I was so happy to finally read a book I enjoyed so much. Good to a Fault is an honest look at people, stereotypes, and as its title suggests, what it really means to be good.
Good to a Fault is about an impressively (and annoyingly) kind but lonely middle-aged woman named Clara Purdy. At the very beginning of the book Clara’s car, and her life, collide with the Gage family (3 kids, 2 parents, and a hostile grandmother). The book is set in motion not only by the car crash but also by the discovery that the family’s matriarch, Lorraine, has cancer. Clara very kindly welcomes the struggling Gage family into her own home while Lorraine spends what is presumed to be her final days in the hospital seeking treatment for her illness. Clara is subjected to countless ungrateful acts by certain members of the Gage family but embraces her new life. Clara quickly falls in love with the children and treats them as though they were her own, mending her personal wounds from her missed chance of having a family. When there is a shocking turn of events closer to the end of the book, the reader is faced with a lot of questions about personal values and stereotypes. The reader is also faced with the bigger question about the difference between what is good and what is right, and how to decide the difference and similarities between the two in tough situations.
This book engaged my emotions in a way no book has in a while. At times it infuriated me (as I am not nearly as patient or understanding as Clara). At times it made me sad. But also, it made me laugh-out-loud and put a smile on my face. Also, being the OCD neat-and-tidy freak that I am, this book made me realize that spilled milk is, well, just spilled milk. Life is messy, and incidentally, that’s what makes it more interesting and memorable. My dad bought me a mug that says “A Clean House is the Sign of a Wasted Life” and this book proves that (nothing like taking life wisdom from a novelty mug).
This book taught me a lesson about how easy it is to unknowingly stereotype people from different walks of life without acknowledging it. It is easy to convince yourself that you couldn’t possibly think that way, but this book slaps you with a great big “YES YOU DO THINK THAT WAY – NOW DEAL WITH IT!”. The part in the book that comes to mind for this **SPOILER ALERT** is when Clara goes to the hospital to find Lorraine better and ready to go home to reclaim her family and resume her life. Lorraine tells Clara that she isn’t entitled to raising the children just because she dresses better, has more money, is well spoken, etc. After reading this part in the book, the reader realizes that it’s easy to root for Clara because of these things, but that it isn’t right. I thought about how I assessed the situation with the children in the book and realized that these were the reasons I used to legitimize my feelings that Clara should keep the kids as well.
The only thing I didn’t buy into was the religious aspect of the book. I know in her interview for Canada Reads, Marina Endicott mentioned that this book has a lot to do with God, but I didn’t feel that way at all. Aside from religious poems/passages throughout the book and the fact that Clara and her peers are all churchgoers, I didn’t see anything in this book that made me think about God or his existence.
I couldn’t finish this post without saying how much I enjoyed the dynamic characters in this book. Endicott has a phenomenal ability to sculpt characters make them feel so real that you know them personally. All of the characters are perfect pictures of regular people in everyday life. However, if I had to pick a favourite character then it would be Darwin. He was so important to this story. He kept everything balanced. Without Darwin, this story would not have been the same; there would have been a lot more hostility and a lot less warmth. I also think an honourable mention is in order for the Bunts for their impeccable hypocrisy. Everyone has a couple of these people in their neighbourhood (I hope it’s not you) and in a story about domestic life and its imperfections, nasty neighbours fit in perfectly.
I think Good to a Fault is a fantastic pick for Canada Reads 2010, and although I have only read one other book on the panel so far, I think this will be a difficult read to top. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read, no pun intended.
Book Information
Title: Good to a Fault
Author: Marina Endicott
Year of publication: June 2009
Publisher: Broadview Press
Pages: 416
Awards: 2009 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best Book Award -- Canada and the Caribbean
Purchased at: Chapters Queensway
Rating: 4/5
I enjoyed the book, but it was like a soap opera. I couldn't figure out why it was a prize winner, and the reviews I read did not explain that fore me. I read a review that said they thought the "God aspect" was not effective. I agree it probably kept me reading but in the end I didn't get the point. In the end I couldn't resolve anything. Everybody at the picnic even the sand painting for those who weren't there. The reviewer said that Darwin kept it all together, brought balance; I knew that was what I was supposed to get but I couldn't figure out why. Does he sleep with Fern--she's kind of young isn't she? Why does he go off with her? Why doesn't he express an interest in Clary? Where is Clary in the end? Is she settling again? Paul who is still thinking of his wife. Babysitting the kids. Isn't she the maiden aunt again--with nothing of her own or is this all right for her. Does this constitute a full rich life. Many narrators make me nervous; it is not smooth. Why didn't Mrs.Zenko have a voice?-- i would love to have answers or discussion of these points. Jane
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