Review: The Family Man, by Elinor Lipman

Before you ask, no, this novel has *nothing* to do with the movie starring Nicolas Cage that came out several years ago.

Lipman's newest novel, The Family Man, is utterly delightful. I could not have enjoyed this book more. You don't even need to read the rest of the review, unless you really enjoy listening to me prattle on. Seriously, just go and get it.

OK, since you insist on reading more, I'll fill you in. Henry Archer is a long-divorced, recently-retired gay lawyer who lives alone in a lovely NYC townhouse. Due to his questionable decision to contact his ex-wife to express sympathy on the recent death of her husband, he becomes re-entangled in her life. When Denise drags him to her apartment, he sees a recent photo of the long-lost step-daughter that was stolen from him in the divorce and whose memory he spent years in therapy guiltily bemoaning; he recognizes her as the coat-check girl at the salon where he has his hair cut, but due to his long-held anger, he says nothing when Denise confides in him that she has no idea where the girl is, that she hasn't spoken to her since the funeral. Henry re-connects with the girl, who is (of course) a starving actress, and instantly the two bond over lunch. Within days he is caught up in her newest job - pretending to be the girlfriend of a strange young actor who needs to be 'seen'. Between somewhat reluctantly helping Denise with the odd legal entanglements of her late husband's will (her stepsons are trying to enforce a defunct pre-nup that cuts her out of her home and fortune entirely), trying to look after his newly-reacquainted step-daughter, and fielding phone calls from men who have gotten his number from Denise, Henry suddenly finds himself up to his ears in craziness. Predictable, yet delightful, hilarity ensues.

Anyone who reads my reviews regularly knows that I hate vapid, uselessly convoluted stories, so rest assured that Lipmans' novel is neither. She manages to write a lighthearted story while still giving the characters depth, and the plot moves along effortlessly. There are no contrived arguments, no ridiculous 'no one would EVER do that' moments. The choices the characters make are realistic, even if the circumstances are slightly inflated for fiction. Most importantly, all of them are very likable; even the over-the-top Denise is ultimately someone you wouldn't mind knowing. Also - and this is always a winner with me - the ending is lovely, AND there's a bit of an afterward so you know what happens to everyone and can imagine them going forward in your mind.

I enjoyed this story so much that I would be happy to read a sequel, if one were appropriate. It is the rarest of books - a work that's amusing, light, and yet simultaneously emotionally present. As it is, I will content myself with putting Lipman's other novels on my to-read list.

Rating: five stars. Witty, charming fiction that possesses style and lighthearted substance.