Russell Banks', "Continental Drift"

Banks has carved himself a niche among American writers of fiction--the social displacement of the working class whites. The novel charts a working stiff's gradual tumble as he finds himself slowly losing step with society. The average man's inability to make himself a viable part of the changing equation in society--the out-of-reach status, skills, careers and life are poignantly captured by Banks. The gradual meaninglessness in man's role as a husband, father in a struggling class also gets plenty of attention in this novel and this is where Banks is at his best. The small scenes within the family are worth savoring. When Banks weaves in the cultural and racial contributions to outline society's current state of affairs, he gets out of his range. The historical background, the inflow of immigrants in Miami all seem too researched and issue-oriented for a novel.

For those interested in the plight of an everyman in white America, this would be worth a read. But I still feel his outlook a bit bleak. Russell Banks could benefit from a balanced emotional approach to his subject. The novel is a relentless downer that it seems predetermined rather than real, yet the pacing is very good and the characters are readily identifiable. I've heard that Banks' short stories are good. This makes sense to me since his style suits the intimate sketch of short stories.