Book review: Let Me Be Frank With You

Richard Ford Bloomsbury, €18.75;

Let Me Be Frank With You is a pensive contemplation of life, death and the human condition by Pulitzer prize-winner Richard Ford.

As with his previous novels, it’s an examination of the zeitgeist of the American Dream through the eyes of the dryly-funny, real estate salesman Frank Bascombe. But now, nearly 25 years on, in the fourth of the hugely acclaimed series, Frank is retired and living a quiet life in the suburbs. Despite a few grumbles about his advancing age and deteriorating body, he has largely found peace.

A fairly short read, the book is divided into four self-contained but related chapters, each dealing in turn with Frank’s attitudes towards ageing, race, marriage, death, politics and the post-recession economy. While his latest work might not be a high-tempo page turner, Let Me Be Frank With You is incredibly thought-provoking, witty and beautifully constructed. Fans of Richard Ford will not be disappointed.