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katknit
, February 03, 2009
(view all comments by katknit)
The Pulsipher family epitomizes the word dysfunctional. Not abusive, exactly, but profoundly disconnected. Their son, Sam, whom they've raised mostly via assigning him books to read, is an ex con, an "accidental" arsonist whose fire at the Emily Dickenson house killed a tour guide and her husband. Sam served his time and is now married, with 2 children, and his family believes Sam's parents are dead. Then the son of the Dickinson fire victims blows his cover, big time. Sam returns to his parents house, and now must cut his way through the jungle of lies that form the foundation of his life.
The Arsonist's Guide is two books in one. The reader follows the memoir, falsely marketed as fiction, during which Sam relates his life story and also talks about his "nonfiction" guidebook. This is more than a simple novel. That Sam has been damaged psychologically by his upbringing is evident at once. Denial is his lifeline, but his heart is good. As his conquers the jungle of lies, he ponders the nature of love, of stories, of life, of guilt, and of forgiveness. Readers familiar with the landscape of New England will enjoy the countless references and descriptions, which, as a native New Englander, I can say are spot on. So is his skewering of modern suburbia - Sam buys his wife and kids a house in the "Camelot" subdivision. His neighbors are deeply offended when he mows the lawn shirtless. Readers familiar with symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome will wonder about Sam's unusual personality traits - his relentless literalism, his difficulties with 2 way relationships, his intense shyness. His little boy seems to share some of these characteristics. But Sam is far from alone in his strangeness - he is surrounded by maladjusted people. Arsonist's Guide is laugh out loud funny in places, satirical nearly everywhere, and tragic in others. Author Clarke has managed well the difficult task of bringing an original perspective to age old problems.
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