The Lay of the Land
Encyclopedia
The Lay of the Land is a 2006
novel by American
author Richard Ford
. The novel is the third in a trilogy, which began with The Sportswriter
(1986) and was followed several years later by Independence Day
(1995). Each of these novels follows a portion of the life of Frank Bascombe, a real estate agent moving through early middle age towards his later years.
The Lay of the Land was nominated for a 2006 National Book Critics Circle Award
.
at his home in Sea Clift, New Jersey
. His son Paul, who is now a greeting card designer in Kansas City, Paul's girlfriend, who has only one hand, and Frank's daughter, Clarissa, who is an on-and-off lesbian, are all expected to attend. Frank has ordered a ready-made organic meal to be delivered on the holiday.
Frank's second wife, Sally, has reunited with her formerly AWOL and presumed-dead husband Wally, and they now live in the British Isles
. Frank is in the last throes of a fight against prostate cancer
, and Frank's first wife, Ann, has moved back to Haddam, New Jersey, after the death of her second husband.
Frank has started RealtyWise, his own company, and employs Mike Mahoney, a Tibetan
who has adopted an American Republican lifestyle, except inasmuch as he believes in Zen philosophy.
Over the course of three days, Frank has a range of painful experiences with everyone he meets, including potential home buyers, the father of an old flame, his former wife, his son, and an old acquaintance whom Frank assaults in a bar. Frank's most redeeming moments as a character are in a lesbian bar where he waits for repair work on his Chevrolet Suburban, and when he gets shot in the chest by teenagers who have murdered his unlikable neighbors.
In the end, Frank and Sally are flying to the Mayo Clinic
to get the final word on his prostate.
commented that the book "bristles with energy, with a natural assurance on the part of its writer." The Sydney Morning Herald
noted that "the tone of The Lay of the Land is somber, despite a few patches of high comedy, and its style is markedly introspective," adding that "Ford is such a fine writer that he pulls off a notable feat." In a review for The Observer
Tim Adams of wrote "Often in the book, you feel like you could listen to Frank observing his life for ever; very occasionally, it feels like you are," adding "There's not a line in the nearly 500 pages that you would want to lose, though." The Wall Street Journal
complimented the book, writing "Mr. Ford's prose, however, is far from dull; virtuosic flights and crescendos animate passages that we might otherwise think we could do without." In contrast, Michiko Kakutani at The New York Times
called the book "lethargic" and a "padded, static production."
2006 in literature
The year 2006 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Literature:*Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Half of a Yellow Sun*Chris Adrian - The Children's Hospital *Martin Amis - House of Meetings...
novel by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author Richard Ford
Richard Ford
Richard Ford is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist and short story writer. His best-known works are the novel The Sportswriter and its sequels, Independence Day and The Lay of the Land, and the short story collection Rock Springs, which contains several widely anthologized stories.-Early...
. The novel is the third in a trilogy, which began with The Sportswriter
The Sportswriter
The Sportswriter is a 1986 novel by Richard Ford. It is about a failed novelist turned sportswriter who undergoes an existential crisis following the death of his son. In 1995, it was followed by a sequel, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Independence Day...
(1986) and was followed several years later by Independence Day
Independence Day (novel)
Independence Day is a 1995 novel by Richard Ford and the sequel to Ford's 1986 novel The Sportswriter.It won the Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction in 1996, the first novel ever to win both awards in a single year....
(1995). Each of these novels follows a portion of the life of Frank Bascombe, a real estate agent moving through early middle age towards his later years.
The Lay of the Land was nominated for a 2006 National Book Critics Circle Award
National Book Critics Circle Award
The National Book Critics Circle Award is an annual award given by the National Book Critics Circle to promote the finest books and reviews published in English....
.
Plot
The Lay of the Land takes place in the fall of 2000, and Ford's character Frank Bascome is preparing for ThanksgivingThanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
at his home in Sea Clift, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. His son Paul, who is now a greeting card designer in Kansas City, Paul's girlfriend, who has only one hand, and Frank's daughter, Clarissa, who is an on-and-off lesbian, are all expected to attend. Frank has ordered a ready-made organic meal to be delivered on the holiday.
Frank's second wife, Sally, has reunited with her formerly AWOL and presumed-dead husband Wally, and they now live in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. Frank is in the last throes of a fight against prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
, and Frank's first wife, Ann, has moved back to Haddam, New Jersey, after the death of her second husband.
Frank has started RealtyWise, his own company, and employs Mike Mahoney, a Tibetan
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
who has adopted an American Republican lifestyle, except inasmuch as he believes in Zen philosophy.
Over the course of three days, Frank has a range of painful experiences with everyone he meets, including potential home buyers, the father of an old flame, his former wife, his son, and an old acquaintance whom Frank assaults in a bar. Frank's most redeeming moments as a character are in a lesbian bar where he waits for repair work on his Chevrolet Suburban, and when he gets shot in the chest by teenagers who have murdered his unlikable neighbors.
In the end, Frank and Sally are flying to the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
to get the final word on his prostate.
Reception
The Lay of the Land received largely—but not universally—positive reviews. Merle Rubin of The Christian Science MonitorThe Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor is an international newspaper published daily online, Monday to Friday, and weekly in print. It was started in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist. As of 2009, the print circulation was 67,703.The CSM is a newspaper that covers...
commented that the book "bristles with energy, with a natural assurance on the part of its writer." The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
noted that "the tone of The Lay of the Land is somber, despite a few patches of high comedy, and its style is markedly introspective," adding that "Ford is such a fine writer that he pulls off a notable feat." In a review for The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
Tim Adams of wrote "Often in the book, you feel like you could listen to Frank observing his life for ever; very occasionally, it feels like you are," adding "There's not a line in the nearly 500 pages that you would want to lose, though." The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
complimented the book, writing "Mr. Ford's prose, however, is far from dull; virtuosic flights and crescendos animate passages that we might otherwise think we could do without." In contrast, Michiko Kakutani at The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called the book "lethargic" and a "padded, static production."
External links
- "The Man in the Big Car": a review in the TLS by James Campbell, October 2006
- Metacritic -reviews
- Official publisher website
- Interview February 2007 Pulitzer Prize-winning author talks with Robert Birnbaum about his latest (and last) Frank Bascombe novel, The Lay of the Land