That old cape magic That old cape magic is a term coined by novelist Richard Russo in his novel titled "That Old Cape Magic." It refers to the nostalgia and yearning for the past that can sometimes overshadow the present. In the novel, the protagonist, Jack Griffin, is a middle-aged college professor who finds himself trapped in this cycle of longing for the past. He reminisces about his childhood summers spent on Cape Cod, where his parents had a tumultuous relationship. As he navigates his own faltering marriage and career struggles, he constantly looks back on these idyllic memories with a mix of longing and regret. The old cape magic embodies the idea that the past, particularly our memories of it, can have a powerful hold on our present lives.
Q: You have said that That Old Cape Magic began as a short story. What was the moment you
knew it was calling out to be a novel?
A: Griffin, my main character, begins the story on his way to a wedding with his father’s urn in the trunk of his car. I planned for him to scatter the ashes (his past), put his future in danger at the wedding (his present) and then pull back from disaster at the last moment. But then he pulled over to the side of the road in his convertible to take a phone call from his mother, at the end of which a seagull shits on him. At that moment, in part because Griffin blames her, he and I both had a sinking feeling. You can resolve thematic issues of past, present and future in a twenty page story, but if you allow a shitting seagull into it, you’ve suddenly moved on to something much larger.
A It probably won t surprise readers to discover that both my daughters were married during the time I was writing this book, which, if it does well, will pay for their weddings. Q Griffin s parents, both academics trapped in what they call the mid f ing west, are such wonderful, sometimes maddening, often hilarious, always surprising characters.
The old cape magic embodies the idea that the past, particularly our memories of it, can have a powerful hold on our present lives. It represents a form of escapism, a way to avoid confronting the difficulties and disappointments of the present by romanticizing the past. However, as the novel progresses, Jack begins to question the validity of his nostalgia.
That Old Cape Magic: Book summary and reviews of That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
Griffin has been tooling around for nearly a year with his fathers ashes in the trunk, but his mother is very much alive and not shy about calling on his cell phone. She does so as he drives down to Cape Cod, where he and his wife, Joy, will celebrate the marriage of their daughter Lauras best friend. For Griffin this is akin to driving into the past, since he took his childhood summer vacations here, his parents respite from the hated Midwest. And the Cape is where he and Joy honeymooned, in the course of which they drafted the Great Truro Accord, a plan for their lives together thats now thirty years old and has largely come true. Hed left screenwriting and Los Angeles behind for the sort of New England college his snobby academic parents had always aspired to in vain; theyd moved into an old house full of character; and theyd started a family. Check, check and check.
But be careful what you pray for, especially if you manage to achieve it. By the end of this perfectly lovely weekend, the past has so thoroughly swamped the present that the future suddenly hangs in the balance. And when, a year later, a far more important wedding takes place, their beloved Lauras, on the coast of Maine, Griffins chauffeuring two urns of ashes as he contends once more with Joy and her large, unruly family, and both he and she have brought dates along. How in the world could this have happened?
That Old Cape Magic is a novel of deep introspection and every family feeling imaginable, with a middle-aged man confronting his parents and their failed marriage, his own troubled one, his daughters new life and, finally, what it was he thought he wanted and what in fact he has. The storytelling is flawless throughout, moments of great comedy and even hilarity alternating with others of rueful understanding and heart-stopping sadness, and its ending is at once surprising, uplifting and unlike anything this Pulitzer Prize winner has ever written.
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Reviews
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Media Reviews
"Russo (Empire Falls) convincingly depicts a life coming apart at the seams, but the effort falls short of the literary magic that earned him a Pulitzer." - Publishers Weekly
"Those who savored Russo's long, languid novels (e.g., Pulitzer winner Empire Falls) may be surprised by this one's rapid pace, but Russo's familiar compassion for the vicissitudes of the human condition shines through." - Library Journal
"Readable, as always with this agreeable and gifted author." - Kirkus Reviews
"Whether we embrace it or try to escape it, the family is at the center of our lives. Along with that voracious little worm of dissatisfaction, munching away. Which will triumph? Richard Russo roots for the family, but he knows the worm is there." - The New York Times
"It's a marvelous portrayal of the strands of affection and irritation that run through a family, entangling in-laws and children's crushes and even old friends He's a master of the comic quip and the ridiculous situation." - Washington Post
This information about That Old Cape Magic was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
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Reader Reviews
Cathryn Conroy
Classic Richard Russo! A Literary Treasure Filled with Life-Truths, Hilarity, and Heartbreak
Oh, this book! This is classic Richard Russo: a really good story written with wit, verve, and so many life-truths that I was nodding my head in wonder when I wasn't laughing out loud or reaching for the tissues. There is a reason this gifted writer won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature (for "Empire Falls").
