squirrella | The truth about Ruth

The Book of Ruth, Jane Hamilton
"In her first novel, Hamilton takes on a challenge too large for her talents," said PW of this tale about a Midwestern woman who is loyal to her wounded and wounding family. "Hamilton evokes Ruth's character marvelously, but others as seen by her are incompletely rendered."

I turned each page of this book waiting to have some great tragedy revealed, but in the end, this was just a story about a sad and stifled young woman. Which, I suppose, is the ultimate tragedy, after all. The final pages, where the reader learns about the final showdown between May and Ruby, are disturbing. But, by that point, nobody should truly be surprised that what happens happens.

Contrary to the review, Hamilton has crafted a sparse yet luscious novel that reveals the human spirit at its most base level. Though set in the midwest, I was able to envision parts of my hometown and I could imagine the faces of former neighbors.

I think the "incomplete rendering" that the review references is actually just part of Ruth's character. By providing the reader with a limited view of the associated characters, we actually are able to better understand Ruth. I think if these other characters had been further developed the book would have suffered. In fact, the revelation of the relationship between Sid and Matt diminished the overall story for me--but mostly because of the way it was done. The last third of the book seemed to be perhaps over-edited or underdone, and the Sid/Matt revelation is just one example of the less than startling ending.

I've enjoyed two of Hamilton's novels, now, and I'm planning on reading whatever else she has.