A dysfunctional and afflicted family in rural America is the subject of David Vann’s novel as he explores the background to his main character, Galen, as his mental state deteriorates during the course of a summer. Galen is not a person to attract much, if any sympathy from his family, consisting of his mother, grandmother, aunt and cousin. But then the same could be said for them as well, except for his grandmother who is affected by dementia, as all are hoping to benefit from the family fortune that she and her late husband built up. Vann’s spare writing takes you into Galen’s view of the world as he seeks spiritual knowledge while being tempted by his cousin’s sexuality and cocooned by his mother. The claustrophobic hold of the family is difficult to escape and means that the path to enlightenment is a hard one for him to follow.

En el año 1985, en un suburbio de Sacaramento, el hogar del joven Galen va camino de su descomposición. A sus veintidós años todavía no sabe quién es su padre, su violento abuelo ha muerto, su abuela va perdiendo la memoria y su madre es un ser completamente dependiente. La aparición de una jugosa herencia provocará la reparición de su tía Helen y de su prima Jennifer, quienes querrán hacerse con el dinero e instalará en esa casa un clima de violencia que no hará si no crecer y conducirles hacia la oscuridad.

SF Chron best of 2012

Well David Vann has taken the dysfunctional family to a whole new level with this book.
22 year old Galen lives with his Mum as she insists they cannot afford for him to go away to college. He has become a self-absorbed, bulemic, anorexic who spends his day trying to alternately relieve his sexual tension or transcend to another dimension. As the story progresses we discover that the grandmother has been removed to a home, as she is developing alzheimers and his Aunt Helenand 17 year old cousin have left as well. His mother now has control of the granmother's finances. aunt Helen reveals that there is millions and Galen's mother, by not sharing this money has control over the family. The Aunt and cousin become increasingly violent and the cousin seduces Galen into having sex with her. The family are seriously sick in their behaviour towards each other. The reader becomes aware that the deceased grandfather sexually abused his daughters and was physically abusing the grandmother. The resulting family dynamics are his legacy.
I didn't like this book. I felt that it lacked Vann's usual tension building plot and outcome. One to get rid of ... ( )

deeply disturbing.