The Keep

THE KEEP: Jennifer Egan: Knopf:2006:Fiction: 256
The main plot of this book is the reunion of two estranged cousins at an ancient castle, but there is a lot of sub-plot/post-plot going on. The main storyline follows the reunion of two cousins that long ago shared a horrific experience and have carried the guilt/fear from the experience into their adult lives. However, Howard is no longer the nerdy Dungeons and Dragons master of his youth, but a very wealthy (very tan) 30 something retiree. He has purchased an ancient European castle with the intention of turning it into a hotel - a special kind of hotel where all connection with the outside world is cut off and guests are expected to explore their own imagination. Since their childhood together Danny has become a gothic, neuroses ridden icon of New York's underground club scene . He is obsessed with being "connected", and the polarity of Danny's desire for constant contact and Howard's yearning for complete isolation and introspection is interesting to see played out.
This book surprised me again and again. There were three large plot shifts where the people you thought were the main characters became just part of someone else's story. It was spooky like any of its Gothic predecessors, but it was also a story about a return to imagination, hope even.

BES