STARS AND BARS

by William Boyd ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 29, 1985

In his strong debut, A Good Man in Africa (1982), British novelist Boyd provided a zesty series of cross-cultural mishaps for a foul, petty, oddly likable antihero. But though this third novel aims for similar comic/satiric effects, with a Good Man in America, it misfires at almost every target. Henderson Dores is the hapless hero here, a shy Britisher nearing 40--working in N.Y. as an art valuer at Mulholland, Melhuish, trying without much success to fit in: ""He loves America, but will America love him back?"" Then, after a few glimpses of Henderson in scuffles with parodied New Yorkers (dated, overdone send-ups of nouvelle cuisine, self-help jargon, etc.), he's sent on business to Georgia--to assess the value of tycoon Loomis Gage's art-collection, to persuade Gage to let Mulholland, Melhuish handle the collection's auction. And along for the ride down South, implausibly, is 14-year-old Bryant, the spoiled daughter of Henderson's ex-wife Melissa (whom he intends to re-marry after all these years. . . if he can overcome his passion for Jewish girlfriend Irene). So, arriving at the rural mansion of the Gage clan, Henderson promptly finds himself witnessing all sorts of Southern-gothic goings-on: Gage's son Freeborn is a violent redneck who has his own plans for the million-dollar art collection; Freeborn's wife Shanda is a baby doll who can't understand Henderson's English (a tiresome running gag); sister Cora is a Tennessee Williams eccentric; the housekeeper's addled son Duane mesmerizes the flaky Bryant, there's a pompous preacher and a sluttish preacher's wife. The stereotype comedy soon slides into sit-com slapstick--as Henderson goes to Atlanta for a lavish hotel-tryst with Irene but winds up in a manic wade through the hotel's atrium lake. And after old man Gage's sudden death creates chaotic complications, Henderson flees back to Manhattan, with a sedated Bryant--only to find himself running naked through a routine farce-chase, menaced by Freeborn's thugs. . . and rescued by his own beloved black fencing-instructor. Boyd's caricatures of American types, unfortunately, are far too cartoony (and off-target) to score points. More important, Henderson is a whiny, irritating wimp who passively, idiotically wanders from mishap to mishap. (Despite a minor subplot involving Henderson's search for the truth about his father's WW II death, there's no texture to this non-character.) So, aside from a funny line here and there, this is very disappointing work indeed--unconvincing as an exercise in UK/US culture clash, uninvolving as a comic character-study, and lame as sheer farce.

Pub Date: April 29, 1985

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Morrow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1985

Categories: FICTION