A novella from Mad Men's creator offers a light Manhattan escape for its few hours in length
As much as finally finishing Ulysses, Moby Dick, and War and Peace are still life goals, it’s really nice to not have to devote weeks or months to one story—or to an overdose of intellectualism. I’ve been leaning towards short-story collections lately as a way to sample more authors and really land on the ones I want more of in my life.
When I realized I still hadn’t read Heather, the Totality, I have to admit I was pretty excited to recall it’s actually a novella and wouldn’t take me more than a day or two to finish.
In case you don’t recall, the 2017 book is by Matthew Weiner, mastermind of my all-time favorite TV show Mad Men. Turns out, it’s not a masterpiece like that period drama, but it is an enjoyably escapist page turner that tells the story of one pretty regular one-kid family whose teen daughter Heather is everything to dad Mark and mom Karen. Their marriage and somewhat-wealthy life in Manhattan is falling apart over the years and Mark’s obsession with his daughter comes into dramatic focus when a construction crew begins work on their building.
A oddball loner is part of that crew and he’s an ex-con from New Jersey named Bobby who appears to Mark to be leering—possibly with unpure intent—at his daughter. Bobby’s backstory is told in parallel to that of the family. Meanwhile, Mark prepares an elaborate plan to protect her from this perceived danger.
Heather, The Totality builds suspense, with a Mad Men kind of language and pacing, as a meeting between the family and the ex-con seems inevitable. I’ll just say that ending is surprising and satisfying. This one is well worth your time, especially if you’re a Mad Men fan and also, heck, it will take up about as much time as a single chapter of James Joyce’s Ulysses.
4 out of 5 stars