This is the story of a year in the life of 50-something Jack Griffin, bookended by two summer weddings—the first in Cape Cod, Massachusetts where his parents vacationed every summer when Jack was a child and the second on the coast of Maine where his wife's family vacationed when she was a child. Griffin, as he is called throughout the book, is a former Hollywood screenwriter of B-list TV shows and movies who is now teaching screenwriting in a B-list liberal arts college in New England. He is bitter, deeply unhappy, and incessantly questioning his life choices. As he and his wife, Joy, go the Cape Cod wedding of their daughter Laura's best friend, he plans to scatter his father's ashes on the cape. (He's been toting them around in the trunk of his convertible for almost a year.) But the ghost of memories, centering largely on his dysfunctional parents and childhood, echo all around him, dredging up previous hurts that have the unsettling effect of unraveling his marriage of 34 years. The following summer is his daughter's wedding, and it is here that Russo's writing chops are on full display. The scene of the rehearsal dinner where half the guests end up in the emergency room is worth the price of the book alone!
In typical Russo style, the characters own this story far more than the plot. They seem so real, so authentic, and so human that I just couldn't wait to rejoin them each day. This really is an introspective and highly entertaining novel about the meaning of life—what we inherit from our parents, what makes us truly happy, what cuts us to the bone with heartbreak, and how we handle it all to wake up another day and start all over again.
An aside: In 2018, I had the privilege of hearing Richard Russo speak at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., and he mentioned that "That Old Cape Magic" started out as a short story, but when he finished writing it, it was a novel. I'm so happy it turned out that way because this novel is a literary treasure.
Old Cape Magic
What a very good read. The subject of just how our parents relationship governs our own relationships has been on the minds of many of my friends. This book gives that theory a life of its own. I took parts of the book seriously and laughed like crazy about other parts. It is a true "slice of life" story that could be any of us.
The characters are so real and the settings are just the right thing for this tale.
I love Richard Russo books!
I literally run to the bookstore the day a new book by Richard Russo comes out. I especially loved his books "Empire Falls" and "The Straight Man". This is not Mr. Russo's best book, but still a very enjoyable read. Mr. Russo writes with such humor and warmth, and nobody writes a better group of characters. In this book, the main character, Griffin, will remind you of the type of person you would love to have as a friend. The reason I gave it 4 stars is that I really didn't think the story was his best, but you will find the 2nd wedding in the book very enjoyable. Now those scenes were fun to read and something I will remember for a long time after the book is finished.
- Reviews
- "Beyond the Book" articles
- Free books to read and review (US only)
- Find books by time period, setting & theme
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- and much more!
- Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
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I love Richard Russo books!
I literally run to the bookstore the day a new book by Richard Russo comes out. I especially loved his books "Empire Falls" and "The Straight Man". This is not Mr. Russo's best book, but still a very enjoyable read. Mr. Russo writes with such humor and warmth, and nobody writes a better group of characters. In this book, the main character, Griffin, will remind you of the type of person you would love to have as a friend. The reason I gave it 4 stars is that I really didn't think the story was his best, but you will find the 2nd wedding in the book very enjoyable. Now those scenes were fun to read and something I will remember for a long time after the book is finished.
He comes to realize that his parents' relationship, which he initially saw as a model for his own marriage, was actually deeply flawed. He sees that his longing for the past has prevented him from fully embracing the present and finding happiness in his own life. That old cape magic serves as a reminder that dwelling too much on the past can hinder personal growth and prevent us from finding joy in the present. It prompts us to examine our nostalgia and question if it is based on reality or merely a projection of our idealized memories. Overall, "that old cape magic" is a concept that captures the universal human tendency to romanticize the past and yearn for a simpler, happier time. It serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us to live in the present and find contentment in the reality of our lives..
Reviews for "Digging Deeper into Cape Nagic's Dark History"
1. Jenna - 2 stars - I was really looking forward to reading "That old cape magic" after hearing such rave reviews, but I was left sorely disappointed. The story felt disjointed and difficult to follow, with multiple timelines and characters that I struggled to connect with. The pacing was slow, and there were long stretches where nothing of real importance seemed to happen. Overall, I found the book to be underwhelming and not worth the hype.
2. Mark - 2.5 stars - "That old cape magic" had an interesting premise, but it fell flat for me. The writing style was overly descriptive and pretentious, making it difficult to engage with the story. The characters lacked depth and their motivations were unclear, leaving me feeling disconnected from their experiences. Additionally, the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying, with loose ends left unresolved. While I can see why some may enjoy this book, it just didn't resonate with me.
3. Samantha - 1 star - I couldn't get past the first few chapters of "That old cape magic". The writing was convoluted and pretentious, making it impossible for me to connect with the story or characters. The constant shifts in perspective and timelines were confusing and made it difficult to follow. I found myself skimming through pages, hoping for some semblance of a coherent plot, but it never materialized. This book was a disappointment and I wouldn't recommend it to others.