By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham

By Nightfall is the latest book written by Michael Cunningham, the author of The Hours which was published a few years ago. That book was made into a film which won Nicole Kidman an Oscar for her role playing Virginia Woolf. This book is set in present day New York and is about Peter and Rebecca Harris. He is an art dealer and she is editor of a small journal and they have been married for many years and are now in their fourties. When Mizzy, (his nickname meaning Mistake) arrives, he brings out the mother in Rebecca. She feels responsible for keeping him off drugs, and trying to get him into some sort of orderly life, and maybe, even, a job. Mizzy’s visit has an unexpected effect on Peter, and Peter begins to wonder what his life is all about. His daughter Bea, is an unhappy soul, and seems to blame her parents, and Peter in particular for all that she doesn’t like about her own life. All in all, Peter and Rebecca find their lives are unsatisfactory, and they are both struggling. Mizzy’s wily and manipulative nature is about to set Peter off in an unhelpful direction but he is aware of the dangers. This isn’t a great book, but Michael Cunningham is a lovely writer. The New York art world and the lives of the very rich make an interesting backdrop to the story.