Copyright 2013 by Aaron Paul Lazar, www.lazarbooks.com
The
War of the Roses - The Children, by Warren Adler provides
an intimate glimpse inside the fragile lives of the surviving children of the
original blockbuster book/movie, War of
the Roses, an iconic story that resonated across the globe for decades with
an international audience.
When the marriage of Barbara and Jonathan Rose disintegrated,
it launched a sequence of events leading to their ultimate demise, which left their
two children alone. Although this story was told with savvy noir humor which
appealed to many, its darker themes also rang true with scores of couples
dealing with or about to delve into the complicated world of divorce.
In this intriguing sequel, poor little Josh and Evie were raised
by loving grandparents, but the effects of exposure to parental violent screaming
matches and obsessions over property destruction for spite marked these kids as
damaged.
Often the consequences of divorce and parental discord are
intangible, lingering and festering for years to come in the children’s hearts
and minds, and frequently such past events can ruin the next generation’s
marriages. Mr. Adler’s treatment of this very serious situation is handled tastefully,
and in spite of the nature of the subject, he manages to inject some delicious
humor into this sequel.
As always in a Warren Adler book, the writing goes down like
a cool mint frappe, smooth and delectable. Mr. Adler’s dialog is natural and on
target, and progressive scenes draw the reader forward in a rush to reach
resolution. His characters come alive on the page and reveal human foibles. Infidelity
and dishonesty run rampant in this story, and the length to which a headstrong
mother goes to protect her son is rather alarming.
After the first few chapters, readers will feel as if they
know these characters, not only recognizing common human frailties in them, but
relating to and caring about them.
Josh Rose, son of Barbara and Jonathan Rose, is now a
married adult with his own two children, Michael and Emily. His human failings
are severe, and although on the surface of his marriage it seems all is golden,
we discover there is a quagmire hiding beneath. The dichotomy between the
verbalized philosophies of their family versus reality is striking.
Evie Rose, surviving daughter of Barbara and Jonathan, has
tumbled in and out of relationships and finds her best friend to be mini-epicurean
adventures. A talented cook with no acknowledgement of healthy eating, she
whips up fattening, luscious meals to both soothe tears and comfort breaking
hearts. Evie relates food to joy, to love, to happiness (don’t we all?). And
her upbeat attitude, regardless of her flagrant disregard for healthy eating,
is contagious. Evie was unquestionably this reviewer’s favorite character.
Tension simmers between Victoria, Josh’s health-nut OCD
wife, and the sweet, foodaholic Evie. Josh is torn between them, yet although
he is mindful of his wife’s desires regarding the kids and what they eat, he harbors
great love for his sister. Fiercely loyal to her, this allegiance drives a
wedge between the family. Subterfuge becomes the norm.
In the end, the grandchildren of Barbara and Jonathan Rose
are the instigating factors of changes needed and changes to come. Brilliantly
planned, they turn life upside down to force healing in their parents’
relationship.
War
of the Roses – The Children is highly recommended as a
fascinating look at psychology and family with a tongue-in-cheek flavor that
will make readers chuckle and smile. Question – will there be a sequel to the
sequel? Perhaps Mr. Adler will consider it.
Recommended for adults only by Aaron Paul Lazar, www.lazarbooks.com.
***
Title: The War of the Roses - The Children
Author: Warren Adler
Publisher: Stonehouse Press
Genre: Literary fiction
Kindle eBook: $7.69
ASIN: B00BSYIJX2
Trade Paperback: $14.55
ISBN-10: 1590061128
ISBN-13: 978-1590061121
Author’s website: http://warrenadler.com
No comments:
Post a Comment