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The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)
This picaresque novel takes place in constantly war-torn Beirut, spanning six decades. Raja teaches high school; he fondly characterizes his students as “brats.” Everyone knows he’s gay, though it’s not acknowledged publicly. In a bizarre turn of events, a guy he knew in high school, named Boodie kidnaps him, ostensibly learn how to dance so Boodie can put the moves on a woman he’s after. These grotesque dance lessons occur when Boodie isn’t out in the streets, killing enemy soldiers. However, Boodie is actually in love with Raja and even provides dresses for verisimilitude. Raja’s fierce little mother, with whom he shares an apartment, is always in her son’s camp no matter what happens. The word “stupid” often crosses Raja’s lips, primarily in reference to himself, but also as a reflection of the craziness around him which is considerable. Over the top, but charming.
All Mrs. Price’s students vie to be her chosen one. She scatters “darling” about freely and gives them delightful assignments. What could go wrong? Well, things start disappearing from the classroom, accusations are bandied about, and the atmosphere turns toxic. The narrator, Justine, is one of her students, and when Mrs. Price and Justine’s father become an item, Justine panics. She has well-founded suspicions which are supported in the chilling denouement. Chidgey lays out children’s desire to be acknowledged and loved which makes them so vulnerable to manipulation. New Zealand setting. I’m always on the prowl for good thrillers. This writer is new to me and I’m looking forward to reading more of her work.
The author, a rich, outrageous restaurateur, starts this memoir with a suicide attempt. That got my attention, in spades! He’d had a stroke and life as he’d known it was utterly changed. He’d come up rough and poor in England, but somehow with drive and charisma launched himself into fame and fortune. He had a stint in acting which connected him with two heroes of mine, Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller from the British comedy show Monty Python, and also knew Oliver Sacks, the brilliant author and neurologist. Along the way, there were two marriages and four children. With blistering candor and—yes— considerable regret, he anatomizes failed relationships, celebrates friendships, and brings us along on his dizzying journey. I seldom eat out and am not particularly interested in the glittering world of high society, but McNally’s book wouldn’t let me go.
When Vincent, a charming, flamboyant 17 -year -old, commits suicide, it’s tragic. When his younger brother James did the same at age 19, six years later, it’s almost unbelievable. How does their mother, the author, work through these unbearable losses? For Vincent, who lived in the world of feeling, she wrote a novel: Where Reasons End. For brilliant James, she explored thinking—his territory, by reading ancient and contemporary philosophers, scientists, writers, and playwrights, especially Shakespeare’s King John in which Constance mourns her dead son. At first the book felt very cerebral, but its wisdom and subtle but powerful emotional truths worked their magic on m, and I fell deeply into it. The bottom line, as the title reflects, is that growth and death are part and parcel as things take their course, often uncontrollable. The only way to keep on living after such blows is radical acceptance. Profound!
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