Oyster A Novel
Oyster, a novel by John Biguenet, published by Harper Collins on July 1, 2003, spans 304 pages and is presented in English. This narrative unfolds on the Louisiana coast in 1957, detailing a fierce rivalry between two families as they navigate the challenges of declining oyster crops. The story centers on Felix and Mathilde Petitjean, who, in a desperate bid to avoid financial ruin, offer their daughter Therese in marriage to their longtime rival, Horse Bruneau. The complex dynamics of their relationships set the stage for a tale steeped in tension and conflict.
Readers will find a gripping exploration of themes such as rivalry, sacrifice, and the consequences of desperation. The novel delves into the spiraling violence and deep-seated passions that drive the characters, particularly through the lens of Therese’s defiance against being treated as a mere commodity. As the plot unfolds, the interplay of murder and revenge reveals a drama that resonates with the intensity of a Greek tragedy, showcasing the intricate relationships between the two families and the men who desire the women at the center of this conflict.
Official synopsis Publisher
With comparisons to Flaubert, Chekhov, and Faulkner, O. Henry Award-winner John Biguenet earned wide acclaim for his debut short-story collection, The Torturer’s Apprentice. In his astonishing first novel, Oyster, he demonstrates the same mastery of craft and rigor of vision that led critics across the country to join Robert Olen Butler in praising this “important new writer.”
Set on the Louisiana coast in 1957, Oyster recounts the engrossing tale of a deadly rivalry between two families. To avoid ruin after years of declining oyster crops, Felix and Mathilde Petitjean offer their young daughter, Therese, in marriage to 52-year-old Horse Bruneau, who holds the papers on their boat and house. Bruneau has spent his life as Felix’s rival for both the Petitjeans’ century-old oyster beds and, as we learn, Mathilde. But as Therese explains to Horse one night as they float in a pirogue alone in the marsh, “I don’t get bought for the price of no damn boat.”
The spiraling violence of Oyster and the seething passions behind it drive an unpredictable tale of murder and revenge in which two women and the men who desire them play out a drama as elemental and inexorable as a Greek tragedy.
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