Drift

by Victoria Patterson

Welcome to Newport Beach, California--a community often found glittering in the spotlight, but one that isn't always as glamorous as we imagine. Through the lives of waiters and waitresses, divorced and single parents, and alienated teens, Victoria Patterson's Drift offers a rare and rewarding view into the real life of this nearly mythical place, all the while plumbing the depths of female friendship and what it means to be an outsider. Fresh, energetic, deceptively powerful and delightfully frank, hers is a voice you won't be able to stop reading.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, American

225 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Victoria Patterson’s latest story collection, The Secret Habit of Sorrow, was published in 2018. The critic Michael Schaub wrote: “There’s not a story in the book that’s less than great; it’s a stunningly beautiful collection by a writer working at the top of her game.” Her novel The Little Brother, which Vanity Fair called “a brutal, deeply empathetic, and emotionally wrenching examination of American male privilege and rape culture,” was published in 2015. She is also the author of the novels The Peerless Four and This Vacant Paradise, a 2011 New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice. Her story collection, Drift, was a finalist for the California Book Award and the Story Prize and was selected as one of the best books of 2009 by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Reviews

[eb]

Memorable. I'm still thinking about the brain injured skater and poor little Rosie.

[Becky Everhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book--so much so that I was quite sad to reach the ending. The plots are original and carefully formulated, as are the intertwining characters. The continuity is flawless, even if the book does jump about in time. The voice, one of innocence, experience, and sometimes a bit jaded, serves the writer well. I felt so sorry for Rosie coming of age in such a brash, unprepared manner. John Wayne brought about pity and wonder and a hint of childhood wistfulness in his eternal shoeless journey.

This book would be a good introduction to those interested in a.m. homes and her masterpiece "The Safety of Objects." It would also be a muted hint at J. G. Ballard's controversially unsettling yet engaging "Crash." Thus, it is a great introduction to literature that takes risks.

[Regan Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. I liked that the stories were interconnected but I didn’t like that the focus was on Rosie. Each story was depressing like not a bit of happiness so I’m feeling weird after finishing it

[gwayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many Bay Area denizens, I am fascinated and repulsed by Southern California, so a collection like this has a powerful draw. I almost put it down after the first story, which was unremarkable; it was the author's eloquent contributions to several of my favorite lit blogs that made me reconsider, and I'm glad I stuck with it.

Drift is a series of interconnected short stories about the underbelly of Newport Beach, one of the wealthiest communities in California (seen The O.C.?). As the volume progresses, the fleeting intersections between stories become lucid and charged. I recommend reading this book in as few sittings as possible: the most satisfying examples of this are subtle (there are also a few instances that are overdone). Patterson really hits her stride with her Rosie stories, which form the core of the collection. Rosie is a thoughtful and troubled adolescent who feels like an outcast in shallow Newport Beach. Patterson's choice to organize the stories out of chronological sequence is inspired.

A word of caution: this collection is dramatically uneven. "Henry's House" is an example of a story that seems overwrought. "John Wayne Loves Grandma Dot," on the other hand, soars. The latter is a heartrending and lovely story, full of magic and soul. John Wayne, a mentally impaired skateboarder and friend of Rosie's, squats in the upstairs apartment of Rosie's Grandpa and Grandma Dot (the apartment is untouched since their son's long-ago departure). The story charts the relationship, never face-to-face but nonetheless fraught with tenderness, between bighearted stoner John Wayne and carping boozer Grandma Dot.

There are several diamond-in-the-rough moments like this, and these make the read worthwhile. I hope Patterson continues to write about Southern California.

[Bonnie Brody · Rating 2 out of 5]

Drift', by Victoria Patterson, is a series of interconnected short stories that could as easily been called 'Adrift'. Written in a minimalist style, the stories are about people who live in Newport Beach, California, a relatively wealthy area near Los Angeles in Southern California. It is an area with wonderful shopping malls juxtaposed with a beautiful sculpture garden designed by Isamu Noguchi. It is an area with beautiful beaches and lovely homes. This is not discussed in the book. I happen to know this because I have visited Newport Beach.

Many of the characters reappear in multiple stories. One would think that the characters live on the fringes of Newport society but this does not appear to be the case. Rather, many of the characters ARE Newport society. They just happen to be people adrift, with shallow or no values, burnt out on drugs, sexually promiscuous, victims of incest, amoral or just plain bored by their wealth. Almost all the stories have the same theme- - loss and being lost; self-loathing and shame. Characters seek love but have no idea what love is or where to find it. They seek self-esteem within a mindset of self-loathing. Many are laden with money but are despairingly unhappy. None of the characters except John Wayne, the skateboarder, evoked any empathy on my part. I think I felt sorry for him because he'd burnt his brains out on drugs and so was exempt from any moral choices.

This is not a good book. The characters are pitiable. The narrative is terse and cutesy, unable to evoke any real emotion. It reads more like a senior thesis in a writing program than a well-formed and established book of short stories.

[Holly Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is a powerhouse. It took me a few chapters to get into it, but once I was about 50 pages in I was hooked. Each short story is set in a different time, surrounding different characters, yet they all seem to intersect each other. If I had to pick a lead character I would say that Rosie is the central character. She seems to be the linking character in the stories. The links are surprising and believable.

