The War Between the Tates

Alison Lurie

The setting is a prestigious American university campus, 1969. Seemingly happily married Erica Tate mistakenly opens a letter addressed to her husband, the respected professor of political science, Brian Tate. The letter is from a student of Brian's and the contents reveal the details of their affair. Thus begins the War between the Tates. Brian's dimwitted bit on the side quickly turns out to be pregnant and Erica throws him out of the house. Toss in a couple of revolting and quarrelsome teenagers, the Tate children, and you have a war on several fronts.

This probably sounds off-putting. But because the plot is moved along at a steady pace, and because you care about the characters (if not exactly liking them) the novel is always more than just the story of a middle-class academic marriage on the rocks. And although campus novels aren't really my thing (I can only take David Lodge and Malcolm Bradbury in very small doses) I found it reasonably enjoyable.

It lives up nicely to its self-consciously allegorical title. The book is sprinkled generally with some neat description of the two sides marshalling their forces, regrouping, fighting retreats and tactical advances. And the battle between parent and teenager is likened to a guerilla war, the teenagers as fearless and committed insurgents while the parents with vastly greater resources but perhaps fighting an ultimately unwinnable war. Remember again that the book is set in 1969 and was publised in 1974.