FICTION

This Is the Life

by Alex Shearer
Washington Square: Atria. Feb. 2015. 229p. ISBN 9781476764405. pap. $16; ebk. ISBN 9781476764429. F
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With this bittersweet, heartbreaking autobiographical novel, Shearer (The Invisible Man's Socks) has given readers a rarity in this genre these days: an honest look at grief and a complicated, multilayered study of family relationships. When his older brother Louis is diagnosed with a brain tumor, the unnamed narrator stays by his side, caring for him through his illness and final days. Shearer paints Louis as an extremely intelligent and capable person who chooses a difficult path and never quite lives up to his potential. Through a series of vignettes, we get to know Louis and all of his quirks as he struggles with his disease.
VERDICT Told with equal parts humor and sadness, this book is especially poignant for anyone who has ever had a complicated relationship with a sibling. Reminiscent of Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking, this is a thoughtful reflection of what is truly important in life.
Reviewed by Mariel Pachucki, Maple Valley, WA , Nov 01, 2014
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