The stories deal with issues such as sexual abuse, drug use, alcohol, coming of age, growing old, friendship and family. Nothing is as it seems in the pristine looking community of Newport. Money doesn't change lives or make things better, the issues persist despite an inflated bank account.

The book is a quick and easy read, with eye opening themes. It made me uncomfortable at times due to the raw emotional content. Worth reading.

[Saskia Marijke Niehorster · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the Rough is what you call this poignant coming of age story in a deceitful glittery, sparkley world of bling bling where reality can be even uglier due to the fact that it is not openly accepted or discussed. It is precisely the hush hush that becomes the conspicuous ally to continuous abuse and dysfunction. Where can a young girl take her secrets when her world pressures her to conform and be pretty? How can one openly rebel against the whole of society and come on top? How can one be free to be and feel honestly in a universe catered for the molding of the soul? To spiral, to twist, to turn and drift is not just the only concourse left to escape this vain world of constrains, it is also the way out to become oneself and to lay bravely bare in order to expose the violations of the mind, the body and the soul. My hats off and many standing ovations!
(225pgs)

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories were okay, but I expected a wider variety of characters - depressive burnouts are not a type I've met much in the sunny fantasyland of Orange County. Not to say that they don't exist, but in my experience, the OC has a massively high percentage of positive, magical-thinking types - interesting in their own right - and I was hoping for more of them.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully crafted collection of stories about seeking connection in a world that is fundamentally fragmented. These characters will haunt you long after you've put this work down. I felt the collection overall was very well structured and the prose is very beautiful.

[Katherine Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

an excellent book by a talented author that captures what it was like to grow up in Newport in the 80s--first rate.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it in one day. I really liked how the characters in some stories overlapped in other character's stories. Rosie's stories were the most moving, though a little bit depressing.

[Patricia Geller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Connected short stories abut a group of lost souls (adolescents and young adult)in a community of wealthy, shallow adults.

[Jocelyn Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

"To be out of harmony with one's surroundings is of course a misfortune, but it is not always a misfortune to be avoided at all costs. Where the environment is stupid or prejudiced or cruel it is a sign of merit to be out of harmony with it." - Bertrand Russell
--

"One is a reminder to employees - No Laughing. It Disturbs the Customers. The other is an advertisement for the new exclusive Porsche. Julie Anne highlighted the amount, and, in a striking display of passive aggressiveness, scribbled in pen - Start Saving Your Tips!"

"Pleasantly and purposefully naive"

"'How can you stand it here?' Rosie asked. After a long pause, Chris answered, in a grave tone: 'Sex. Drugs. Alcohol.'"

"...his brother had shot himself in the head soon after....On the car seat next to him was that book, you know, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People."

"But in her observation, men had power, and it appeared that the most power women had was through their ability to obtain men."

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

So glad that I picked up this lesser known book of short stories. The characters are memorable and written in a beautiful depth that gave me the impression that I could picture each of them in someone. Having spent many formative years in So Cal the visualization and nods to the times brought back just enough memories to make these scenarios real.
The struggles of the characters and the way each story somehow connected to one or the other somehow kept these stories moving along with little stories as if someone were sitting and recalling specific details or times of things that had happened in their lives and whatever happened to say "Rosie" as if someone keenly aware of the struggles each character was carrying deep within them was somehow brought to light by a keen observer of humanity.
This is a wonderful collection, I would highly recommend reading this book.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started off this short story collection thinking it was going to get a "meh" rating. Oh, was I wrong. After the 2nd to 3rd story, I started realizing these stories were all linked. (That's what I get for not reading the blurb on the back, but I like surprises!) By about half way through, I started making notes on which characters were in each story. I read through to the end then went back and looked at the connections. Now, I want to go back and read the whole book again, being more familiar with each character and make even more notes. 😊 Hats off to Victoria Patterson for making me do my homework!

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d call this a type of satire - stories about people living in a ritzy place, but who have very little, emotionally. It wasn’t bad, but I got kind of tired of the repeated theme in all the stories. They also began to have progressively more sexual abuse in each story, so I stopped reading after ~10 of the 13 stories.

[Brenda Clift · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting enough in it's own way as a character study. Interesting for the connection to OC. Not really any of the characters that you might think were people you might like to meet though. Glad they're out of my life now.

[Phyllis · Rating 3 out of 5]

liked the skateboard character the best. others, not so much. only reason I read it was the familiar places in newts.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I typically don’t care for short stories but I really enjoy this author’s style/choices.

[Scott Foley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drift has edge, and, in the beginning, this edge made it a breathtaking--almost dangerous--read. However, as the book concluded, its edge started to feel forced, thus negating its overall effect.

Patterson has successfully written a captivating collection of intertwined stories taking place in Newport Beach (of all places). Most of the stories star recurring female protagonists, and most deal with very real issues of common life, even if in an uncommon locale. Patterson pulls no punches, and this bluntness, initially, is refreshing and creates engaging--though not necessarily likable--characters.

