18. Elizabeth McKenzie, The Portable Veblen (2016) (11/1/26)
I picked this book up simply because of the V in the title—after nixing Garry Wills's
Venice: Lion City—The Religion of Empire. I needed something light after my U book about invisible war. And yes,
The Portable Veblen is certainly light—to a fault. I'm honestly surprised it received a National Book Award nomination. Not that it's bad. It's just so fluffy, what with conversations with squirrels and quirky characters, quirky families. Yes, there's a bit of industrial intrigue thrown in. But nothing goes anywhere—unless you count an appendix, where we learn how the girl (freelance translator Veblen, named for the anticapitalist economist who wrote
The Theory of the Leisure Class) meets boy (medical inventor Paul) story works out. As the jacket explains the point of the book, it's "Where do our families end and we begin? How do we stay true to our ideals? And what is that animal
really thinking?" The first two questions are addressed in the context of family dynamics—both Veblen and Paul have challenging families, to say the least—and business opportunities—Paul sees a chance at fame and fortune, but compromises must be made. As for the squirrel, no, we never learn what it is "really" thinking.
I guess I'm glad I read this book. It was diverting, at least. And it ended with a letter in Norwegian that I understood! Next time I get to V, though, I think I'll plan accordingly and be prepared to tackle the Lion City.
