Samaritan (novel)

Last updated
Samaritan
Samaritan (novel).jpg
First edition
Author Richard Price
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Publisher Knopf
Publication date
2003
Pages400
ISBN 0-375-41115-1
Preceded by Freedomland  
Followed by Lush Life  

Samaritan is a novel by Richard Price, first published in 2003. It tells the story of a wealthy screenwriter who returns to his impoverished neighborhood in Dempsey, New Jersey, where he begins to help others. His motivations and their ramifications are explored. Throughout the novel, various characters help others, with each good deed having different repercussions.

Contents

Plot summary

The novel takes place in the fictional city of Dempsey. As the novel opens, Ray Mitchell is lying in a hospital, having been attacked and gravely injured. He refuses to press charges, but an old friend, Nerese Ammons, learns of the incident and decides to investigate. The novel then alternates between scenes of the events leading up to the attack, and Nerese's investigations. Ray volunteers as a writing teacher at his old high school, where he seeks to help the students. Prior to the attack, Ray was trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Ruby. Attempting to impress his daughter, he gives a large donation to a friend, Carla Powell, for her son's funeral. However, his daughter senses the real reason for his generosity, and Carla is humiliated by the gift. And Carla's daughter, Danielle, also seems to see through him.

Ray ends up dating Danielle. Ray realizes Danielle is just using him to make her husband jealous, but does not end the relationship. Selim, a troubled former student, manipulates Ray into funding his dubious schemes. Ray ends things with Danielle after her husband, Freddy Martin, about to get out of jail, threatens Ray. Ray refuses to spend further time with Danielle's son, Nelson.

Finally, in her investigations, Nerese is able to interview Nelson Martin. She feels that Freddy Martin was the attacker, and that if she questions Nelson the right way, he will reveal crucial information to rat his father out. However, unexpectedly, in the interview she learns that the attack was carried out by Nelson himself, because he was angry that Ray had deserted him.

Ray decides to move back to LA. However, something that happens during one of his classes changes his mind, and he decides to stay. Ray receives one final visit from Selim, but Ray rejects him, upsetting Selim. Ray realizes that his desire to help has narcissistic impulses. An ugly confrontation ensues and Selim leaves, whereupon he tries to mug a cab driver but is caught by police. He calls Ray to ask for bail, and Ray bails him out for $2500. Afterwards, Selim tells Ray that if he only had given him the $1000 he wanted the night before, he could have saved $1500 by not needing bail.

Characters

Reception

A reviewer for The New York Times wrote that the novel was "gripping but oddly hollow". [1]

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References

  1. Kakutani, Michiko (2002-12-31). "Books of the Times; A Doer of Good Deeds Gets a Bashed-In Head". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-02-01.