A photo of Patterson smiling along a beach is embedded within the back cover of Drift. She is a normal, attractive woman with a nice smile. Her apparent affability unconsciously biased me, and so when male-on-male oral sex, drug use, and child abuse occurs, I was shocked. I've always believed it's important to separate the artist from the art, and I'd forgotten my own cardinal rule. Patterson has edge--real edge--in the early stages of her collection. It was placed perfectly within the pacing and tone of her stories, and while jarring, it didn't strike me as awkward. Unfortunately, about three-quarters of the way through Drift, that edge began to feel forced and even a bit sensationalistic. It drew so much of my attention that I couldn't lose myself in the tales any longer.

Even with that being said, it's important to note that Patterson IS a very good writer. While I question her plot choices near the end of the book, her stories remained tight and well-written throughout. She has an excellent sense of pace and delivery, and her sentences flow with ease. In other words, no matter what the subject, this is a person who KNOWS how to write well.

Anyone interested in the short story genre would do well to read Drift. Though mostly focused upon female protagonists, there's absolutely no reason why a male wouldn't also benefit from these stories--perhaps a male could even learn a thing or two from the female perspective. Furthermore, any aspiring writers should take advantage of this author who knows how to deliver edgy stories occurring within the mostly normal aspects of real life.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beyond the Botox and designer handbags – there is a Newport Beach with regular people in it. I loved this collection of interconnected short stories. Simple and skillful writing, nothing flashy, but the way Patterson can evoke people, places, feelings, is impressive, it is all vivid, honest and real. When she describes a swimming pool, light playing across the surface, I positively ache for cool water. The POV characters are mostly young, at the fringes of this society full of money, conformity, and shallowness; they are aimless or in transition, kind of lost. But they seek and usually find connections that sustain them, and it is this hopefulness, in concert with the wonderful writing, that made me love this. Especially “John Wayne Loves Grandma Dot.”

Ah, to be able to write like this! A blurb on the jacket of my edition by one Donald Ray Pollock says, “Victoria Patterson makes me envious as hell, and I applaud her for it.” Ditto to both sentiments.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was well-written and interesting enough, but I didn't think it offered anything I hadn't read or seen before. Rich people have problems too. Like I said, really well-written, but for some reason the focus seemed to be more on Newport Beach than the characters. Newport Beach came across as regular, while it was the characters that shined and should have been at the foreground of the novel instead of Newport Beach. This might have been more interesting if the novel took place in Nowheresville instead of the author trying to write about her intimate knowledge of a place that's become a cliche for privileged Southern California life. I look forward to reading something else from the author, though, who is clearly talented.

[May-Ling · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is strange in that until chapter 3, i didn't realize this was one story as opposed to a collection of short stories. characters and settings kept changing, so when the same names came up again, i had to flip back to figure out what was happening.

patterson has a writing style that's easy to read and i flew through this book in a couple days. it's rough to keep reading about people down on their luck. also, from the back cover, i expected more of a diversity of characters, as opposed to what she considers to be the margins of newport beach - poor, white, drug-taking individuals. this paperback is like a summer read, even with a beach, but without all the hope and romance.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

Drift by Victoria Patterson is a collection of stories set in modern-day Newport Beach CA. The stories portray the "underside" of the glittery OC: sly wait staff, divorce, drug abuse, rape. Many stories are about the same person (Rosie) at different stages of her life. It's a revealing look at the consequences of poor choices.

Warning: Don't read this book when you're feeling down. I was on vacation in Newport Beach last week, relaxed and happy when I started reading...felt depressed by a short way into the book.

[Malena Watrous · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this linked collection set in Newport Beach. I think that Patterson is a great writer, and her stories took me into the lives of people (and a place--Orange County) I'm not used to seeing in literature. I liked the way that there would be subtle and compelling links between the stories, so that you'd learn more and more about the characters as you experienced them in a web of interaction. Nice variety of voices and points of view, too. I look forward to Patterson's novel.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked trying to figure out the links between these stories of Newport Beach, California, stories that work on their own but are also connected through certain characters. At times they were bleak, but Patterson is also great at exploring their emotions and the intricacies of the ways that people react to each other. She also has a way of using language that is never wasteful that I really appreciated.

[Luis Correa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes, the writing isn't enough, the language doesn't seem to capture the moment or the moment doesn't capture the feeling and the book hardly manages to escape from the insular world it's created; however, there are some harrowing stories in here, some touching stuff. It's just a little uneven.

[Harvey · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I didn't care for the themes of her novel, This Vacant Paradise, I did admire Patterson's writing skills. In this earlier story collection the same themes of Class and Gender roles are explored. The writing continues to impress and Patterson knows this turf.

[Anni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Always interesting to have a gaze turned towards home. A blurry set of stories with interconnecting characters who are rich and not so rich but consistently kind of awful to each other. Charmingly polished if somewhat baldly obvious in the MFA produced way.

[Arianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read, and full of gorgeous and mournful prose. A collection of stories that flow easily into one another. The author has taken a very familiar setting for me, and shown me the humanity beneath the veneer of conspicuous wealth and materialism. Bravo.