READING AS A WRITER: A Review of LOTTERY by Patricia Wood

If you want to understand the importance of voice in fiction, read page 1 of Patricia Wood's deeply affecting debut novel, Lottery. I can almost guarantee you will be instantly hooked. 

No one gets murdered, no one falls in love, or discovers the secret of the universe, or uncovers a hidden  terrorist plot...but still, you will be hooked. Why? Because the  the voice of  Perry L. Crandall, a narrator with an IQ of 76 and a heart with a quotient that can't be measured, comes through so strong and true that you will have no choice but to follow it. No choice but to listen and learn and maybe even to grow  through the hours you spend in his company. 

 In a recent Gather article, Ed Nudelman asks his readers to name a work of fiction that has changed them. It is an intriguing question--and for those of us who love fiction--an important one.  In my view, every novel or short story that is worth our time changes us in some small or large way. It asks us a significant question, or gives us an answer; more importantly it enlarges us. In that way, all books, whether fiction or non-fiction, play or poetry  should come with a warning label. Caution: The contents in this volume just might alter your life. Enter at your own risk. Lottery is a book that effects that change in all three ways: it asks, it answers, and above all it enlarges. 

At thirty-one, Perry finds himself abruptly orphaned when his alternately cranky, wise, and beloved Gram refuses to wake up one morning. If possible, his grief is compounded by the opportunistic family  members who rapidly take control of the house Gram intended for Perry, and the money meant to provide for his future. 

Fortunately, Perry  doesn't waste his time worrying about the wrongs done to him or the things he doesn't have. As long as he has his morning oatmeal, and the comfort of Gram's old couch and the recollection of his words of solace and encouragement in his ear; as long as he retains his job at Holmsted's Marine Store and the companionship of a few genuine friends, he has all he needs. What separated Perry from many of us is that he knows it.

In his lifetime, Perry has learned to deal with the cruel schoolmates who called him a "retard", the mother who abandoned him, and the ambitious brothers who have time for him only when they see an opportunity for a swindle. All that changes  when Perry wins twelve million dollars in the Washington State Lottery. Unexpectedly, people want to shake his hand; they seek him out as a celebrity, and fawn over him when he buys the biggest flat screen TV in the store--his one material aspiration. 

Many novelists who have created a voice as strong as Perry's might content themselves to ride it to the end without ever developing much of a plot. But that isn't the choice Patricia Wood made. A nefarious cast of villains mostly composed of Perry's previously AWOL family, drive the plot and keep the pages turning with their relentless schemes to gain control of the lottery winnings.

My one quibble is that I wish the villains had been a bit more developed. Perry's mother, Louise, for instance, is so completely unfeeling toward her son that at times, she almost defies biology.  But perhaps, like Perry, the author didn't want to spend too much time rattling around in the minds of her callous antagonists. She was more concerned with developing Keith, the alcoholic, "rude and crude" co-worker, who is Perry's truest friend, and Cherry, an overweight clerk at the convenient store with "colorful" hair and numerous piercings on her face, who understands what it's like to be taunted for being who you are, and who respects Perry with or without his money. These characters leap from the page with all their weaknesses and humor and quiet heroism in tact. 

In the end, Perry L. Crandall defines both integrity and love in his own terms  as he takes on the villains in his own way and demands the right to make his own decisions. His choices will astound you--and yes, they may even change the way you see the world and yourself.  

Patry Francis, Books Correspondent:

Patry's column, Reading as a Writer, published  bi-weekly to Gather Essentials: Books. It will detail all she knows--and is in the process of learning--about writing and publishing. 

To learn more about Patry and her debut novel, The Liar's Diary, visit her Website,
 

You can find all of Patry's articles, Diary of a First Novelist, and Reading as a Writer at www.gather.com/patryfrancis

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