Jennifer Egan’s “The Keep” is a creepy keeper

I was eager to read The Keep, Jennifer Egan’s latest novel, which is largely set in an Eastern European castle. It seemed like quite a change from her prior novel, Look at Me, which came out just prior to 9/11 and became retroactively somewhat controversial due to its content. I really enjoyed that book, and what really stood out was the way Egan weaved together very distinct story lines, using language and tone beautifully.

While the story lines and settings are quite different in The Keep, it’s not as much of a leap as it might seem at an initial glance. For example, while the primary setting is a castle, this is a modern story. This is immediately made clear by the fact that the first character we meet—Danny, the presumptive protagonist—is lugging a satellite dish into the collapsed castle, for fear he won’t be able to connect to his world back in New York. The castle itself lies in ruins, and Danny has arrived to help out his cousin Howie, who is renovating the castle into a hotel of sorts. The two share a dark past, full of secrets and shame, and this is referenced in an instantly compelling way.

There’s also another story running through the novel, about a prisoner taking a writing class. Egan weaves these stories together in a perfect manner—that is, when they seem wholly distinct, they are both compelling. When they begin to converge in some ways, it’s not only plausible, but extremely rewarding.

To be clear, The Keep has justly been referred to as a “gothic novel,” and deserves that label because of its tone and story lines. There are mysterious characters lurking in parts of the castle that seem straight out of a Bram Stoker novel. Danny and his cousin share a hidden past, but theirs is far from the only secret being kept. Almost every character in this book is haunted in some way, and Egan once again commands the language beautifully to tell her story. It’s an incredibly entertaining book, not just in the clever structure of the narrative, but the story itself. This inventive and engaging novel is definitely recommended.