While this book follows in my apparent trend this summer of reading about unhappy suburbanites and their seemingly infinite discontent, The Abstinence Teacher is a witty, sharp breath of fresh air. Unlike Franzen's Freedom, which dwells overlong on a range of different tedious thing, Perrotta's story follows two intriguing characters (not to mention a cast of equally intriguing supporting players) as their lives unravel. Ruth is the titular abstinence teacher, but as a fiercely liberal gal, this is definitely not a career path she's chosen for herself. Tim is a former junkie and alcoholic who has jumped on the Jesus bandwagon in the hopes of finding redemption for his colorful past. Perrotta does an excellent job setting the scene, giving us both characters' histories in a way that didn't have me skimming through to figure out what the point was, and paints a nuanced portrait of life in this suburb, from the youth soccer team that brings about Ruth and Tim's first meeting, to the crazy for Christ Tabernacle church. Most everything in this novel feels so real you could practically reach out and touch it, and it was so easy to imagine real people living these lives almost exactly. This is what contemporary fiction is supposed to look like.
Some specific things I really enjoyed included the characterization, and the note of sarcastic cynicism that looms over most of the book's proceedings. Ruth is sharp and funny, her sometimes derisive tone adding color to a character who could have easily fallen too far into the role of victim. And Tim's alternately dopey and insightful awareness of his world was equally refreshing, though in an entirely different way. It was interesting to see someone who Ruth initially wrote off as a zealot be humanized in a way that generates true sympathy, even from this devout non-believer. I also liked that it was a love story that strayed from the traditional construction. Right from the beginning, the reader (and Ruth, as she later comments) think there might be a brewing "opposites attract" type of spark between the two, but it does not come to fruition until the book's end (and even then it's more of a conjecture of what's to come in the couple's future than anything). I liked that this book dodged the pitfalls of writing the typical "romance"; I think any attempt to smash Ruth and Tim together before their characters were in precisely the right place would have come off as sloppy and formulaic. What's great about the tension Perrotta builds, however, isn't that they don't hook up in a cliched way, it's that halfway through the book you almost want them to, just because it clearly needs to happen. His choice is better, ultimately, but the fact that that moment occurs at all is a testament to the story he's written.
I would certainly recommend this book, which is the first I've read of Tom Perrotta's (more will surely be going on my list now). It is definitely a great summer read, quick and absorbing but without sacrificing the quality of writing.
Additionally, IMDB informs me that this is currently in development to be made into a film. I think it has the potential for a great adaptation, and I would be very interested to see it. Even better, Steve Carrell and Sandra Bullock are rumored to be involved and potentially taking on the roles of Tim and Ruth, respectively. Guess we'll have to wait and see.
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