Helen is a designer specialising in high-end event invites (weddings, galas, etc.). Business was obliterated during COVID, but, post-pandemic and with the world opening back up, events are starting to happen once more and Helen’s back to work. Her cheeky older uncle Peter, recently returned back to ‘murica from Blighty, suggests she print off an extra invite and go to these events herself - with him as her plus one, naturally. Hesitant at first, Helen goes along with it - what mischief awaits these two and will she get caught by her boss?
Dave Eggers has been publishing a series of novellas called The Forgetters since 2021 - seven to date with more to come - via his McSweeney’s Publishing imprint. Not sure if the end game is to publish them all together in one big collection or a thematically-linked novel, but it seems like a cool project. You rarely see this Victorian kind of fictional serialisation anymore these days.
The Honor of Your Presence is the second in The Forgetters series and, despite winning an O. Henry Prize, it’s not that good. The premise isn’t an especially enticing one, Helen and Peter aren’t great characters, and nothing much happens.
The message is a positive one, particularly as this came out at a time when the pandemic restrictions had just ended and people were starting to return to normal life again: that is, the importance of physical connection with real people. And Eggers’ writing is faultless, as ever. I was just underwhelmed by the slight story and felt disappointed by its unimpressiveness.
I tend to like Dave Eggers’ fiction so, even if The Honor of Your Presence is a dud, I’ll check out some more of The Forgetters at some point. But if you’re interested in his novella series, I’d start elsewhere.
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