No Way Home

I wasn't expecting to have a multiple POV device, but it worked well for a couple of reasons. First is that Terry is pretty much a blank. He just works and observes humanity through the ailments or conditions they present. He has no color or much in the way of personality and his life is as empty as his apartment. I can't see why he wanted to be a doctor...there is no interiority that explains it and he doesn't seem to like it much. No wonder Bethany (aside from the T&A) hits him like a bolt from the blue. She is the only thing that becomes interesting about him. In some ways it's hard to watch him being played, for played is what it must be. Why else hang around with him? The occasional biting quip is nice, but is it enough? He must show more have a magic dick. While she is a manipulative, duplicitous jerk a lot of the time, there is a bit down deep that realizes that she is basically a jerk and questions the long-term benefits of that. Oh she says she loves him towards the end, but who would believe her? I don't think she does herself, but only convinces herself that she does. Jesse's parts take the unlikeability a step further - his mind and life are basically a cesspool and he's a useless waste of air. That kind of inability to deal at all with emotions that don't prop up his ego or feel good is what's destroying men of the modern age. What is with it with these assholes? If the universe doesn't spit out sunshine and puppies for them all the time, they turn into raging psychos. I was hoping Terry would leave him to die, but alas he doesn't and Jesse will continue on to ruin other lives like poor Daisy. She's the only one I felt any sympathy towards at all and is clearly the most sensible of the bunch. They don't' deserve her. show less

No Way Home by T. C. Boyle is an excellent, very highly recommended, literary psychological drama of manipulation, obsession, and revenge in highly dysfunctional relationships.

Terrence (Terry) Tully, a third-year medical resident in LA, receives a phone call informing him of his mother's death and he drives the four hours across the desert to her home in Boulder City, Nevada, by Lake Mead, to settle her affairs, including selling her house and taking care of her dog, Daisy. Once there, his problems begin. At his lowest point, he meets homeless receptionist Bethany at a restaurant. She immediately clings onto him and manages to insert herself into his mother's, now his, home. She has a tale of woe about her ex-boyfriend, Jesse, a show more vengeful, macho middle–school teacher. Jesse declares her to be poison. They all drink too much. This begins a psychologically twisted tale of manipulation, obsession, aimlessness, violence, retribution, and revenge.

No Way Home is said to be a love triangle, but it is really a much more brutal, complicated tale of exploitation, retaliation, and control. Terry is a rather naive man and Bethany quickly takes advantage of him. She moves into the house without his permission and his first mistake is that he doesn't immediately kick her out when he learns this. From this point on she's taking advantage of him with his tacit approval and the direction the plot is taking is clear. Jesse is immature and has impulse-control issues along with a violent streak. Encounters between the two men are inevitable, and predictably vicious.

Boyle is an exceptional writer and his talent is on full display in No Way Home. I was totally engrossed throughout and found the novel un-put-downable. None of the characters are likable, although Terry at least has some professional competence. I found myself wanting to lecture or at least install some common sense and self-realization in every single one of these characters. At the same time, I have met people like these characters who embrace their aimlessness like a badge of honor.

The narrative is eventually told through the point-of-view of all three characters, which doesn't necessarily do them any favors but does showcase their haphazard thoughts and self-serving behavior, especially of Bethany and Jesse. Terry tends to reduce humanity to symptoms and diagnoses and seems a bit clueless at times. They are all very egocentric characters. We are also left with the feeling that there is no projected chance of redemption for any of them.

No Way Home is perfect for those who enjoy literary psychological dramas with erratic, selfish characters and dysfunctional relationships. Thanks to Liveright Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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Es plätschert öde vor sich hin und reisst nienanden mit. Eine ausweglose düstere Dreiecksgeschichte im Niemandsland, die alle Klischees bedient

Als bekennende T.C.-Boyle-Leserin war ich begeistert, als ich sah, dass er ein neues Buch veröffentlicht hat. No Way Out klingt nach großem Drama: zwei Männer lieben dieselbe Frau – Bethany – und geraten sich dabei gehörig in die Quere. Das könnte spannend sein; Boyle hat mich schon mit deutlich unspektakuläreren Themen in seinen Bann gezogen.
Diesmal aber nicht. Nach rund 150 Seiten habe ich das Buch entnervt zugeklappt – von Spannung leider keine Spur. Stattdessen zieht sich die Handlung zäh dahin, was wohl auch daran liegt, dass ich das Verhalten der Hauptfigur Terry schlicht nicht nachvollziehen konnte.
Terry, ein angehender Facharzt, steht unter Dauerstress und ist vom überraschenden Tod seiner Mutter zusätzlich show more belastet. In dieser Situation trifft er im Ort seiner Mutter auf Bethany und ist sofort fasziniert. Doch was er danach alles hinnimmt, ließ mich nur noch kopfschüttelnd weiterlesen: Bethany besetzt kurzerhand das Haus seiner Mutter, nutzt deren Auto, lässt ihn nach einem gemeinsamen Abend einfach stehen und zieht auch noch eine Freundin ein, von der sie Miete kassiert – während Terry immer wieder wütend aufbegehrt, nur um dann doch klein beizugeben.
Auch Bethanys Ex-Freund ist noch immer verrückt nach ihr und warnt Terry sogar vor ihr. Was jedoch den Reiz dieser Frau ausmacht, bleibt für mich vollkommen im Dunkeln. Boyle gelingt es diesmal nicht, mir deutlich zu machen, warum Bethany beide Männer so um den Verstand bringt – zumal Terry sonst ein rationaler, fast unromantischer Typ ist. Mit jeder Seite wuchs mein Unverständnis, bis ich schließlich aufgab. Vielleicht verpasse ich damit die erlösende Erklärung für diese Obsession – aber so richtig glaube ich nicht mehr daran. show less