Ethan Canin’s America, America: A Novel (New York : Random House [2008] 460 p. in the uncorrected proof edition) is the story of young Corey Sifter, from Saline, a small town in western New York south of Buffalo, who is a laborer on Aberdeen West, the estate of one Liam Metarey, of Scots-Irish descent, whose father, Eoghan, in the late nineteenth century, grew the family’s quarrying and lumbering business in the region and became one of the great Capitalists, along with John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie in America. Corey’s father, a World War II Navy veteran, also worked as a maintenance foreman at Aberdeen West, and brought Corey along on his jobs as an assistant teaching him details of pipe fitting and the work ethic of the middle class in America. While at Aberdeen West one summer in the early 1970s, Corey meets the Metarey daughters, Christian and Clara, and Mrs. Metarey, and ends up working at Aberdeen West in support of Senator Henry Bonwiller, Senator from New York and friend of Metarey, at a social gathering designed to announce Senator Bonwiller’s candidacy for the 1972 Presidential campaign against incumbent Richard M. Nixon.

From this setting, the author weaves a political web of intrigue that reveals Bonwiller’ involvement with a young woman who died in an automobile accident and the attempt at concealment. Also, we watch the romantic attractions grow between Corey and first Christian, and later on when Corey is at university, with Clara, whom he marries, and settles into a career as a newspaper editor. We learn also, that Andrew, brother to Clara and Christian, is a Soldier, first at Fort Dix, New Jersey, in a relatively safe job, but died in Vietnam in 1972 the result of a helicopter accident while on a medical rescue mission. At the end of his story, after witnessing the venality of politics and big business in America, Corey is most happy when he spends a few hours a week with his father walking the local hills where both have spent their lives.

America, America was published in spring 2008 with the most recent Presidential campaign in full swing. The political reflections of Corey Sifter (pp. 297-298) are poignant and pertinent:

“One of the hallmarks of our politics now is that we tend to elect those who can campaign over those who can lead; it’s an obvious point but because of my history I’ve spent a fair amount of time pondering what it might have meant for Henry Bonwiller and Liam Metarey. For a man on the rise in politics, power first comes through character – that combination of station and forcefulness that produces not just intimidation, which is power’s crudest form, but flattery, too, which is one of its more refined [attributes]. (The ‘uncorrected proof’ edition with which I am working, omits a necessary word after ‘refined’.) After that, power begins to grow from its own essence, rising no longer exclusively from the man but from the office itself. And this is where some balance must be found between its attainment and its allotment, between the unquenchable desire in any politician to rise, and the often humbling requirement that one’s station must now be used to some benefit. And here, of course, is where corruption begins; for power contains an irresistible urge to further itself: there is always the next race. But when finally there isn’t any more, when at last there is not more ambition to quell, no more inchoate striving to follow as a guidestar [sic], then a politician must make a transformation that he may have no more ability to make that he has to grow wings and fly. He must change his personal ambition into ambition for his country. [. . .]”

Ethan Canin is faculty member of the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a physician. His other works include: Emperor of the Air, Blue River, The Palace Thief, For Kings and Planets, and Carry Me Across the Water. ( )

America America is a quietly stunning book about politics, wealth, family, love and loyalty. It bears comparison with The Great Gatsby and An American Tragedy, but it is its own book and I would not be surprised to see it
enter the canon as a modern American classic.

It is narrated by Corey Sifter, an upstate New York newspaper publisher looking back at his past association with the wealthy Metarey family. The
teenage son of a plumber, Corey is hired by the Metareys as a groundskeeper/handyman, and becomes a sort of protege to patriarch Liam Metarey. Through them he becomes involved with the presidential campaign of
Henry Bonwiller, a liberal antiwar senator whose campaign is derailed by accusations of the coverup of a fatal accident.

Corey is a hard working, studious, almost unbearably decent boy who is often mystified by the scenes of political and emotional drama unfolding before him. As he begins a flirtation with one of the Metarey daughters,
and accepts Mr. Metarey's offer to pay tuition to a prestigious prep school, he feels conflicting loyalties between his family and class origins and the heady new world of power and wealth of which he is mostly a passive
and naive observer.

