Blue Skies by T.C. Boyle
Sophisticated, funny, satirical yet not entirely unsympathetic to characters, T.C. Boyle is among the most meaningful and entertaining American fiction writers to emerge in the late 20th century. Boyle remains prolific in the 21st, continuing to illuminate the unanticipated outcomes and personal costs of best-laid plans.
His ironically titled new novel, Blue Skies, concerns a family in the crosshairs of catastrophe. Cat is the picture of contemporary self-absorption, addicted to Netflix and novelty (including buying a pet snake) and determined to become an “influencer.” Her brother Cooper and his fiancé Mari are entomologists and environmental activists whose mission shades into self-righteousness. Cooper coaches his mom on extreme eco-sustaining steps including cooking meals with crickets as the protein source. Dad, a physician, grumbles along. But fate is a cruel joker. The insect Mari and Cooper are studying bites, causing him serious complications.
Boyle’s writing is descriptive but sparse, with surprising outbursts of hilarity. As mom prepares the crickets for dinner, Boyle lets us imagine the crickets’ perspective. Blue Skies is a leisurely ramble along the edges of destruction in a world where knowledge is snatched thoughtlessly from Google and everything, no matter how silly, is marketable.
