O My Darling by Amity Gaige

Amity Gaige writes the way I wish I did. Many writers, as I'm reading their carefully crafted stories, floor me with their precision, ability, control and vision. But, Amity Gaige reminds me of myself, but better--way, way better. Her characters exist in a dreamy haze, and she writes almost exclusively of love's various branches (romantic and filial, mostly) and its implications. Yes, this is a common theme. But, her stories are not cliched or overly romanticized. Human flaws take center stage, due to Gaige's focus on the juxtaposition of our inner and outer lives. Ho-hum on the outside, tumultuous inside.

Clark and Charlotte, a young and newly married couple, move into their new home which slowly reveals itself as a sort of ghost museum for the foibles of human relationships. Through the positive and the not so positive, Gaige's ability to hypnotize is professional, as her sentences are gorgeous, her plot complex and round, and her characters both tragically loveable and hateable, all rolled into one. Sensitivity and a preponderance of ponderings on the world's ways characterize the novel. Gaige's characters, as well as the third person narration, perceive the world in a fashion similar to the way I do. I was reminded of my actions and life while reading about Charlotte and Clark, but also found myself wishing my reality could more closely mirror the fabulous phrasings and adorable actions of the leading couple. Not only do I want the run of a home of my own (or even an apartment!) but I also want Clark and Charlotte's blanket game, and some of their own particular habits. This is the beauty of Gaige's writing--her characters are fabulously real, but the words--the words are better than in reality, but this only serves to make the world as it is seem sweeter. Gaige's characters, words, and reflection of the world cast a glow on it's mirror image.