There is drama, suspense and tragedy in this book, and it is a page-turner, if you can imagine a wistful, sad, elegiac page-turner. It is a book that longs for decency and for the old-fashioned "American" virtues of hard
work, common sense, practical knowledge and unselfish love. It is a book that fights like hell against cynicism, and in the face of the political treachery portrayed, it seems a quixotic fight indeed. ( )

Why is it that author after author, even in this decadent age, keeps trying to write the Great American Novel? It's clear that's what Canin was after with this story of class differences and thinly-veiled (or not) political allusions. The most I'm prepared to say is that it's a noble effort, but one doomed to failure, even for a writer with Canin's verve and style. In the end, I believe that I prefer his stories to his novels. ( )

Well, it looks like I am in the minority when I say that I thought the book was average. I did get swept into the story, and I liked how Canin moves from the past to the present and back again so fluidly. However, there were a number of things that bothered me. The main character seemed to become more concerned with the Metarey's than his own family, which was a huge put-off for me. Additionally, there are a number of things that are never fully explained, and while some readers appear to enjoy this bit of mystery, I would have liked more clarification at times. Additionally, there were a number of things that the author touched on only briefly (Anodyne Energy, anyone?) that suddenly showed up near the end of the story and had a strong impact on the plot. It seems that Canin wouldn't need to wait until the end of his 500 page novel to put in the part that will eventually be the senator's downfall. ( )

Ethan Canin’s novel, America America, contains whispers of earlier authors’ works, including All the King’s Men and Brideshead Revisited. The flawed but gifted politician reminds me of Warren’s classic, while the awestruck class inferior reminds me of Waugh’s. Yet Canin combines these familiar archetypes in a well-wrought story that satisfies as it stretches across a broad canvas.

This is a smart story that doesn’t beat the reader over the head with its intelligence. Not every gap is filled; not every step is made plain. This leaves the reader to imagine for herself whether Chistian shared some mood disorder with her father, Liam. The reader can only imagine how Clara moved from predominantly feared to predominantly loved. Yet both conclusions seem reasonable across the scope of the novel.

I put down the novel with questions, though I don’t count that as a negative. Uncertainty, or more particularly doubt, is what we’re assured with the Bacon quote. Canin delivers on the promise. Why Corey, plucked from ordinary? At the start, he seems worthy enough as the hard-working kid taking care not to damage the roots. Maybe by the end it’s not the hard-working trait that qualifies him so much as his ability to not damage the roots of the Metahey family and his flame-tending that has allowed them to grow. ( )

Strong writing in search of a stronger story. The characters simply do not rise to the Kennedyesque storyline or the going-for-an-epic detail. ( )

America America ***
By: Ethan Canin

Perhaps the title here implies two Americas. One the top wealthy owners, the other the “lower class”.

A young man starts out as a yard helper on the large estate of the son of Meteray, who came to this country from Scotland and founded an industrial empire. Much like Carnege and other men in the last century. He benefits from the family. The book describes the large gap between these two worlds. He also learns of the complications of power and personal failings, which make up a large part of the story. I enjoyed the book. ( )

a bit boring. didn't like all the political details. ( )

Part political campaign narrative, part coming of age story, America America is set in 1970s upstate New York and depicts the events surrounding a presidential campaign and its impact on the life of a blue collar boy, Cory Sifter, who joins the campaign staff. Canin, known primarily for his short stories, has crafted a finely written novel that transports readers to the period and setting with ease. The moral questions Cory confronts resonate through the years with implications for various family members of the candidate.

I enjoyed the novel, partly for its finely honed prose, and partly due to me being somewhat of a political junkie. Having read this during the 2008 primary season, the novel felt real to me. Comparisons to Richard Russo are apt, particularly for the hard working, blue collar town scenes and how these folk relate to the local wealthy family who supports the candidate with events on their estate. Illusions will be shattered and the dark heart of modern American politics revealed, but what will the impact be on innocence? They say that America's political naivete ended with Watergate and by setting this novel during this time period, Canin reaches for "Great American Novel" territory and comes fairly close. ( )

OK ( )

Cory Sifter has the good fortune to have a hard-working blue-collar father who has shown his mettle to the rich Metarey family who owns the town nearby. Luckily his worth and value do not go unnoticed by the patriarch of the family who assumes Mr. Sifter's son will have many of the same qualities and sees first-hand that he is a smart hard-working boy. Set in New York, the small-town newspaper man looks back on his story and the story of those who helped him become the man he is.

