Frank Lloyd Wright was a genius to refuse basements in his classic
designs. We see why in Cape Breton author Susan Farrell’s debut novel,
Basement Suite. Liz and Eddy are a pair of 20nothings in a
serious relationship living underground in a rainy Vancouver. Their
subterranean suite is a metaphor for their emotional purgatory. It’s a
refreshingly real relationship—strong, but built on misconceptions,
manipulation and deceit. Farrell uses an unnecessary and distracting
relationship survey to propel the story, but it allows action to happen
“off-camera.” Piece by piece, their stories build to a shocking
conclusion about modern life and love stuck in a basement suite.
This article appears in Oct 22-28, 2009.
I’m just excited to be mentioned in the same article as Frank Lloyd Wright, I never thought that would happen in my lifetime.
Ah, the master architect of banal contemporary malaise herself speaks. Pleased to have you on the board, Ms. Farrell.