Review: All That Will Remain by Richard Snodgrass

An epic American drama, All That Will Remain by Richard Snodgrass is a stunning portrait of small-town life suddenly revealed by the lights of the broader world.

This is not the first time the author has proven his ability to gracefully transport readers across time and space – his body of work is an homage to eras long past, linked through themes of industry, resilience, power, and the murky, ever-shifting idea of the American dream. This latest offering is an intimate and revealing peek into a temerarious family of rugged survivors as they navigate the rapidly changing landscape of war and interconnection. Carried along in an ocean of detail and meticulous scene-building, readers will become immersed in this world with ease.

The familial bonds explored in this novel are delicate, powerful, and relatable, even a century after this story is set. The desire to fulfill a grandfather’s grand dream threatens to divide father and son, while the Lyle family wrestles vicariously with life and death overseas in the Great War. Unexpected pregnancies, fraternal rivalry, compassionate lies, risky endeavors, and inconvenient truths weave a fine fascia of tension throughout the novel, making it nearly impossible for readers not to invest in the outcome. As the story unfolds, murderous secrets long-buried begin rising to the surface, leading to hard questions about loyalty, and lies told for so long that they feel closer to truth.

Malcolm Lyle (Gus) is a beleaguered but admirable protagonist, caught between opportunity, ambition, and the fierce love he holds for his family. His son Augustus is determined to carve out his own place in the world, even if it puts the Lyles’ future in jeopardy. The core of the novel is a family affair, wherein each character adds a unique and memorable flavor to the tale. This is perhaps most true for Perpetual, the no-nonsense maid who is never afraid to put in her two cents, or speak up in disagreement. Acting as the moral (and occasionally comedic) driver of this novel, she energizes every scene in which she appears. Her eccentric, third-person, heavily colloquial manner of speaking is consistent and immersive, repeatedly re-grounding readers in the era and setting. Libby, the aging matriarch who both protects and is protected within the family, is another remarkably nuanced part of this period-piece puzzle.

There are very few editorial stumbles, and Snodgrass remains steadfast in his stylistic choices. Long passages of descriptive musing are balanced well with dialogue-heavy interactions that bring characters into clearer focus. The narration is also dynamic in response to the figures in each scene, often slipping into stream-of-consciousness that feels original, spontaneous, and visceral. Some of the scenes could be trimmed down, particularly when a tangent doesn’t lead to something significant for the plot, yet a meandering style of writing feels somehow apropos; it reflects the unpredictability of families in conflict, and the fragility of even the best-laid plans.

Generating a reading experience like Thomas Wolfe, where the setting seems to rise off the page and fill the room around you, Snodgrass once again proves his mastery of prose, and his love for evocative language. All told, this latest novel from Snodgrass is an immense pleasure to read, and an impressive piece of American storytelling.