The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris
The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris is a very quiet character study novel and a fine one at that. Living a comfortable lifestyle with his devoted wife Jane and their daughter Becka, attorney Tim Farnsworth relapses into a very odd condition in which he can’t stop walking. Having battled this condition twice previously, Tim had always lived in fear that it would return. But this time it’s escalated and his recurrences are much more frequent. He literally can’t stop walking. A compulsion which drives him out of his home or office and onto the streets where he has no idea where he will end up.
This is a story of a man who battles his body on a daily basis. And it’s a battle that he seemingly can’t win. Not only is his body succumbing to the ravages of the elements and the sheer stress of the actual walkings but his family is being tested to their limit. Can a family survive a disease that they don’t understand? One that doctors can’t diagnosis? One that could possibly be all in his head?
The book is incredibly introspective and one shouldn’t go into it hoping for a fast paced plot. The beauty of a novel such as this is the intricacies of character, their dynamics and relationships. Unfortunately unlike other enthusiastic book bloggers, I won’t be filing it under one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why this is. It is incredibly written and Joshua Ferris has pulled off that which could be potentially incredibly boring – 320 pages about a man who walks around a lot.
But I found myself putting the book down easily, picking it back up reluctantly. I didn’t find that it consumed my thoughts when I wasn’t reading it. I wanted to be more enthralled and engrossed and I just wasn’t feeling it. In fact, I found myself thumbing ahead to see how many pages were left in a chapter so I could put the book down. And well, that’s never a good sign. I never considered abandoning it though. I was fully invested in the story and it’s characters. I had no idea how it would end and I really wanted to find out. But it felt so slow in getting there. I could see the beauty of the story and the carefully selected writing yet I didn’t find myself lost inside the book. I always felt aware that I was reading the book. I don’t know if that makes sense or not.
As far as character studies go, I would recommend this one. But ultimately, I don’t think you need to rush out and read it immediately. It will still be there when, and if, you are ready for it.
Links of interest: Joshua Ferris website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books. January 18, 2010
Hardcover, 320 pages. ISBN 0316034010
Source: Review copy from BEA
The Unnamed is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.
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Tags: E-H Author, Fiction, male author, published 2010, Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books, review copy, U-Z Title
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I felt the same way reading this book. I haven’t finished it yet, but I do want to find out what happens. Some of the interactions and observations of Jane and Tim’s marriage and of the family were thought provoking. His walking desease and the way it affected them was similar to a family dealing with alcoholism or drug addiction. I’m more than half way through, but it is slow going.
on May 15th, 2010 at 5:54 amI listened to the audio version of this and I really enjoyed it, but it won’t go on my best of 2010 list either.
on May 15th, 2010 at 7:09 amI guess I had great expectations for The Unnamed, because I was disappointed by this one. Many people have told me that Ferris’s first book was incredible, and I shouldn’t judge him solely on The Unnamed.
on May 15th, 2010 at 7:38 amI listened to the audio (review coming at the end of next week if I remember correctly). I thought the writing was really good, the examination of relationships poignant, but I finished the book feeling confused and bereft. I STILL don’t know exactly how I feel about the book. Do I cry? Do I mourn these poor souls? Should I be appreciating it more for its prose? Dunno. The one thing that it did do was make me think long and hard about people who are suffering from unnamed afflictions. Two friends of mine have kids who are sorta Aspergers but not really. They have never been diagnosed, and this fact haunts their mothers. How do you find support? How do you find help? I guess this story brought this all home for me.
on May 15th, 2010 at 12:15 pmIt is refreshing to read a non-raving review of this one, I have a copy and have been putting it off because my expectations are so high now.
on May 16th, 2010 at 7:26 amI have this one but haven’t gotten to it yet. You’re review makes me not feel too bad about that.
on May 18th, 2010 at 4:00 pmI have the audio of this and am looking forward to listening. I don’t have high expectations, but perhaps that’s a good thing.
on May 20th, 2010 at 7:34 amI am listening to this in audio (the author reads it) and I really like it so far – it is quiet but the writing is excellent and I love listening to it.
on July 4th, 2010 at 9:06 am