Type of bind: Paperback
Format: Bargain Price
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 272
Printing Date: April 01, 2003
Sale Popularity Level: 1549151
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The setting is New York's Little Italy in the 1950s -- a community closely knit by gossip and tradition. This is the story of an extraordinary family, the Santangelos. There is Joseph, the butcher, who cheats in his shop and at pinochle, only to find the deck is stacked against him; his mother, Mrs. Santangelo, who sees the evil eye everywhere and who calls on her saints; and Catherine, his wife, whose determination to raise a modern daughter leads her to confront ancient questions. Finally, there is Theresa, Joseph and Catherine's daughter, whose astonishing discovery of purpose moves the book toward its unpredictable conclusion.
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After reading Francine Prose's highly entertaining and well written novel, "Blue Angel," I felt compelled to order a number of her other novels which I've decided to read by order of publication. "Household Saints," (published in 1981) did not disapoint. Although the very first and second half of the book contain the same characters, thy're quite different which is why I think they can be treated as separate novellas. The very first revolves around the rather pedestrian life of Joseph Santangelo, a butcher in Little Italy in the 1950's, his friends, fiancee Catherine, and mother, who is probably the most colorful character of all. The story takes off when we spend time with Mrs. Santangelo, Joseph's mom, a highly superstitious woman, but oddly sensible in her own way.
In the second part, Joseph and Catherine, now married, have to contend with their increasingly religious and strange daughter, Theresa, who appears to be channeling her now deceased grandmother, but carrying her superstitious/religious ways to an absurd extreme. Just as Joseph and Catherine were powerless to change Mrs. Santangelo's old world views, they are even more powerless to prevent their daughter from sinking into a world of delusion.
My only criticism of "Household Saints," is that I never felt I truly knew any of the main characters other than Mrs. Santangelo. This was especially true of Catherine who seemed a completely different person in the two parts of the book. Perhaps a middle "bridge" section might have helped. However, I wholeheartedly recommend the novel, and look forward to seeing the 1993 movie which starred Tracy Ullman as Catherine.
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