Pros: An in-depth character study of one dysfunctional family.
Cons: Some may find the characterizations over the top.
The Bottom Line: If you enjoy reading about people, then The Condition by Jennifer Haigh is for you. This is one family's story of how they came to be the people they are.
CJsMommy's Full Review: Jennifer Haigh - The Condition: A Novel
At first glance, one would think The Condition by Jennifer Haigh is about Turner's Syndrome, which is what one of the characters in the book has. But, as you dig deeper into the book, you will see that the story is about much more. It really is the story of a dysfunctional family. As a member of one of those families, it was very interesting to peek into the life of another.
The Condition walks us through the lives of the McKotch family from early on in the lives of the three children, through their later years. The book doesn't dwell too long on any one time frame, but gives us a good picture of their lives, and how the family came to be as dysfunctional as it is.
Paulette, the mother, is an extremely dependent person. Although, on the surface, she seems okay living by herself (which is how she finds herself later in life), she needs to have constant contact with her children. When one of the them (Gwen) strays too far out of reach, Paulette does everything in her power to bring her back. She loves her collections (they are kept on shelves in their own room), and lives her life to keep up the pretenses of her family name. She and her husband are divorced (mainly because she is convinced he was cheating on her and nothing could convince her otherwise), and lives for family Christmases when all her children are in the same house.
Frank, the father, is a scientist. His whole life has revolved around his job. When his daughter doesn't seem to be growing like other children, he is the one to notice and help get the Turner's diagnosis. He is the one to push for testing and treatments. Since his divorce, he hasn't been able to commit to a woman, and tries to focus on his science. With a recent contraversial hire, Frank hopes to take his career to the next level.
Billy, the eldest, is probably the one we learn the least about. He stays in close contact with Paulette, but has recently begun avoiding his father. He rarely, if ever talks to his brother, but does confide the most in his sister. He is hiding behind a large secret that he doesn't want his father to find out, as he feels it would crush the image his father has of him.
Gwen, the middle child, is the one diagnosed with Turner's Syndrome. This seems to define her to her father, and is a crutch for her mother in order to stay completely involved in her life. But then Gwen goes on vacation and stays. She's trying to find a life for herself that doesn't involve her family or her syndrome.
Scott, the youngest child, has always been the problem child. Now, he's grown up and has a family of his own - which his mother doesn't approve of. Scott's youngest seems to be Scott reincarnated, and how Scott must face his youth in order to help his son. His mother soon approaches him with a task that may redeem himself in her eyes.
The Condition is a fabulous window into the lives of the McKotch family. I love that we are given the opportunity to not only see how they live now, but how they came to be the people they are today. It's definitely a great character study, rather than a mystery, drama or comedic novel. Some might say that Haigh went over the top with her characters, in that they all seem to have so many issues. But, as someone from a dysfunctional family with characters too unbelievable to believe, I can tell you that it is not too much.
If you enjoy reading about people, this is a great story for you. There's really no beginning, middle and end, but more pieces in time for each character. It doesn't necessarily flow in the correct order in time, but moves in a way that makes sense for the story of their lives. Haigh's descriptions of the characters makes them true to life. I can picture each of them completely, and feel like any of them could be living next to me. Definitely an interesting and compelling book that I encourage you to read. This is truly the condition of family, dysfunctional or not.
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