Great House – Becky Woodruff

Book Review >>> Becky Woodruff Great House

Nicole Krauss. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2010. 289 pp.

Upon my introduction to Nicole Krauss’ Great House, I was told that it is a novel about a desk. It was not a particularly rousing endorsement, but the accompanying summary was enough to pique my interest. As it turns out, Krauss uses this desk, a hulking presence in the lives of each of the characters, as a tool for conveying the loss, failure, isolation, fixation, and madness of those who encounter it. The desk also demonstrates the excess of worth that people often place in material objects. The novel is told from several points of view including that of a disenchanted writer, a remorseful father, a doubting husband, an observant outsider, and an obsessed antique dealer. Most of these characters are complete strangers to one another, yet the desk means something vital to each of them, playing a distinct role in their individual lives. It is difficult to adequately summarize as complex a tale as Great House. The novel raises more questions than it answers. The many plotlines interweave, creating a somewhat disjointed picture that the reader must piece together along the way. Given particular attention is the disenchanted writer, Nadia, who retains possession of the desk following the death of its former owner. When she must part with it, she faces not only the loss of her muse but the loss of her faith in her writing and in herself. Other characters face similar existential dilemmas and considerable losses. Weisz, a survivor of the Holocaust, obsesses over the reconstruction of his childhood home, which was looted and destroyed by the Nazis. He grows up to be an antique dealer and spends his entire life seeking out each piece of furniture that was lost and giving it a place in the house he buys with his wife. The one piece that continues to elude him? His father’s desk. Still other characters face various challenges of their own. An aging father must come to terms with the loss of his wife and his own imminent mortality while making a last desperate attempt to reach out to the son he has never understood. Another man discovers his wife has kept an enormous secret from him and, following her death, decides to investigate. A young woman struggles to fit herself into the world of the man she loves, his sister, and their imposing father. Each of these figures tells a compelling story, and each of them bears some relation to the desk—some in a positive way, some less so. Several voices in the book immerse the reader in Jewish culture, referring to locations and events that are directly related to it. The very title is drawn from the Torah, though the explanation is saved for the end as a means of tying all the threads together. Within the context of the novel, religion is not enough to sustain a person’s sense of self- worth, and it is made clear that when a person ties her faith or inspiration to a physical object, it can only

lead to loss. This theme is reflected in the book’s many plotlines as well as in the meaning behind its title. Krauss’ prose flows elegantly, and each page rings with the poetry of her words. Interspersed throughout the text are concise, acute observations that give the reader pause. In the midst of Nadia’s reflection, she notes, “Imagination dies a slower death, by suffocation” (44). Later, the doubting husband observes, “We take comfort in the symmetries we find in life because they suggest a design where there is none” (82). These seemingly simple statements jar the reader; one is taken from the flow of the text and forced to consider the meaning behind them. Each remark demonstrates a deep understanding of human weakness and a bold assertion of reality. A brilliantly conceived narrative, Great House holds interest for a wide audience. Any writer who has ever faced a loss of inspiration will identify with Nadia’s ongoing predicament. The position of Weisz sheds light on a less-familiar aspect of the Holocaust, giving those with interest in it more insight into the subject. Beyond its roots in Jewish culture, the book’s themes are universal. It would interest someone looking to reflect on the meaning humans ascribe to otherwise meaningless items and the role such items play in the search for or loss of identity. Great House is not just a novel about a desk; it is a fascinating read that manages to tackle a number of provocative themes and leave the reader wanting more.