Olympus, Texas

This was good. I love that it focused on the interpersonal family drama so typical of the Greek deities instead of on magical aspects. I am glad this wasn't more like American Gods, though I love that book.

Olympus, Texas is the debut novel from author Stacey Swann, a family drama with ties to Greek mythology based in a small Texas town. The book description from the publisher describes it best: “The Briscoe family is once again the talk of their small town when March returns to East Texas two years after he was caught having an affair with his brother's wife. His mother, June, hardly welcomes him back with open arms. Her husband's own past affairs have made her tired of being the long-suffering spouse. Is it, perhaps, time for a change? Within days of March's arrival, someone is dead, marriages are upended, and even the strongest of alliances are shattered. In the end, the ties that hold them together might be exactly what drag them all down.”

Swann is an observant storyteller with a knack for dialog and familial dynamics. The novel is pinned atop the Greek mythological framework: Peter the father as Zeus, June the mother as Hera, the citizens of Olympus, Texas as Olympians, etc. This makes for a fun and sturdy narrative framework for the novel. The large cast provides several threads to follow, but the beating heart of the story is siblings Artie and Arlo's relationship. More friends than siblings, a tragedy tests the close bond between them. Swann's observant eye is a marvel to behold as she parses the tiniest of movements and facial expressions, mining for their true meanings. Here's an example:

“Vera scanned through her memories of Hap for similarly off-kilter remarks: the time he told her she had excellent taste after she bought the bulky Edwardian armoire; the Christmas he told Thea her gift of a sweater showed how well she knew him... Each time said with utter seriousness, and each time followed by that half-cocked smile. A smile she saw now was a shit-eating grin. It made her feel dumb, those comments she had completely misread, the jokes gone over her head. But her panic came from a different memory. “The world is a hard place for a woman as beautiful as you,” he had said. How she had misread that grin.”

A searing observation of just how cruel a loved one can be, and a masterstroke of keen storytelling.

I enjoyed this novel and I highly recommend it. I would give this novel 4 and 1/2 stars.