This was not the Plan Christina Alger 2016. 337 pages

This Was Not The Plan Christina Alger. 2016, 337 pages.

It must be difficult for a young female novelist to narrate a complex story in the first person singular of a 35 year old widower with a five year old son and a highly dysfunctional family, but Alger does this with aplomb and humour. A discontented high powered workaholic litigation lawyer working in a big NYC firm makes a drunken highly inappropriate speech at a company party, and gets fired instead of being promoted to partner. This sets him off on a strange new quest for self discovery and work/life balance. The plot thickens as he gradually sets new priorities, tries to break free of the scripted life he had envisioned having, meets a lot of eccentric characters far removed from his previous circle of New York high society duplicitous acquaintances and friends, and learns to appreciate different values, priorities, and family loyalties. There is little that is entirely predicable in the complex plot, including in the final chapter set more than a year after the main events.

Some of the dialogue seems strained with unrealistic, mushy, sentimental speeches, but the prose flows beautifully laced with startling humour, and all of the character somehow seem realistic. The depiction of New York high society is far from flattering, given their dedication to showing off conspicuous wealth, crass materialism and making the right connections. I hope this is an exaggeration of the shallowness of the upper crust, but I have no way of knowing for sure. Likewise I am not the appropriate person to even comment on the right balance between work and family life, having never found that balance.

The humour shines through; “She raises her eyebrows: no mean feat given her obviously deep commitment to Botox.”

This is a light fun read that I thoroughly enjoyed. No prize-winner, but good relaxation.