A Short History of Richard Kline (Amanda Lohrey, Black Inc.)

A Short History of Richard Kline is Amanda Lohrey’s first full-length novel in a decade, all the more welcome for the wait. This is at once a quiet, searching novel, and yet bold and daring. Known for her astute clear-sighted political awareness in her essay-writing, Lohrey has also, in her fiction, demonstrated an adept sympathy for her characters meeting the moral and emotional demands of living in a modern world. Richard Kline’s ‘short history’ takes us, in alternating first- and third-person narrative, from childhood to middle age. His life has always been difficult, not because of physical ailment or financial hardship, but because he has always known it lacked ‘something’. Finding and coping with that that ‘something’ is at the core of the novel. Lohrey is a sure-footed guide in this terrain. She takes us sensitively and tenderly through Richard’s searching and yearning for authenticity and meaning. Such a focused, deep and searching examination of the inner life is not an easy subject for a novel, but I found it fascinating. Lohrey challenges us by asking the big questions: what does it mean to be here, now, in this world of complex demands and challenges? And Lohrey’s such an accomplished chronicler of contemporary life, that it’s a rewarding, enriching reading experience.

David Gaunt is co-owner of Gleebooks