When I think of this book, I am mindful of authors all of the country striving to write "The Great American Novel." The idea of a poor boy going to a prep school, making all the right contacts and making his way in the world through wits, hard work, reliability and loyalty (all-American, in a Statue of LIberty, apple pie kind of way) while highlighting the entitlement of the rich and the corruption of politics? I think Ethan Canin has moved a step closer to the ideal than any book I've read in a long time. I do see tinges of Richard Russo and John Knowles, but Canin owns this story and I'll be happy to read anything he writes going forward..

The character development is excellent, the story is solid, and the characters have stuck with me. It goes in the pile of books that I know will be reread. Like John Irving novels, I recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who appreciates a well-told story.

I don't go to 5 whole stars because I think there are points where the story is a little slow but despite that, I never lost interest.

http://readingintrees.blogspot.com/20... ( )

I read this wonderful book last year when I received it
as an advance reader's edition, but I neglected to
review it. In the past I only had read short stories by the
author which were also excellent. I particularily enjoyed
the time period it was written because the 70's were
an important time in my life. Canin knows how to write
a first paragraph that grabs your attentiion. I think this must
come from writing short stories. I was willing to move right
along with Corey as he moves from one society to the
next(not necessarily the better) into the world of politics.
This is one of my favorite themes in a book. I recommend
this quick read to anyone who enjoys good writing. ( )

Corey Sifter is part of a family in upstate New York in the 1970s. He chooses to support a presidential candidate, senator Bonwiller, who opposes the war in Vietnam.

The epic story unfolds beautifully. It is reminiscent of an older style of writing, (All the President's Men) while at the same time remaining approachable. The story touches on many issues, politics, family dynamics, past remembrances and more, while never loosing its focus on Corey.

The book gives the reader a look not only at the big events in the plot, but at Corey's whole life and the path that led him to his current position. A fascinating read! ( )

This story, while beautifully written, is difficult to classify. Is it a historical fiction piece? Is it a murder mystery? A coming-of-age story? A political diatribe? A rags-to-riches yarn? Actually, a title as broad as America, America is fitting because it takes on all of these things at once. The shocking part is that it actually works. It doesn’t feel like a reach. In fact, it works quite well by employing something rarely used anymore – the art of subtlety.

The characters - beginning with the first-person protagonist, Corey Sifter - are exceptionally well done. You really do feel that you know them so well - feeling what they feel and sensing what they sense. It is a remarkable art of character development that Canin successfully uses to pull the reader in. In addition to that, he employs a master’s touch of laying out the atmosphere of Western New York - from its culture to the look of the trees and the heaviness of the air. The book is as much art as it is story. As someone who grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, I can tell you that Canin’s portrayal of that part of the country is spot on. While some reviewers had a problem with Canin jumping back and forth in time throughout the story, I think he did a great job of leading the reader through it without needing to resort to labeling each change with a date. In fact, the layered structure makes the story more powerful and interesting than if it had been laid out chronologically.

Canin also does a wonderful job weaving the fictional Senator Henry Bonwiller into the actual Presidential campaign of 1972. He was able to insert his candidate in among the real-life history without tearing it all apart – an admirable accomplishment in itself. It felt organic rather than shoehorned. Anyone interested in writing historical fiction should pay particular attention to how this story does it so well. However, nobody reading this book is going to have any trouble figuring out which side of the political aisle Ethan Canin falls on. I’m an independent thinker and I like it when writers provoke me to reassess my own beliefs, but it is certainly not lost on me that the book was released in the middle of a Presidential election season. I don’t mind authors inserting issues they find important into their fiction, but frankly, Canin gets a bit carried away and beats the reader over the head with it, especially near the end. It is the one flaw of the book that it feels like a bit of a rant and sticks out from everything else. I don’t mind the message, but a bit of a softer touch might have blended better with the rest of the story.

