Mad River Road, Joy Fielding, 2006
My favorite quote: “I think it was Alfred Hitchcock who best summed up the difference between shock and suspense. Shock, he said, is quick, a jolt to the senses that lasts but a second, whereas suspense is more of a slow tease. Rather like the difference between prolonged foreplay and premature ejaculation, I would add, and I like to think old Alfred would chuckle and agree.”
Notable characters: Jamie Kellogg, the lonely young divorcee; Brad Fisher, the man of her dreams … or so she thinks (you can practically hear the dramatic music right now, can’t you?)
Most memorable scene: Mad River Road features an anal rape scene that still haunts me … terribly
Greatest strengths: Great pacing is one the things that makes all of Joy Fielding’s books so riveting and Mad River Road is an excellent example. It seriously zooms right by!
Standout achievements: I kinda felt like I was on a road trip with Joy Fielding — which was actually pretty cool
Fun Facts: Joy Fielding was born Joy Tepperman, and later changed her last name to Fielding, after English novelist and dramatist, Henry Fielding
Other media: N/A
What it taught me about writing: Mad River Road taught me that by adding new, compelling layers to your story, you can eliminate that whole “sagging middle” thing. Joy Fielding: I owe you one
How it inspired my own work: All of Joy Fielding’s characters are pretty solid but the psychopath in Mad River Road is spot-on psychologically. A writer looking to understand the motivations and thought processes of a bad guy could do worse than to take a look at Mad River Road’s main bad guy, Brad Fisher
Additional thoughts: A lot of reviewers seem to have a problem with Mad River Road because Joy Fielding’s heroine, Jamie, goes home with a guy she just met at a bar. I’ve come across several reviews that claim this just isn’t believable behavior. I disagree on two counts. First, I thought that Joy Fielding set the scene well, giving Jamie the proper motivation for the choices she made — not, by the way, that she should have to justify wanting some occasional male company — and second of all, there are plenty of (perfectly intelligent) women who really do go home with guys they just met. Or so I hear …
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Alistair Cross 