Review
Were this book not on my Pulitzer goal list, I likely would have read it on the recommendation of my husband, who had enjoyed it a decade prior. A Summons to Memphis is a solid definition of Southern literature - a study of characters who simultaneously deserve our sympathy and scorn, revealed to us slowly through the perspective of a semi-prodigal son who observes everything from a distance, as though the widened space protects him.
Philip Carver recounts in neat portions his life with his well to do Tennessee family - from their flight from Nashville to Memphis following a scandal to the various discreet yet seemingly cruel meddlings done presumably in the name of love. The latest "summons" sees Philip called back to halt the marriage of his elderly father to a much younger woman, but the story goes much deeper than that to reveal a series of offences committed that might lead one to believe recent actions are done out of revenge. You have to be patient with the story, but it is a satisfying read.
Philip Carver recounts in neat portions his life with his well to do Tennessee family - from their flight from Nashville to Memphis following a scandal to the various discreet yet seemingly cruel meddlings done presumably in the name of love. The latest "summons" sees Philip called back to halt the marriage of his elderly father to a much younger woman, but the story goes much deeper than that to reveal a series of offences committed that might lead one to believe recent actions are done out of revenge. You have to be patient with the story, but it is a satisfying read.
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