The political pandering of the book notwithstanding, I really don’t have anything bad to say about the story. It’s not a thriller or a murder mystery. While elements of both are in the story, they are really just another form of scenery. And while there is little real action or dramatic tension, I never felt like the story dragged. That says something for the writing, because that is no easy feat. The real story is the assent of Corey Sifter and how he grows to understand all of the people involved in his life, although sometimes painfully late. America, America does a beautiful job of showing just how the coming-of-age of a young man might look within the womb of a struggle for national power. His ultimate lesson is that he has to learn how to learn - and it is a neverending struggle. This is certainly a book worth reading, if for no other reason than to enjoy the rich characters and lush scenery. There is a lot to experience in this book – you almost need to read it more than once to take it all in. It certainly has its place on the shelves of any reader looking for an artful, character-centered book filled with beautiful prose.

I do have one complaint, however. It’s not with the story, but it is with the book itself. I don’t know when it became fashionable for publishers to make the page edges roughed up and out of line rather than smooth, but please stop it. It doesn’t make the book nicer or ‘classic.’ It just makes it really hard to turn the pages and sheds little paper flakes all over the place. If you want the book to have an expensive, classic feel, focus on the binding and using high-quality paper. Leave out the alignment gimmicks, they really don’t work. On the plus-side, the cover art chosen was fantastic. ( )

A patrician upstate New York State family in the 1970’s reels from the consequences of supporting a liberal anti-Vietnam war senator in his run for president after a young woman on his campaign committee had been found dead, abandoned in the winter snow. Sound Kennedy-ish? Canin does a masterful job of slowly developing all the characters, from Corey Sifter, the narrator looking back on his humble introduction into the venerated Metarey family, to the various flukey characters in the family, to the well-meaning senator Bonwiller and his infatuated lover. But the key work here is slow. Canin doesn’t rush anything so this story will appeal mostly to those who want atmosphere over action.
Library Journal recommends it for book clubs. Reviewer’s descriptions: riveting, engrossing, marvelous, powerful. ( )

sweeping saga of the making of a newspaper man at the same time as the making of a presidential candidate....several layers of stories and for the most part they were very good. ( )

I loved this book -- Corey Sifter is a likeable, believable character, and the story of the rise and fall of a local powerful family and a politician running for President was fascinating. Canin moves back and forth between the past and the present in a way that is never confusing, but rather gives credence to the central theme of the book: the we are often in the dark, even about those closest to us. ( )

Especially interesting in the election year, this is a novel about politics, ambition and family secrets. It kind of plods along and yet is suspenseful at the same time. I've been savoring it over the past few weeks (it is SO OVERDUE at the library) and enjoying dipping in and out of it. Interesting narrative technique and lovely writing, coupled with suspense makes it the kind of book I love. Definitely check this one out. ( )

Excellent, sprawling epic that explores class differences, 1970s politics, scandal and family dynamics of numerous kinds. ( )

When I saw “America America” offered as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer book I though ‘eh’ and didn’t bother requesting it, when I saw it in Barnes and Nobles and Borders on the ‘new!’ tables, I thought, “oh, I’ve heard of that book,” and walked right on by. Finally, when I saw the audiobook at the library I thought, “well why not? I can always just stop listening if I don’t like it.” Waiting so long to finally immerse myself in “America America” was a very stupid thing, but one that ended up turning out very well.

First off, the story. “America America” tells the story of Cory Sifter. Cory is telling his story in the present, but a majority of the story is comprised of his flashbacks to the early and mid 1970s. As an adult, Cory is the publisher of a small town newspaper but as a young man he was the son of working class parents. However, Cory was given advantages that most boys in his position are not when he went to work for the powerful Metarey family and the Presidential campaign of Senator Henry Bonwiller. The story jumped around in time a LOT and without much warning. One would think that would be extremely difficult to track while simply listening, but I stayed with the story surprisingly well, thanks to writing that quickly clued me in to what was going on without being too obvious about the whole thing.

