The Matter with Morris

by David Bergen

When Morris Schutt, a prominent newspaper columnist, surveys his life over the past year, he sees disaster everywhere. His son has just been killed in Afghanistan, and his newspaper has put him on indefinite leave; his psychiatrist wife, Lucille, seems headed for the door; he is strongly attracted to Ursula, the wife of a dairy farmer from Minnesota; and his daughter appears to be having an affair with one of her professors.
What is a thinking man to do but turn to Cicero and Plato and Socrates in search of the truth? Or better still, call one of those discreet “dating services” in search of happiness? But happiness, as Morris discovers, is not that easy to find.
David Bergen’s most accomplished novel yet is an unforgettable story with a vitality and charm and intelligence all its own. Bergen proves once again that he is one of our finest writers, dazzling us with his wit and touching us with his compassion.

(From Publisher).

David Bergen is an award-winning author of five previous novels and a collection of short stories. A Year of Lesser was a New York Times Notable Book and The Case of Lena S. was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award for Fiction. In 2005, Bergen won the Giller Prize for The Time in Between. His sixth novel, The Matter with Morris, was shortlisted for the Giller Prize in 2010. A recent winner of the Writers’ Trust Award for a writer in mid-career, Bergen lives with his family in Winnipeg.

A really well-written book - gives insight into the raw grief that can tear a family apart. The protagonist, Morris, is hapless but endearing to the reader. All the characters are finely crafted.