Hornby tries to be 'Good'
By Rob Margetta
Flat Hat Editor
It's rare that so talented and stylish a novelist as Nick Hornby writes a mediocre book. It's much more common for such an author to write brilliant successes or resounding failures. Yet, that is exactly what Hornby has done with "How to Be Good." "Good" is a usually hilarious, often poignant tale of a woman being smothered by a former curmudgeon-turned-angel that is just shy of the standard usually associated with Hornby's work.
Hornby's a godsend in the age of best-selling authors like John Grisham and Tom Clancy, who tell intense, driving stories, but tend to have bleached, static characters and seem to regard dialogue as just one more convention with which to advance a plot. Hornby, on the other hand, has a distinctive British, 30-something, cynical voice. His dialogue is his greatest strength, and in "Good," as in his other novels, he successfully walks the line between making it witty and keeping it realistic.
In "Good, " Hornby has decided to explore new territory. While "High Fidelity" and "About a Boy" revolved largely around the psyches of singles, "Good's" main character is a married doctor with two children. Hornby is successful in this endeavor, and also reaffirms a talent he displayed in "About a Boy" - that he knows how to write about children.
He also decided to utilize the supernatural, a departure since his previous works were almost starkly rooted in reality. But "How to Be Good's" use of the paranormal is so superficial it's almost possible to dismiss.
Most of the book reads smoothly. It follows Katie Carr, who suffers as the wife of the self-proclaimed "Angriest Man in Holloway." Her relationship with David, her husband, consists largely of verbal sniping. She's had enough, and she wants out.
But something happens to David after Katie asks for a divorce. He runs into a messianic raver named Good News who has the power to heal any bodily or spiritual ailment with a touch. Now David's a crusader. He gives to the homeless and wants to house them. He donates his children's toys to the less fortunate. He won't make a derogatory comment about almost anyone or anything. And he's driving Katie nuts.
This leads to the book's main conflict. Katie considers herself a good person. She's a doctor because she wants to help people. She's compassionate. She cares for her children. But suddenly she's living with Gandhi. The bumbling, sincere combination of David and Good News, who Katie sees as an affront to her profession, is insufferable, but Katie can't figure out whether to be furious at them for being so impractical or herself for impeding them. She knows she can't go on living with David, but can you divorce a man for being too good?
For the most part, the book showcases Hornby's best traits. It's unhurried; not every detail in the book is used to drive the plot. Some, like the obligatory mention of one of High Fidelity's characters, are just enjoyable non sequitors. Its background is as detailed as the action.
The are story hits a few snags, however. For one, since most of "How to Be Good" is conscientiously realistic, the supernatural aspects stand out like a boulder in a swimming pool. Good News' "curing" of David smacks of a convenient plot device ‹ a way to get him happy without the troublesome years of therapy.
Furthermore, while Hornby seems to have gone out of his way to create a very un-sagacious guru, the explanation of Good News' powers is unsatisfactory to say the least. Also, Katie's a doctor who doesn't want her patients to see a miracle healer because it makes her feel less than good, making it hard to build much sympathy for the character.
Furthermore, the plot gets choppy in places. Some chapters, such as the one in which Katie moves out, seem to drop out of nowhere. Some simply seem to be set-ups for snappy conversations. Instead of an entire, cohesive work, the reader is left with a stringing together of several separate ideas that kind of relate, but don't quite gel as a result of poor set-ups or nonchalant reactions from the characters. Even the strongest dialogue loses some of its sheen when it seems contrived.
"How to Be Good" isn't Hornby's best and it's hardly a classic, but it's still a worthwhile read. If this is Hornby's worst, he should be grateful. The book's dialogue and voice more than make up for its flaws. Hornby addicts looking to satisfy their jones won't be disappointed and those who haven't read him can get a glimpse of the style that makes him one of the most distinctive modern popular novelists.
How to be Good - ****
