Slams two conflicting ideas of the American Dream smack into each other with both wit and wisdom. Through the clever use of stereotypes--tree huggers, working mothers, popular teens, even drug-addicted lawyers--she examines themes of community and inclusion, delves into the complexities of individuals and their relationships and satirizes the idea of the perfect little town. Readers will likely identify with elements of Langsdorf's outlandish characters--their good intentions, ambition, frustrations, secret desires--while simultaneously laughing along with her at their oddities--mammogram paintings? The dialogue is sharp and a mystery subplot adds a dash of suspense. Entertainment at its best, White Elephant earns a shiny, gold star.
... seems to channel all of the frustrations [Langsdorf] felt juggling her identities as a mother and creator in a stifling suburb ... all smart, satiric fun, the kind of comic novel that helps us see our own foibles while we’re laughing at those of others ... The story does feel perfectly timed, not just in terms of real estate booms, but in the way warring factions sprout up and become stubbornly entrenched. And yet, the comedy of it all softens the ominous undertones.
Langsdorf gleefully skewers small-town stereotypes, such as the sharp and ambitious real-estate agent, the suburban dad hiding a pot habit, and the sorority sister who can’t figure out how she ended up unhappy. But beneath the caricatures are deeper truths about belonging, community, and relationships. In this smartly satirical novel, the raging feud reveals much about the residents’ core values.
While the tone is more serious, Langsdorf does infuse humor into her tale ... Entertaining and thought-provoking, White Elephant tackles some interesting issues but may fail to resonate with those who are annoyed by an overabundance of dysfunction and self-absorbed characters.
If it all sounds a bit overstuffed, it is, only happily so. This is the messy, tumultuous stuff of real life, at least as lived in claustrophobically tidy suburbs, where everyone is deeply involved in everyone else’s business ... Author Julie Langsdorf’s greatest achievement in White Elephant is to simultaneously play with caricatures while also exploding them. Everyone in this book is treated to a thoughtful, well-rounded portrait. Much in this novel is oversized, including the house whose nickname gives the story its title, but the measure it takes of various hearts is not, rendered as they are on a deeply human scale.
...lively and entertaining ... As with many ensemble novels, some characters do not get the development they deserve, most notably Nick’s wife, Kaye, a flighty-seeming Southern belle. Nevertheless, this ambitious and intriguing work about the American suburbs is perfect for fans of Ann Patchett or Meg Wolitzer.
Langsdorf's not-too-endearing cast includes two central female characters who should be easier to keep straight than they are ... An almost Shirley Jackson–esque view of human nature emerges when the bulletin board at the local cafe spontaneously blooms with tattletale notes ... After a surprisingly cruel climax, a cleanup chapter can't quite make the skies blue again ... A dark comedy with more darkness than comedy.
