Wickett's Remedy

Wickett's Remedy is a 2005 historical novel[1] by Myla Goldberg, about the 1918 influenza epidemic. It was published by Doubleday.

The novel makes heavy use of annotations, marginalia, and false documents to support its premise;[2] Goldberg has stated that Vladimir Nabokov's Pale Fire was a major influence on her in this respect.[3]

Plot

In 1918 Boston, Lydia Kilkenny is a sales clerk who marries medical student Henry Wickett. When Henry, and most of her relatives, die of the "Spanish flu", Lydia becomes a nurse, and works to help find a cure by assisting in medical experiments on convicted Navy deserters. She also continues to sell Henry's patent medicine (the Remedy of the title)[4] until Henry's business partner repackages it as a soft drink.[5]

Reception

In the New York Times, Andrea Barrett described it as "ambitious", "thoroughly researched", and "admirable", with "a set of nightmarish, wonderfully well-written chapters that would have made a strong short novel all on their own", but felt that it was a "somewhat uneasy mixture" of emotional fiction and historical fact; as well, Barrett considered that the novel's sheer scope and "kaleidoscopic narrative" worked to its detriment.[4] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette felt it was "too ambitious", but a "heartening example of ... risk-taking" on Goldberg's part, emphasizing that the novel was nonetheless "very readable", and that Goldberg had included "powerful imagery, succinct prose and unabashed sensitivity".[6]

The Seattle Times considered the book "well-researched" but "somewhat elusive and not entirely satisfying", comparing it unfavorably to Goldberg's earlier work Bee Season.[7] Salon described it as "historically credible," and stated that "the real reason to read" the novel is "the chance to spend a few hours" with Lydia.[5]

gollark: Anyway, while I don't agree with your views at all, it is interesting to discuss things with someone who thinks very differently, so thanks.
gollark: It is probably an improvement on average, at least.
gollark: The current system, whatever you label it, works fairly well. There are definitely problems. So many problems. Also lots of room for significant improvements without getting rid of it all. But it works decently well without requiring everyone to magically get along fine and the world is steadily increasing in prosperity.
gollark: If your thing only works for self-selected small groups, then it's hardly a good way to organize... our whole global societies comprising 7 billion people, quite a lot of whom don't like each other.
gollark: I just don't think it would actually work at current global scales or for probably most people.

References
  1. Porras-Gallo, Maria; Davis, Ryan A. (2014-11-15). "Chapter 13: Remembering and Reconstructing: Fictions of the 1918–19 Influenza Pandemic". The Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919: Perspectives from the Iberian Peninsula and the Americas. Boydell & Brewer. ISBN 9781580464963.
  2. "'Wickett's Remedy' Rooted in Drama of Flu Epidemic". All Things Considered. National Public Radio. September 28, 2005. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  3. Minzesheimer, Bob (September 21, 2005). "Myla Goldberg is back, and completely different". USA Today. New York. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  4. Barrett, Andrea (September 18, 2005). "'Wickett's Remedy': Flu Season". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  5. Boudway, Ira (October 1, 2005). ""Wickett's Remedy" by Myla Goldberg". Salon. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  6. Jolis, Anne (October 2, 2005). "Goldberg reaches for 'Remedy' -- and overreaches". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  7. Ryan, Valerie (September 30, 2005). ""Wickett's Remedy": Finding purpose in midst of 1918 flu epidemic". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
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