Cory was a great character, from an uncertain boy to man who has matured into his role in life and I thought the storyline itself was extremely interesting. We are left for quite awhile wondering what the terrible thing is the Senator Bonwiller is supposed to have done and what exactly happened to all the people of Cory’s childhood. Basically everyone around who the story revolved was very compelling.

And then there is the audio component of my experience. Oh. My. Gosh. Don’t tell my husband, but I might have a little audio crush on the narrator, Robertson Dean. He has such a gorgeous voice, mellow, but with lots of emotion. He kept me calmly focused on the story through the worst traffic jams and the most annoying house cleaning. He makes me GLAD that I kept (stupidly) ignoring “America America” because otherwise I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of hearing him narrate it. ( )

Reminiscent of Richard Russo, Canin tells the story of Corey Sifter's life both from the present and from the summer he was 16 and went to work for the powerful Metarey family. The book shifts back and forth in time and hones in on Corey's relationship with Liam Metarey and through him, a politician Henry Bonwiller. This is very much a novel of place and class; the writing is strong and elegant and the characters are wrought in many dimensions. It is also a morality tale. ( )

What a good story. It’s a story of fictitious 1972 U.S. presidential elections. What are our secrets? What do we know? What is truth? We can’t ever know The Truth. Even our own interpretation of events change as we grow older, as we learn more than we did at the occurrence. Everything and every action has layers. Highly recommended. ( )

One of the best things about reading advanced copies is discovering great books you would usually overlook. Another is finding stories that are so well written you fall in love with a subject you’d normally shun.

America, America is a story about politics, power and the news media. It’s an astute observation on the intricacies of media and politicians as bedfellows. It’s also a comparison between the working class that built a nation and high society, a look at the changes wrought by the American desire to expand and an allegory for the famous Kennedy/Chappaquiddick tragedy. Not something I’d normally add to my TBR pile.

The author, Ethan Canin, is a professor of writing at the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop. In America, America his gifts are on full display. His greatest asset lies in conveying the emotional aspect of politics. We feel sorry for the ‘bad’ guys. In fact, we aren’t really sure who the bad guys are.

But, America, America is really a coming-of-age tale, told in reflective time slips by a now grown newsman whose own daughters are the same age he was when the story begins. Because the tone is reflective, it takes some time for the reader to invest in the characters, but our motivation lies in knowing that the narrator knows something that no one else knows and he has some degree of regret for it. The time slips are well done and the tension building is constant. Canin chips away our suspicions step by ‘ah-ha’ step.

My only qualms were with one flat character (the Senator’s mistress) and some editing issues (which are a personal bug-a-boo) where a few non-essential elements were allowed to bog the ending. These are minor glitches in an excellent look at the men who seek power, the ones who watch on the sidelines, the ones who get caught in the excitement and the working men who make it all possible.

Recommended for historical fiction aficionados, readers who like to consider the intricacies of a human nature and those in appreciation of well-written, reflective coming-of-age tales.

Review first published on Many A Quaint & Curious Volume
© Tasses 2007-2009 ( )

I first came across Ethan Canin in his book of short stories, Palace Thief which showed a beginning writer like me that I had a lot to learn about the art of short story.

America America is a sprawling story about a young working class man who finds himself welcomed into a family descended from robber barons.

Well drawn characters take us from a not so subtle Kennedyesque murder to a shopping mall. He had me from the very beginning, but ultimately I was disappointed.

At times entirely too detailed to not detailed enough, it felt like I was reading a really good first draft of a potentially great novel. There were a few too many loose ends, and I did want to know for sure what happened that night. I wanted to see how he got together with his wife whom Canin masterfully leaves out until a long way in. But I didn't understand why it was her, what had happened, and how.

Having said that, this book is by no means a waste of time. Enjoy! ( )

While this may be considered a political novel, it's also a lot more than that. Narrated by someone seemingly on the fringe of a politician's circle of cronies and his rise in stature, it allows the reader to see things more on an everyday scale. The novel flip flops back and forth in time and while this is initially a bit confusing, it adds to the richness and overall underlying mystique of the story. It's not a fast-paced novel, but it draws the reader in and had, I thought, a very satisfying ending. Very well written and recommended. ( )