We Were The Mulvaneys

I had mentioned earlier that our book for November's book club meeting would be We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates.  It is  a wonderful book and probably my favorite book so far by Oates.  While not a happy, uplifting book it will be one you are glad you read. 

The story is the family saga of the Mulvaneys as retold by Judd, the youngest child of Mike and Corinne Mulvaney.  Judd has two older brothers, Mike Jr. and Patrick and one sister Marianne.  He reminds us of what it is like to be the youngest child in a family where most of the family history is in place by the time he comes along.  Because of his place in the birth order he tends to see not only his family but himself through the eyes of others. 

The family seems to be respected and well liked in their small community.  Judd believes perhaps even envied.  His Dad owns a roofing company that has several employees, the family moves in the rights circles church, country club and school activities.  Corinne is a stay-at-home mom, this is 1976.  She enjoys antiques and aspires to run a shop although she never quite pulls it together.  Mike Jr. was a talented, well liked football player, now out of school.  Patrick is bright and free-thinking but a loner.  Marianne is attractive and a popular cheer-leader.  Judd, just entering high school at the opening of this tale is still finding his way in school, the community and his own family. 

All of this changes and the world is turned upside down for the whole family when "it" happens.  As Judd unfolds his story, now a grown adult and journalist, we learn what happened and how the family, their business, educations, friendships and family relations are all destroyed. 

Judd gives us a grown-up insight of a child's experience.  At one point he says "In a family, what isn't spoken is what you listen for.  But the noise of a family is to drown it out."

After many years of distance and pain the story leaves us with a happy ending.  That is probably the part I question most and like the least.  It appears that with very little effort a damaged family is suddenly made whole and happy again.  I doubt that this is a realistic expectation for a group that has dealt so badly with a crisis within the family. 

Since I finished reading We Were the Mulvaneys over a week ago I believe my perspective has changed and softened somewhat.  Time does often change my reactions to a book.  Apparently, for Judd at least, family is the same.   "Members of a family who've lived together in the heated intensity of family life scarcely know one another.  Life is too head-on, too close-up....You can't exercise memory until you've removed yourself from memory's source."

Postscript:

I didn't want to post my review of this book until our book club met last night.  I think some of the members may read this blog occasionally and didn't want to give them my thoughts prematurely. 

Although only four members were able to attend we had a great discussion and tasty food.  Isn't that an important part of a book club gathering?

Several people pointed out that the Mulvaney family seems typical of a family dealing with and covering for an alcoholic family member.  We saw each family member complicating their lives with bad choices and victim attitudes.  Although the father deserves much of the blame for a downward spiraling of the family we really found it hardest to approve of the mother's actions, or lack of.  All of us pondered how we would have dealt with the family's problems.  We can't ever really know but all of us hope that we would have been more supportive of our family and made different choices

We Were the Mulvaneys is well worth the read and readily available.

In December we will be discussing Charlotte and Emily: A Novel of the Brontes by Jude Morgan.