Dear reader,
Welcome to Bookery, my weekly post on books.
How well do we know the people who work around us, with us, for us? This was the question on my mind as I read through the book I am speaking of today.
And that’s The Doorman, a novel by Chris Pavone.
The story centres around Chicky Diaz, the doorman of the ultrachic Bohemia Apartments in New York. He’s been at that position for three decades and is much-loved and respected. He knows the full array of people who live there.
His favourite seems to be the charming Emily Longworth, married into money, and her seemingly perfect life. She has a full social calendar, is drop-dead gorgeous, and dresses beautifully. Her husband is Whit Longworth, a private-equity magnate whose fortune has been built on morally dubious wars, and whom she despises.
Chicky knows of Julian Sonnenberg, a jaded art gallerist, who is facing his own mortality firmly in the face. Turning fifty has brought him nothing but decline. A faltering marriage, distant children, and a career that feels increasingly irrelevant. He has also received some awful news from his doctor.
The crux of the novel unfolds over a single night. A night, when, for the first time, Chicky stands at his post with a gun tucked under his uniform jacket.
There are some sharp observations throughout the novel about the country and its racial tensions.
For instance, the building is guarded by mostly African-American and Latino staff. The disparity is stark. And when the police kill an unarmed Black man and protests sweep through the city, their fears shift from job security to personal safety.
As the night deepens, Chicky Diaz becomes the thin barrier between two New Yorks – that of the boiling streets outside and the insulated privilege within.
The novel is meant to be a thriller, and I do see why it is categorised as such. I found some of it predictable, though, but that may not be everyone’s experience. There’s a keen social insight, and for readers interested in the history and culture of a city, this aspect can prove to be valuable.
The format of the novel seems to zigzag, and that’s part of creating the tense atmosphere.
So, how well do you know the people who work for you and with you?
