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Set This House in Order: A Romance of Souls

by: Matt Ruff
en

006095485x  9780060954857  

Set This House in Order: A Romance of Souls
By Matt Ruff




Product Description:

Andy Gage was born in 1965 and murdered not long after by his stepfather. . . . It was no ordinary murder. Though the torture and abuse that killed him were real, Andy Gage's death wasn't. Only his soul actually died, and when it died, it broke in pieces. Then the pieces became souls in their own right, coinheritors of Andy Gage's life. . . .

While Andy deals with the outside world, more than a hundred other souls share an imaginary house inside Andy's head, struggling to maintain an orderly coexistence: Aaron, the father figure; Adam, the mischievous teenager; Jake, the frightened little boy; Aunt Sam, the artist; Seferis, the defender; and Gideon, who wants to get rid of Andy and the others and run things on his own.

Andy's new coworker, Penny Driver, is also a multiple personality, a fact that Penny is only partially aware of. When several of Penny's other souls ask Andy for help, Andy reluctantly agrees, setting in motion a chain of events that threatens to destroy the stability of the house. Now Andy and Penny must work together to uncover a terrible secret that Andy has been keeping . . . from himself.




Summary: Great first half
Rating: 3

I agree with the other reviewers who thought that this lost something toward the end. It seemed like Ruff ran out of time on his deadline and wrote the end too fast because up to the half way point, and then some, this book was very enjoyable, unusual, and well written. Plus I learned alot about multiples in the modern world (yes, I read Sybil years ago). It was an exceptionally promising premise, and I must commend him on that. I'm not sorry I read it, but it's not a solid recommendation either. I am, however, tempted to read his other books after reading the other reviews.



Summary: Makes you think.
Rating: 5

Great literary work. While I know close to nothing about multiple personality disorder (MPD), this book is most illuminating, not in a medical sense, but as a thought provoking exercise. Its language is not very poetic but very fitting for getting down to the plot, which is all about exposing chaos and interacition of souls of MPD person. How true it is to the reality I do not know, but it is not hard to see traits of the multiplicity in the everyday people, which is why it is a great book, for it makes you think. All that in addition to having a good plot, which makes you want to know what's on the next page.



Summary: I didn't see what everyone loved
Rating: 3

This book was on several "Best Books of 2004" lists. I started it in December of 2005 and couldn't get into it, then picked it up again in August to give it another go. It got rave reviews on Amazon. I have mixed feelings about it. While I'd give it five stars for concept, the writing bothered me quite a bit.

The part-time narrator, Andrew, has a multiple personality disorder. Like many MPDs, these multiple personalities (souls) have been created as a defense mechanism to shield him from traumatic childhood memories. To give order to his disorder, with the help of a therapist, he has constructed in his mind a house where the souls can all live in peace. It's a well-run community until he meets another MPD, Penny, who doesn't have such control over her multi-faceted psychology. While Andrew does his best to help Penny come to terms with her own situation, circumstances conspire to bring his own house tumbling down and stir up the painful memories that led to his multiple personality disorder in the first place.

The concept of the book is fantastic. The architecture of the mental house and the way it works are wonderfully imaginative. And the way the characters work together to weave the story is fantastic. Dozens of distinct characters are housed in two bodies, and as the story gets rolling, it's character chaos--you never know which soul is going to take over either body next. The narrative often stops suddenly, mid-sentence, because the narrator has been pushed out by another of the souls. This leaves large gaps in the story that are filled in later from a different perspective. It's a really interesting technique. I wish Ruff had pushed it further and used it more.

Now for the bad stuff. The dialogue, I thought, is particularly bad, with too many "Um"s "Well..."s and "Huh?"s--unnecessary filler. There are some odd choices of what to cover in scene vs what to cover with simple exposition, too much over-explanation, and a lot that could have benefited from another editing pass. As for the plot, I thought it had potential but devolved into a sort of Scooby-Doo-esque mystery at the end, with a lot of explaining that wraps everything up very nicely. The resolution, some fairly hokey plot twists, and lackluster dialogue really weigh down what could have been a fantastic book.



Summary: Excellent book, potential issues
Rating: 5

First off, let me say that Set This House in Order is a book about child abuse and the psychotic breaks that the protagonists suffer as a result thereof. Therefore, it might be unpleasant and triggery for some. It is, however, a highly engaging and engrossing read that is entirely unlike anything I have read before. It takes, as a core concept, the idea that some people with multiple personality disorder (MPD) should not attempt to reintegrate their personalities but learn to live with them instead.

Thus, you have two characters, one who has learned to cohabitate and another who does not even realize that MPD is an issue. The story flips back and forth between these two people and all of the people within the two people. Moreover, due to the nature of the personal discoveries that occur, it flips around in time as well. Then, just in case you've managed to stay on top of what's going on, there's a nice bout of gender confusion.

I didn't have any trouble following the action, which may say more about me than the writer's skill. That said, it's good. It's really good. The characters seem real, and though I've never (to my knowledge) dealt with anyone with that particular oddity, the lives described seem quite realistic when compared to the lives of friends of mine who come close. Also, the ending has the type of ending that I find that I begin to prefer*, and everything is not tied up neatly. Instead, life goes on it's merry way, pulling some characters along, pushing others aside, and generally reminding everyone that they're not as in control of their destiny as they'd like to believe. A bit like real life in that respect.

If you don't have the triggery issues, I recommend reading it.


* Note: I am still a sappy romantic to some extent, and am very glad that ALL stories do not wind up that way. I need some happily ever after, after all.



Summary: Fantastic but grim
Rating: 5

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was sad, which made it difficult to read at times, but I liked it quite a bit. Also the local color of Seattle (I used to live there) was quite fun to reminisce through. While in Sewer, Gas, and Electric, Ruff made me laugh constantly, I was on the verge of tears a few times in this one. I don't believe people can actually have multiple personalities. Psychiatrists are divided on this, although I'm not a psychiatrist. But I still think it's a fascinating thing to read about in a novel. Although this book isn't fantasy, Matt Ruff is a fantasy writer, and I think it takes one to pull this idea off as well as he does in Set This House in Order.