The Apartment - Greg Baxter

The Apartment

is a quiet, graceful novel, that draws one in. This is Greg Baxter's debut novel and it is a strong showing. I normally don't enjoy stories that are built around the events of one day. But through substantive looks into the past, and reflections on the meaning of it, this one worked well. An unnamed 40ish American veteran spends a day looking for an apartment in an unnamed European city. He is helped by a local woman who he has befriended. Their short relationship is somehow trusting, with clear boundaries, & yet gently evolving. The real story, however, is the slow revelation of the man's life, which is woven into the events of this day. We learn of his parents & childhood, as well as his many years on submarines and then tours in Iraq with the Navy, and also as a contractor. This history is imparted briefly and unobtrusively. The man reflects on the meaning of these years and seems to aspire to a simpler life in which he can be more honest with himself. Baxter also webs in discussions of playing the violin, the development of perspective in painting, playing billiards, and Mozart vs. Bach. Somehow these conversations fit seamlessly into the story. Baxter's writing is spare and elegant, and I found myself gripped by the prose as if this were a mystery or thriller. It certainly is not a thriller. But, Baxter perhaps deals with the mysteries of how we define ourselves and live with ourselves. I look forward to his next novel.