The Disapparation of James

The Disapparation of James is an excellent book about a couple whose young son supposedly acutally disappears in a clown's act at the circus. What results from this event is an incredible portrait of a family in the midst of an unbelievable yet unchangeable tragic event. Ursu creates a fascinating picture of characters helpless in the grip of a situation they can't do anything about and that seemingly provides no target for blame. Ursu deftly uses her unlikely premise to explore human nature and create an excellent character study that gets at each character's heart as she demonstrates their reactions to James' inexplicable disappearance.

Children disappear every day. Some are snatched by dark-hearted men in raincoats. Some fall into rivers and are sucked under by the current. Some slip their grasp from your hand while shopping in K-Mart and melt into the anonymity of crowds.

Few, if any, vanish into thin air, gone in a literal blink of the eye. But in Anne Ursu’s second novel, The Disapparation of James, that’s exactly what happens to the titular five-year-old boy when he attends a magic show on the eve of his older sister’s birthday and he’s called up on stage by Mike the Clown. Even when they later watch a video of the fateful magic act, his parents cannot accept what they see:

The clown puts James in the chair. James holds on to the sides. The clown lifts show more James-in-the-chair up and puts James-in-the-chair on his chin. The clown’s arms go out to his sides and he staggers about a bit—applause starts—and then, all of a sudden, he bends and sways, there is a gasp, and then…

And then James disappears.

In the room with the long table, Justin and Hannah Woodrow stop—heart, breath, mind. This is not at all what they thought. This is not even the same world anymore, this is a whole new universe. It’s right there, on the video. James has not been kidnapped. James is not lost. James has just gone.

Poof.

In clear, uncomplicated prose, Ursu maps the evolution of shock, disbelief, grief, torpor and rage that comes in the wake of every parent’s worst nightmare. Hannah retreats into the lethargic fuzz of dreams; Justin vows vengeance on the clown he thinks is responsible for the fate of his son; Greta, the seven-year-old sister, determines to bring back James by drawing pictures and making lists of his favorite things, like peanut butter and puppies.

As in her debut novel, Spilling Clarence, Ursu approaches the bad moments in her characters’ lives with a fairy-tale twinkle in her eye. Beginning with the title (why “disapparation,â€? why not simply “disappearanceâ€??) the book adopts an elevated, distanced tone with a rhythm all its own—a sort of Grimm percussion—until, like a magic trick, you levitate through the pages. Unlike Spilling Clarence, which kept too much distance between reader and page, The Disapparation of James makes us care deeply about its characters, including the compassionate cop who’s assigned to the case of the missing kid and the clown who goes from suspect to victim as the story progresses. The point of view constantly shifts between the characters and Ursu never slips a gear in the transitions.

There are times when I wished the sentences had been decorated with a bit more color and texture—the simplicity of noun-verb, noun-verb gets a bit flat after a couple hundred pages and there are the occasional clichés (“The rules have changed, the sky has opened, the fabric that holds the world together has rippedâ€?)—but the cumulative effect of the novel is a balanced combination of melancholy and joy.

By sprinkling “once upon a timeâ€? dust over the narrative, Ursu uses surreal allegory to gently instruct without sermonizing. Her message is clear: parents, love your children, hug them while you can; husbands and wives, savor every good moment together. For tomorrow, we could disappear. show less

First of all, oops. Unlike "Breadcrumbs" which led me to believe that something else by Ursu might be terrific, this is not a children's book. Second of all, wtf? I don't care how damn smart and lovely it is, it's still a horrible subject and to read about it is not in the least enriching. Not only was there no point or resolution, and so my time was wasted, but now my night is going to be spoilt w/ nightmares.

Still, it is beautifully written. My heart aches for some of the characters. I am thoroughly convinced that there is no 'normal' way to react to crisis or tragedy. So, if you like character studies, and can stand true terror (you know, as opposed to zombies etc.), have at it.

Btw, my edition is apparently not on GR, or not show more combined... I read in an entirely different cover....

Also, I have no idea whether I want to read more by Ursu or not. I'll look, but they'll have to be lighter, for sure.... show less

This is an absolutely wonderful book.

I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book but I'm certainly glad I gave it a shot. The characters are amazing and the story is incredibly unique and enthralling. The premise is so unusual that I never knew what to expect as I turned the pages.

Language and sentence structure really captures how scared and frantic the parents are after their son disappears during a magic act, and the confused optimism of their 7-year-old daughter. No big surprises in the plot, but compelling en route to the ending anyway.

A very curious and disappointing book.
Ursu is a good, though not dazzling writer. The story begins brilliantly, but left me questioning and unsatisfied.
I didn't find this a memorable exploration of character - people behaved pretty much the way I thought anyone would - and the reader is left with too many questions. I don't need everything explained, but to raise a huge, unbelievable mystery - and then offer no explanation?

This is an interesting take on a missing child story. It shows how a family deals with the mysterious disappearance of their son. The story is told from multiple points of view and each character views the situation a different way. This was a fun read that makes you suspect everything from the worst to the supernatural.