an empty hangar in Fort Ord, an abandoned military base on the California coast.Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? is a hostage drama of sorts. It opens with Thomas, the disaffected protagonist, explaining to Kev Paciorek, a Nasa astronaut who just missed out on the space shuttle when funding was withdrawn, why he has been kidnapped and tied to a post in Building 52, an empty hangar in Fort Ord, an abandoned military base on the California coast.
From his tone of voice and attitude towards authority, Thomas is almost certainly a fan of Holden Caulfield, the teenage narrator of JD Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. However, his actual age – much further from youth than readers might first assume – is one of many skilfully delayed revelations. We also know that he has read the Bible, as the novel's title, which he at one point half-quotes, comes from the Old Testament, although this citation is withheld from Thomas's hostages.From his tone of voice and attitude towards authority, Thomas is almost certainly a fan of Holden Caulfield, the teenage narrator of JD Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. However, his actual age – much further from youth than readers might first assume – is one of many skilfully delayed revelations. We also know that he has read the Bible, as the novel's title, which he at one point half-quotes, comes from the Old Testament, although this citation is withheld from Thomas's hostages.
Thomas is angry about various things, including the violent death of a friend and the fact that the US government "spent five trillion dollars on useless wars". But, though the novel is broadly a revenge thriller, Eggers has usually employed genre in the cause of experiment, and Your Fathers … adds to the small group of novels – previous examples include Philip Roth's Deception and Nicholson Baker's Checkpoint – that consist entirely, or almost entirely, of dialogue.Thomas is angry about various things, including the violent death of a friend and the fact that the US government "spent five trillion dollars on useless wars". But, though the novel is broadly a revenge thriller, Eggers has usually employed genre in the cause of experiment, and Your Fathers … adds to the small group of novels – previous examples include Philip Roth's Deception and Nicholson Baker's Checkpoint – that consist entirely, or almost entirely, of dialogue.
But, whereas Roth's and Baker's dialogue novels were also duologues, Eggers dramatises a number of conversations, with shifts identified only by the number of the captive's hangar. Once it becomes clear that the astronaut will not be the only hostage, Eggers sets up two sources of tension: both about the number of people who will eventually be questioned and whether the next conversation will resume an old dispute – we soon figure out that "Building 52" denotes the Nasa man – or start a new one. Apart from the astronaut, the other characters (exact identities should be withheld to protect the reader's pleasure) are all people who have had a public or private impact on Thomas. His interlocutors' silences, which can range from terror to contemptuous refusal to answer, are indicated by a dash.But, whereas Roth's and Baker's dialogue novels were also duologues, Eggers dramatises a number of conversations, with shifts identified only by the number of the captive's hangar. Once it becomes clear that the astronaut will not be the only hostage, Eggers sets up two sources of tension: both about the number of people who will eventually be questioned and whether the next conversation will resume an old dispute – we soon figure out that "Building 52" denotes the Nasa man – or start a new one. Apart from the astronaut, the other characters (exact identities should be withheld to protect the reader's pleasure) are all people who have had a public or private impact on Thomas. His interlocutors' silences, which can range from terror to contemptuous refusal to answer, are indicated by a dash.
There is a prejudice that dialogue fiction is either a gimmick or an unfilmed screenplay cannily repackaged. Eggers, though, has a precise reason for employing only voices. As the doubly interrogative title tips us off, Your Fathers … is a story about questions, with Thomas, who uses the legal term "depositions" for his interrogations, asking his hostages to explain what he views as anomalies in American life, including the cessation of the space programme, Congressional consent for recent wars, and failures in the professional conduct of teachers and police officers. It is typical of Eggers's intelligence that the answers are often less easy and more unsettling than the hostage-taker expects.There is a prejudice that dialogue fiction is either a gimmick or an unfilmed screenplay cannily repackaged. Eggers, though, has a precise reason for employing only voices. As the doubly interrogative title tips us off, Your Fathers … is a story about questions, with Thomas, who uses the legal term "depositions" for his interrogations, asking his hostages to explain what he views as anomalies in American life, including the cessation of the space programme, Congressional consent for recent wars, and failures in the professional conduct of teachers and police officers. It is typical of Eggers's intelligence that the answers are often less easy and more unsettling than the hostage-taker expects.
Talking is also the appropriate form for the story because Thomas is unusually attuned to how people speak. "No one talks like that," he rebukes one of his forced guests, while other hostages are ordered to use more contractions ("I'll try" instead of "I will try"), or ridiculed for fancy vocabulary such as "purview".Talking is also the appropriate form for the story because Thomas is unusually attuned to how people speak. "No one talks like that," he rebukes one of his forced guests, while other hostages are ordered to use more contractions ("I'll try" instead of "I will try"), or ridiculed for fancy vocabulary such as "purview".
This approach dangerously demands that the writer delineates character through speech alone. Eggers has written movies in the past, but actors can distract from weaknesses in a screenplay. Impressively, though, on his own in these pages, Eggers achieves perfect impersonation: the age, personality, background and state of mind of the speakers emerge through their word choices and such verbal details as whether they call their captor "son", "sir", "Thomas" or nothing at all.This approach dangerously demands that the writer delineates character through speech alone. Eggers has written movies in the past, but actors can distract from weaknesses in a screenplay. Impressively, though, on his own in these pages, Eggers achieves perfect impersonation: the age, personality, background and state of mind of the speakers emerge through their word choices and such verbal details as whether they call their captor "son", "sir", "Thomas" or nothing at all.
In his educational work, Eggers has created tutoring schemes for learning-resistant young people, and his latest novel could be a very useful tool in literature lessons: the lack of clear explanations for Thomas's actions, which might irritate some adult readers, perfectly suits classroom discussion. A series of conversations that triggers further debate in the reader's mind, Your Fathers ... is privately and publicly astute, confirming that the writer's joke about genius in his debut title was not entirely misplaced.In his educational work, Eggers has created tutoring schemes for learning-resistant young people, and his latest novel could be a very useful tool in literature lessons: the lack of clear explanations for Thomas's actions, which might irritate some adult readers, perfectly suits classroom discussion. A series of conversations that triggers further debate in the reader's mind, Your Fathers ... is privately and publicly astute, confirming that the writer's joke about genius in his debut title was not entirely misplaced.
• Mark Lawson's The Deaths is published by Picador. To order Your Fathers … for £11.99 with free UK p&p call Guardian book service on 0330 333 6846 or go to guardianbookshop.co.uk. • Mark Lawson's The Deaths is published by Picador. To order Your Fathers … for £11.99 with free UK p&p call Guardian book service on 0330 333 6846 or go to guardianbookshop.co.uk.