I am happy to report the return was satisfying.
"Brightness Falls," written in 1992, is the first of a trilogy that continues with "The Good Life, in 2006, and ending with "Bright, Precious Days," a decade later. McInerney seems to want to write his all encompassing history of New York City, during the time when his generation, and mine, the Baby Boomers, were coming to the fore.
Maybe that is why "Brightness Falls" is also the longest of the three. Which was not a problem, because the characters were fascinating and the story had a lot of scope.
Let's start with Russell and Corinne Calloway. He is a publishing house exec on the rise, she works in a brokerage firm. Both have the capacity to be the city's movers and shakers, but Corinne wants to chuck it all, and have a baby, while Russell latches onto what today would be called a Ponzi scheme, and rides with it, to the sad end. In between, are secrets both hold about their successful author friend, Jeff Pierce (a stand in for McInerney? Except he is not the narrator). Corinne has slept with him twice--before and during her marriage to Russell-- and hubby is jealous of his friend's literary success.
This is all played out against the cataclysms of the stock market crash, and the AIDS crisis, among other things. Nell's gets a mention--oh, the days of Nell's, darlings!!!!!!--but the author here is more interested in telling a story than dropping names of places. How refreshing!
Another Brat Packer who can actually write. You cannot imagine how pleasing that is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even if the trilogy were not known, it is obvious, from where the author leaves his characters, at the end, that there will be more! And I cannot wait for it.
So, now we are forming a hierarchy of the Brat Pack. Donna Tartt, the High Priestess, Tama Janowitz, following, and Jay McInerney on the third branch of the tree. Will there be room for anyone else???????????????????
Stay tuned, and find out, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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