Een brandbaar huwelijk

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As Quentin Crisp famously said, "Don't keep up with the Joneses! Drag them down to your level!" This sentiment encapsulates the suburbanites in A.M. Homes's fourth novel. Homes possesses a keen eye for suburban reality, revealing that beneath the polished exteriors, darkness lurks. Paul and Elaine appear to be typical middle-class individuals with mundane aspirations for home improvements and two strapping boys. Their neighbors, Pat and George, embody the ideal family life, but Pat's true self emerges in private, engaging in loveless encounters atop household appliances. Meanwhile, Paul indulges in affairs, while a seemingly benign neighbor engages in sinister activities. The narrative exposes a world of lurid misery masked by false facades, with minor characters hinting at deeper literary connections. Paul and Elaine, previously seen in Homes's collection, find their "happiest night" when they accidentally set their house ablaze. The story unfolds with a nightmarish logic, blending humor and irony. Paul questions Elaine about the destruction of their dining-room table, to which she cryptically replies, "The damage was irreparable." Homes masterfully portrays nice people committing unsavory acts with luminous prose, drawing comparisons to notable authors while carving out her unique voice, reminiscent of a blend between Grace Metalious and Quentin Tarantino.