Caroline Louise Walker

I loved this book which is the interior monologue of a man whose public and private personas are entirely different. It brought to mind the oft-quoted lines from Walter Scott’s poem Marmion: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave / When first we practise to deceive!”

Dr. Robert Hart has been chosen as Citizen of Year in his home community of Sag Harbor, NY, but his happiness at receiving the award is tainted. He suspects that his wife Elizabeth is having an affair with Nick Carpenter, their show more son Jonah’s best friend, who is staying in their guest house for the summer. Though he has no real evidence, he devises a convoluted, highly questionable plan to keep Nick away from Elizabeth, a plan that if discovered would put Robert’s medical career in jeopardy. Of course things go awry, and he has to take desperate measures to keep his life and reputation intact.

Robert is the first person narrator throughout, though there are chapters interspersed that present the viewpoints of other characters connected to Robert: his best friend’s wife, his office manager, his son. These latter sections clarify how others perceive Robert so that the reader is not left with only Robert’s perspective which is certainly skewed. He is definitely not a reliable narrator.

Though the novel begins slowly, once initial relationships were established my interest was maintained. There is considerable suspense: how will Robert put a stop to Elizabeth and Nick’s alleged affair? Then when things go wrong, how will he “whack-a-mole [his] next risk”? There is more than one surprise twist to keep the reader on his/her toes.

The book is really a character study of one man. Dr. Hart is successful and seems not to lack confidence, but it becomes apparent that much of that self-assurance is a façade. Being very insecure, he lets his imagination run wild and he jumps to conclusions. I was reminded of Othello when Desdemona’s father tells him, “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. / She has deceived her father, and may thee.” Elizabeth was unfaithful to her first husband so Robert easily suspects she could be unfaithful to him.

What stands out is Robert’s narcissism and supreme arrogance. He describes Elizabeth as being “worthy” of him and when he thinks his wife is attracted to someone else, he assumes that attraction lies in the fact that the man has features similar to his. Even when Robert knows he is wrong, he refuses to admit it: “Backtracking shows weakness.” He takes enjoyment in manipulating people to do as he wants.

There are actually no likeable characters. Robert and his family are acquainted with many people, but Robert knows that he can confide in no one: “There’s not a soul in Sag Harbor I can call – not one good friend or mild acquaintance who could lend an ear without clanging the gossip chain.” By the time the ending is reached, Robert is not the only character who proves to be morally bankrupt. This lack of sympathetic characters is not a problem; in fact, it seems appropriate that Robert is surrounded by such despicable people.

This book reminded me of Herman Koch’s novels Summer House with Swimming Pool and The Dinner. Anyone who liked either of these should pick up Man of the Year.

Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski). show less

Fans of unreliable narrators – get ready to love this book. Each character looks out for himself (some more than others), tells lies, and behaves oddly, and they all desperately want to avoid punishment for the tragedy that happens in the latter half of the book. The author is generous with tropes (narcissism, infidelity, money, desperation) and it mostly works to create this sometimes fast-paced story. I was not sure if I hated or felt sorry for the main character, the eponymous Man of show more the Year.

The author is skilled at creating circumstances that change with perception. Each chapter is told in the point of view from each character, so the disconnect between perception is magnified. Some characters get to speak only once, which is jarring. I had to think for a moment or two when a minor character took over the narration. Some of these narrators are never heard from again; they tell their story just for the reader to see things from yet another angle.

Dr. Hart is a tragic figure, cuckolded by his son’s friend, who is staying with the family over the summer. The stereotypical “guest staying in the pool house” provides a convenient location for some activities that muddy the plot and/or provide tension. His wife Elizabeth seems self-centered and vacuous – I am not sure if that was what the author intended, or if she was written that way on purpose. I disliked her almost from the start and did not change my feelings when the book was finished. However, I did end up disliking the rest of the characters towards the end, regardless of how the plot twisted. At that point, I was heartily sick of everyone’s machinations and drama and self-servitude.

I would give the book four and a half stars, for while the plot was engaging there were a few draggy spots and as mentioned above, some characters faded in and out. This fading caused me to disengage a bit when they reappeared since I thought they were on the fringe, not actually moving the story along. show less

Man of the Year is Caroline Louise Walker's debut novel.

Dr. Robert Hart has it all - his practice is doing well, beautiful home in Sag Harbor, a boat in the marina, a gorgeous younger wife - and he's just been named man of the year. His son Jonah was struggling but his college roomate Nick seems to have helped him find his way. So when his wife asks Nick to spend the summer with them, he can't say no. Nick can have the guest cottage of course.

But how Robert envisioned the summer doesn't seem show more to be quite what's happening. He's sure that Nick is hitting on his wife - and that she is welcoming his advances. And so, the good doctor decides to (subtly) confirm and correct this issue. And so he lies. (about what I'm not going to say as I don't want to provide a spoiler) And that one lie leads to another - and another and .....

The first half of the book is told through the good doctor's voice. He is most definitely an unlikable character. He's the definition of supercilious - arrogant, smug and more. In the second half of the book, the supporting players are given a voice. Now, I'd like to say that they were the opposite of Robert, but they weren't. There was just something off about all of them. And I found all of them unlikable as well. Kudos to Walker for her characterizations.

Walker does a wonderful job manipulating the reader's perceptions along the way to a wonderful last gotcha. Do we believe Robert's view of what's happening? Are the supporting players telling the truth? The unraveling of Bobby Hart is an accident you can't help but rubberneck.

I chose to listen to Man of the Year. The lead role was voiced by George Newbern, one of my favourite narrators. He has a wonderfully expressive voice that perfectly suited my mental image of this character. Disdainful and condescending. He has interpreted the role perfectly. I really enjoy a full cast of readers rather than just one. Man of the Year employed three other readers to tell this tale - Cassandra Campbell, Michael Crouch and Gabra Zackman. Again, the voices matched the script. Softer for the wife and office assistant and younger, more innocent voices for Jonah and Nick. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I find I become so much more immersed in a story when I listen. Walker is a talented writer and I will be curious to see what she pens next. show less

Man of the Year by Caroline Louise Walker is a diabolically clever mystery.

Dr. Robert Hart is Sag Harbor's newly minted Man of the Year but instead of riding high, he is beset by doubts and suspicions about his wife Elizabeth's fidelity. Robert's college age son Jonah and his best friend Nick Carpenter are visiting when Elizabeth invites Nick to stay with the three of them for the summer. Robert is less than pleased since he is very eager to see the last of Nick. Plus Elizabeth's invitation show more ratchets up his certainty she and Nick are sleeping together. He then begins a concerted, sly campaign to induce Nick to leave but exactly how far is Robert willing to gto to eject their houseguest?

Robert is a self-centered and possessive man who quickly becomes paranoid about the people around him. He has his reasons for distrusting Elizabeth but is he reading the situation with Nick correctly? Unable to find definitive proof of their affair, Robert instead does everything he can to get rid of the young man. He starts making some very ill-thought out decisions that eventually come back to haunt him and place him in a very precarious position. Just as things begin to spiral further of control, Robert must contend with unexpected situations both at work and at home.

With a unique premise, Man of the Year is a fascinating character driven mystery. Unfortunately most of the story takes place inside of Robert's head which is not the most pleasant experience. Although Robert is the primary narrator, a few chapters are written from various character's perspectives. The storyline is intriguing but the pacing is quite slow until around the half way point. With some shocking twists and stunning turns, Caroline Louise Walker brings the novel to a bit of a frustratingly ambiguous conclusion. All in all, an entertaining debut. show less