The Topeka School - Ben Lerner

The Topeka School was a big disappointment, for me at least. I had pre-ordered the novel months ago as the premise sounded like something I would very much enjoy, but, sadly, this one just wasn't for me.⁣

The novel follows four primary characters: Adam, the protagonist; Jane, his mother; Jonathan, his father; and Darren, a fellow Topeka High School student of Adam's. The narrative, set in the present day, is made up of a series of first-person recapitulations of the past. Darren's narrative, however, is shared in shorter third-person scenes - Darren is an outsider in the story and Topeka. From the beginning of the novel, we are aware that Darren is in police custody, and we learn why, as the plot develops.⁣

For me, the characters didn't come alive - with Jane being the only exception. Jane's perspective as a strong, successful female in a world of "Men" worked very well. Adam and Jonathan, however, I found much more of a chore to get through.

The cerebral quality of the writing didn't help. There is minimal action or dialogue throughout, and a substantial amount of novel thought. The scenes in which Adam is debating were exciting if only to demonstrate the family dynamic, but the subject matter in most cases was quite pedestrian.

As an aside, my enjoyment was perhaps hampered by the fact that I had just finished The Dutch House, and On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, which were both beautiful novels.⁣

⭐️⭐️/5

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