Promptitude and perfection

MEMORIAL by Bryan Washington (Atlantic, $45)

Bryan Washington’s Memorial is a luminous and deceptively casual first novel. Its tonal achievement is something to be admired and one to which many older and more experienced writers could only aspire.

With a formal three-part structure and chapters of composed glimpses, Washington still revels freely in the mess of contemporary life — phone messages, photographs and dating apps — but never lets them overwhelm what becomes a profound exploration of human relationships.

Benson and Mike are two young gay men who have lived together in Houston for four years, “more or less”. Mike is Japaneseamerican and works as a chef in a Mexican restaurant. Benson is a Black day-care teacher. Their relationship has reached a certain stage; it is no longer a new thing and something has to give.

Memorial begins with the formal promptitude of an 18th century opera as Benson takes Mike to Houston airport to suddenly fly to Osaka in order to see his estranged father who is dying from cancer — just as Mike’s determined, opinionated, and very feisty mother arrives for a lengthy pre-arranged stay ... It is an overture that is irresistible.

What could be the cue for a social comedy becomes something much, much more. Memorial is an exploration of life, love, and death. Washington’s writerly skills are quickly established, and while the present and the past are woven together in each chapter, the narrative has an insistent forward push.

The first section focuses on Benson, who is dealing with Mike’s mother — “So how long have you been sleeping with my son?” — and the way his life shapes in the absence of his partner. The second section picks up on Mike arriving unexpectedly on his father’s doorstep and finding himself assisting in the running of the small Osaka bar that his father stubbornly refuses to give up, despite his terminal prognosis.

It is a novel of well-observed detail and fast perceptions. Some of the minor characters are stock-types but in general Washington’s cast list is an all-star ensemble. That said, Washington also has a knack for creating what could be described as “quiet anecdotes of meditation” that ask the reader to linger and consider them, despite the urge to proceed. It is a skilful performance.

Memorial is also a grown-up book. It isn’t interested in gay or straight, it is interested in human beings. Sex is given a practical place. Cooking is discussed. Work has its role. The range of relationships is large and probably accurate. It is an emotionally adventurous novel, which reaches and achieves a rare perfection.