Homer and Langley

I have a 25 page rule - if a book doesn't impress me by then, I'd DNF it and put it in the donate box. I was pretty sure this book would be part of the pile, but once in a while, my prediction will be wrong and I'd be swept up by the power of the book. this was the book! I read Homer and Langley in one sitting - that's saying a lot.

The book is based on the real-life story of the Collyer brothers who came from a wealthy family in New York sometime in the early 20th century. However, at the end of their lives, they were scant signs of their privileged upbringing.

Told from Homer's perspective, the reader will witness the slow, painful deterioration of the brothers' lives. Langley, scarred mentally and physically from his time at war, fell apart when he returned from the trenches. Their parents' untimely deaths sped up Langley's breakdown and sealed their fates. Homer, the gentler and wiser of the two, feels trapped by his blindness, unable to take charge of his, let alone Langley's life. And while Langley determinedly took on the role of Homer's caretaker, it was obvious he was too broken from the war to do so. Over time, overcome by his PTSD, Langley became a shadow of the man he was.

It's heartbreaking to witness all this through Homer's eyes. While he feels hampered by his disability, his mind was still painfully sharp and clear. But Homer felt utterly dependent on Langley, whom he suspected was losing his mind, and was too afraid to venture out of safety of their once-beautiful mansion.

People come into their lives, most of the time without their say so, and the brothers witness time go by, culture shift, and history change, as they (or rather, Langley, with Homer as the reluctant participant) try to wall out the outside world with their stuff and by securing their home.

Once I finished the novel, I looked up the story of the real-life Collyer brothers. It adds even more bitterness to an already tragic tale...