Mirth: A Novel

by Kathleen George

"...a dazzling portrait of a man who lives up to his name, and of those who love him. A wonderful novel."—Margot Livesey, author of The Boy in The Field

Mirth chronicles the struggles of a writer, Harrison Mirth, a romantic man who writes about love and tries to find it through three marriages, in three cities, and always with renewable hope. Amanda is first—New York city and youth. Maggie is second and spans the middle age years—Upstate New York. Liz is third—Pittsburgh and the senior years. Harrison Mirth doesn't say much to Liz about life before her—a thoughtful comment here and there, funny stories, very little casting of blame. But like a quilt maker, Liz puts these scraps together to make a story—how she thinks he was as a boy, then a man sheltering a secret lake of sadness, but somehow always upbeat, cheerful, a willful optimist, forever innocent. To her, that is irresistible.

294 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 27, 2022

About the author

Kathleen Elizabeth George (born July 7, 1943) is an American professor and writer best known for her series of crime novels set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

She was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and educated at the University of Pittsburgh: B.A. (summa cum laude), 1964, M.A. (theatre), 1966, Ph.D. (theatre), 1975, M.F.A. (creative writing), 1988. She teaches theatre arts at the University of Pittsburgh and fiction writing at the Chatham University Low-Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing.

She is married to the writer Hilary Masters, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. They reside in Pittsburgh.

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A random library pickup, as that bright yellow cover caught my eye.

It's the story of the life and loves of Harrison Mirth, a writer and romantic. It follows his three primary relationships, exploring love gained and lost...or love that was sometimes never quite there at all.

The writing is accessible, precise and tersely descriptive, and the story of Mirth's life one that will come across as familiar and authentic to most folks who've experienced any of the mess of relationships and loss. For this reader, it felt a little too familiar. As a character, Harrison wasn't complex enough to engage my emotional interest. The stakes of his life were too prosaic...I've got my own life for that, and the stories of my own friends and loved ones. Absent that through line, I found my attention wandering a little bit.

I can see this working for some readers, though, so if it sounds like it'd float your boat, it's worth a try.

[Bill O'driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid novel about a 20th century writer focused on his relationships with three women over some 60 years - his first wife, in post-war Manhattan; his second, in upstate New York; and his third, in Pittsburgh. Fine evocations of place, especially of 40s/50s New York through the eyes of a young press agent who's also an aspiring novelist. Strong rendering of the emotional dynamics involved in the relationships; as a novel in which the worst behavior is protagonist Harrison Mirth's affairs, it's low-key and quite forgiving of all its characters. Mirth was inspired by George's late husband, the novelist and educator Hilary Masters.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Kathleen George's books. Her characters are flawed, like all of us are in some way or another, but they are not beyond hope. I feel like I'm right there with the characters when she vividly describes settings. (I particularly appreciate her descriptions of Pittsburgh settings when I know exactly where she is describing since I've been there.

What a good writer!

[Melissa Smelser · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started to drag for me so I didn’t finish it. The writing was fine but halfway through I realized I was very bored and didn’t really care what happened to the characters.

[Tyler Raub · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mmm, Mirthy.

See my full review here: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews...