A thoroughly enjoyable memoir about the Memphis extended family of Lightman, novelist and theoretical physicist. Lightman's grandfather founded a highly successful chain of cinemas through which he met Elvis, Marlene Dietrich, and others. A larger-than-life figure and also kind of an asshole, M.A. cast a long shadow over his family, most importantly, his son and Alan Lightman's father.
Delightful and often juicy family stories are artfully balanced with Memphis history and southern culture. Lightman is a terrific writer with an ear for perfect details, but I struggled mightily with passages such as the following, describing his family's maid Hattie Mae:
"Even at a young age, Hattie Mae had enormous buttocks. Evidently one was larger than the other, because she listed to one side when standing or walking. She loved turnip greens cooked in mounds of pork fat and heavily buttered biscuits..." Why these particular details? This is the most egregious but not the only passage of this sort. Curious and disappointing.
No comments:
Post a Comment