I have been waiting for Peter Gadol to write another book for years. I read a lot (bet you didn't know that) and although I'm always finding new authors, I often read new books by those authors I really like. Those authors who take a long time between books pose an interesting challenge for me: when they finally have a new book come out, I vacillate between wanting to read it immediately and wanting to hold onto it for a while, because who knows when their next book will come out?
It's probably been about 8-10 years since Peter Gadol's last book, so when I discovered Silver Lake I fell on it like a soldier protecting his company from a grenade. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed, except when I was faced with the prospect of another 8-10 year wait!
It's a lazy weekend, and Robbie and Carlo are doing some work in their architecture studio when a young man enters and asks to use the phone because his car broke down. After some conversation, Robbie and Carlo invite the man to play tennis with them and ultimately, have dinner at their home. The discussions that night (fueled by a lot of wine) turns a bit dark, but they invite him to spend the night in their guest room. What unfolds after they awake the next morning shatters their worlds. How they cope with this one act affects their lives in every way, and opens them up to secrets, lies and uncomfortable self-discovery.
Clearly I'm being a bit circumspect in describing this book, as you need to let the story unfold around you. While some of what happens I could see coming, some things surprised me, and overall, the book tugged at my heart and my mind. At times I got frustrated by all the things that Carlo and Robbie didn't say to each other, but I know that life is like that.
This is a fantastic book, and I'm sad to have finished it. Peter Gadol, if you're out there, I'm willing to sharpen your pencils or dust off your keyboard if it will make the next book come faster! :)
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