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A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD

This book also explores the nature of friendship and family, as well as the nature of home and love. The characters are vividly alive; they are also hard, frequently selfish, and as human as the rest of us. One characterization does not come fully alive until the end of the story: Erich, who is Jonathan’s lover in New York City. He remains an enigma until nearly the end of the story, when he retreats with Jonathan, Clare and Bobby to upstate New York when he is dying of AIDS. Also, the character of Bobby is, at times, frustratingly inscrutable. When seen through the eyes of the other characters, he seems almost dumb, a bit slow to catch on, but in his own narrative, the reader can feel there is so much more behind that quiet exterior. That can be frustrating, but it also helps make Bobby more real.

These characters are compelling and mysterious, confusing and understandable. Michael Cunningham makes Bobby, Clare, Jonathan, Alice and Erich both easy to relate to and difficult to fathom – normal, messed up human beings, just like us all.