Based Upon Availability

Title: Based Upon Availability

Author:  Alix Strauss

Publisher: Harper (2010)

Genre(s): Realistic Fiction

Length: 340 pages

Synopsis:  Like the hub of a wheel, the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan anchors the intersecting stories of eight women.  From tragic to just plain odd, these stories are like the rooms of the hotel itself; though they exist alongside one another, they remain remarkably isolated.

My Rating: 4 Stars

My Opinion:
 
In this book, the Four Seasons acts almost as another character, anchoring these stories to one another for the reader, though not the characters themselves.  For the most part, they aren't aware of one another's existence.  It's almost like a series of monologues: invasive, exposing monologues of these women's thoughts.  The balance of the book's stories is weighted heavily toward Morgan, the hotel manager; her story takes up the majority of the pages.  It is through her that we get a glimpse of the outside perception of some of the other characters.  However, this is not an uplifting book.  Though they seem normal enough through Morgan's eyes, when the narrative shifts to tell these women's inner stories, they are revealed as sad, lonely, troubled, even mentally ill.  It's a startling realization; these capable, happy, friendly people that seem to be functioning just fine, go home and cry themselves to sleep.  In this respect, the book felt particularly real.  As empathetic as we are, we can never really know how the people around us are feeling and coping, particularly out of sight behind closed doors.  However, I was a bit disappointed to find that all of these characters were struggling with similar problems and that there was no real resolution for many of them.  Yes, it's true that there are sad, lonely people in the world, people who have learned to hide their pain in public but nonetheless ache.  But there was no happiness in this book, no real joy.  Perhaps that was not the point.  Perhaps this book chronicles only those for whom happiness is based upon availability.