The Eighth Day by Thornton Wilder
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You may find this odd, seeing as how I enjoy writing reviews of the books I read, but I hate reading reviews. I can’t even bring myself to read the little snippet that appears on the jackets of Netflix movies because I want a completely open mind when I view the movie. Yes, I probably read a portion of it when I choose the movie, but by the time I get around to watching it, I’ve long since forgotten the premise. Which is why I usually avoid forewords and introductions of books if they are written by another author, especially if the foreword has been added some time after publishing as the author is typically responding to thoughts others had on the book when it came out. Thus I stopped myself from reading the entire foreword by John Updike in Thornton Wilder’s The Eighth Day
John Ashley, a gifted engineer, is accused of shooting his best friend, Breckenridge Lansing, during their weekly Sunday rifle practice in Coaltown, a small mining town in Illinois at the turn of the 20th century. Ashley is sentenced to death but is rescued by unknown assailants, unknown even to himself, on the eve of his execution. The surrounding mystery haunts his young family as they try to eke out a living in a time when women didn’t work.
I love Wilder’s decision to alternate the telling of each character’s journey, in a similar vain to The Poisonwood Bible. The suspense is believable, not forced, and while I can see the “thinness” of the characters, I think it lends more to the story than it takes away. We very rarely see anyone’s full character in life, and creating a complete picture in a novel just to fill a void seems wasteful.
I’ve often said I will never assume how I would react in a situation until I’ve lived through it. Watching my husband on trial for murder while the town speculates about his relationship with the victim’s wife, my own close friend, is one of those situations where I can imagine how I would react, but I’d probably behave completely differently if faced with the actual scenario. Beata Ashley fluctuates between stoicism and becoming a hermit, both of which sound wonderful under the circumstances.
Each of the Ashley children, and the Lansing children are followed throughout The Eighth Day, as well as John Ashley as he makes his way out of the country to avoid being found. The story doesn’t have a sappy or sad ending, it ends much like life does, with knowns and unknowns, endings to some story lines, and openings of others.
Novel Whore Rating: 4 Notches on the Bed Post
Wine Pairing: Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha 2007
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