Rules for Giving by Tim Sunderland is a well-written debut novel that combines the level-headed first person narrative of Richard Ford with the workplace intrigue of Joshua Ferris. Mr. Sunderland's aging protagonist is both smart and likable; his cast of supporting characters engaging and quirky. As the novel unfolds, Mr. Sunderland draws the reader into a sprawling sun-baked Southern California landscape populated by tough, lesbian private eyes and philosophical vagrants. As secrets from our narrator's past threaten his present, Mr. Sunderland expertly weaves a tale of lost love, missed opportunities, and regret. I highly recommend Rules for Giving by Tim Sunderland.
... a heady rollercoaster of a trip with Sunderland cleverly orchestrating whiplash changes of mood and unexpected direction in a taut, superbly observed plot. It’s life at its unscripted best and Sunderland captures it at its most poignant, to deliver a tale that goes beyond the longing and self-delusion that seems to typify the testosterone fuelled mid-life crisis. A wonderful narrative, his dialogue is always spot and all but demands another turn of the page.
The fault with many first-time novelists is that they haven't studied their craft enough to understand the need for conflict; they may tell a good story, but unless it keeps readers turning pages, we are unlikely to come back for a second helping. Not so here. Sunderland has constructed a storyline that is so tightly wound the novel nearly hums with electricity. I expected this to be a bittersweet tale of young love seasoned with a few gentle admonishments to do good in the world. By the time I was a quarter of the way through the book, I realized this was a much bigger, much more intensely engaging story than all that (but with much of that good stuff in there, too). I had meant to take my time in reading it, but honestly it kept me up late a couple of nights in a row, and I put off doing other things to finish it.
Gavin, the protagonist, is certainly an Everyman character; his heart and intentions are good, but he is flawed enough that we can relate to him. The tension begins when the adult daughter of his ex-girlfriend shows up to confront him on some issues from his past. Coupled with that is an intermingled thread involving Gavin's business, and as the novel progresses, a mystery unfolds.
Sunderland is a fine writer who has clearly invested time and energy in carefully crafting this book. The Rules for Giving is an extremely impressive debut novel. Highly recommended.
