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In Lionel Shriver’s entertaining send-up of today’s cult of exercise—which not only encourages better health, but now like all religions also seems to promise meaning, social superiority, and eternal life—an aging husband’s sudden obsession with extreme sport makes him unbearable.After an ignominious early retirement, Remington announces to his wife Serenata that he’s decided to run a marathon. This from a sedentary man in his sixties who’s never done a lick of exercise in his life. His wife can’t help but observe that his ambition is “hopelessly trite.” A loner, Serenata disdains mass group activities of any sort. Besides, his timing is cruel. Serenata has long been the couple’s exercise freak, but by age sixty, her private fitness regimes have destroyed her knees, and she’ll soon face debilitating surgery. Yes, becoming more active would be good for Remington’s heart, but then why not just go for a walk? Without several thousand of your closest friends?As Remington joins the cult of fitness that increasingly consumes the Western world, her once-modest husband burgeons into an unbearable narcissist. Ignoring all his other obligations, he engages a saucy, sexy personal trainer named Bambi, who treats Serenata with contempt. When Remington sets his sights on the legendarily grueling triathlon, MettleMan, Serenata is sure he’ll end up injured or dead. And even if he does survive, their marriage may not.The Motion of the Body Through Space is vintage Lionel Shriver written with psychological insight, a rich cast of characters, lots of verve and petulance, an astute reading of contemporary culture, and an emotionally resonant ending.
Highly entertaining, with a 'how will this end' tension evenly distributed and kept up till the last page, and a set of characters tirelessly bickering and bouncing ideas off each other with tongues as sharp as Shriver's own.Among the many things I love about Shriver's novels is her obvious relish in crafting each sentence and her striving to max out the treasures of the English language, dusting off words forgotten in the attic or dashing off novel puns.Of all the backgrounds she has chosen for her works, this one, the world of amateur endurance athletes, was one of the most promising to me. Of course, the last word about running has not been said. In 'The Motion of the Body Through Space' we come to see exercise through the eyes of somebody who has for years maintained a rigid discipline of daily ten-mile runs from a sense of obligation to the body rather than for the sheer pleasure of running, crippling herself in the process what with wear and tear on the knees. The only time the protagonist really seems to enjoy the motion of her own body through space is when she climbs and rides the bicycle named Carlisle.– You can read a more personal review in my blog.
