Second Marriage, Frederick Barthelme's first novel, follows on the heels of Moon Deluxe, his acclaimed collection of stories, and is certain to enhance Barthelme's reputation as one of the most accomplished writers of his generation. As Margaret Atwood wrote in The New York Times Book Review in her front-page review of his work, "It is impossible to conceive of any writer doing what he does better than he does it."
The novel tells the story of the marriage between Henry and Theo-her first, his second-of their life together, their separation, and the events that ensure. Set in typical Barthelme territory-the new South of suburban communities, clipped lawns, busy shopping centers, fast-food drive-ins, and backyard swimming pools-Second Marriage displays the cool, affectionate observation of place and character and the command of craft that have distinguished Barthelme's previous fiction.
The story begins with Henry's first wife Clare, in flight from her present life, moves in with Henry and Thea. The new arrangement has its peculiar effects. Theo doesn't want to be married anymore. Henry does-and is willing to take his chances waiting. And wait he must, through a series of quirky, comic, and sometimes painful events that immerse the reader in a world of familiar yet slightly bewildering pleasures and sorrows before the trajectory of the novel turns homeward.
Second Marriage celebrates the strangeness and excitement of the everyday. "What Barthelme does best is precisely what fiction should do." writes the Texas Monthly. "He makes the familiar seems strange and the strange seem familiar." Written with the intimate knowledge and wry affection that characterize his stories, the novel exhibits a new command and depth of insight that mark an important step in Barthelme's career. Second Marriage is sharp, funny, odd and turns perplexing and heartbreaking. It is a joy to read. Barthelme's first novel is the most intriguing work to date by this brilliant American writer.