Claire Massud - The Emperors Children

Review by Babs Simpson on show 29th July 2010 this is a literary novel set in turn-of-the-Century New York. I expected to be reading about the early days of that city but soon found myself in 2001 Manhattan - yes, its the Century that I still think I'm living in!!
The story concerns 3 thirty something friends, Danielle, marina and Julius who are seeking their fortunes. but the arrival of Marina's young cousin, Bootie, fresh from the provinces and keen to make his mark, has a profound effect on all of them.
The daughter of a wealthy literary lion, Murray, much-feted in intellectual circles, Marina pursues her dreams with less urgency than her friends. she is very beautiful and has been indulged by her parents, but is, none-the-less, thoughtful and generous to others.
Danielle is in television production, trying desperately to come up with new ideas for worthy programmes, while Julius drifts, looking for true love, which he thinks he has found in the form of David, an investment broker in Manhattan.
Bootie, Marina' s overweight cousin, has left his widowed mother in the provinces and is intent on making his mark on New York. He is given a job by Murray as secretary/assistant and thinks he can prove himself by writing an expose of his boss, debunking all the myths that have sprung up around him. but it goes badly wrong, Bootie has to leave the luxurious home where he has been made so welcome and ends up living in squalor in Brooklyn. Danielle meets a charismatic Australian who comes to New York to start a new magazine and is attracted to him but when he and Marina get together, Danielle is left out in the cold. She starts an affair with Marina's father, Murray, and their first full night together is spent in her apartment on the 10th September, 2001. Of course, the appalling events of the next day bring to an immediate end their worries and pettiness and although none of the main characters is lost in that tragedy, they are all changed forever, especially Bootie, who takes the opportunity presented by 9/11 to disappear to Florida to begin his life again.

As I said, this is a literary novel. The writing is brilliant and every nuance and tension described to perfection. The quality reminds me somewhat of Donna tartt;s first novel (The Little Friend?) and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone wanting to get back to what good novel writing should be.
A fantastic read.
Review by Babs