Publisher: Riverhead Books
Page Count: 292 pp.
Released: 2007 (paperback)
The Kept Man by Jami Attenberg
The streets of Williamsburg come alive in Jami Attenberg’s first novel, The Kept Man. Attenberg takes the reader through the streets of her protagonist’s New York City neighbourhood with descriptions that are so vivid we know what streets we turn left down and which we turn right. Attenberg pushes her writing to the next level in this book. In her short story collection, Instant Love, humour and wit flooded from the pages. While you do find humour in The Kept Man, the sad yet optimistic story focuses on love, loss, courage and waiting.
Jarvis Miller is a half-widow. Her husband, a famous painter, is not quite dead, but he is definitely not alive. Martin has been in a coma for six long years ever since he hit his head in his studio one day when he was mixing purple paint. Jarvis visits him every Wednesday. After this visit, she needs a day to recover. She, a former party-girl, is lonely and out of touch with everyone. She has no friends. That’s until her washing machine breaks and she is forced to visit the laundromat. When she spots three guys all talking and laughing and living, she gets the courage to talk to them. These men are married to rich women and call themselves The Kept Men Club. Jarvis, who has lived off Martin’s success as an artist, fits right into this group. From there, she starts to take claim over her own life.
Attenberg does a great job of seamlessly weaving in scenes from Jarvis’ life with Martin before the accident with Jarvis’ life now. While she gives us glimpses into the beautiful love story that Jarvis and Martin had, Jarvis eventually discovers that everything wasn’t as perfect as she thought. However, once Jarvis begins re-integrating herself into society again, the Williamsburg landscape changes and becomes nuanced and clear, reflecting her new life.
The Kept Man is a beautifully written and honest book with a story that is touching, emotional and heartbreaking. Attenberg makes her characters so real that they stick with you long after you’ve finished the book. This is a great read and quite a page-turner.
Reviewed by Taryn Hubbard
