The Theory of Light and Matter

The Theory of Light and Matter by Andrew Porter is a book of short stories categorized as literary fiction. The book description from the publisher describes it best: “These ten stories take us across the country—from rural Pennsylvania to Southern California to suburban Connecticut—and deep into characters struggling to find meaning in their day-to-day lives. The Theory of Light and Matter is a stunningly astute vision of contemporary American suburbia, full of tension, heartbreak, and emotional complexity—the work of an important new voice. Long Listed for the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award.”

Earlier this year, I read the new collection The Disappeared by Andrew Porter and knew I'd have to dive into this earlier collection by the same author. There is a different cast of characters in this one, an array of disaffected yet searching narrators looking for meaning in their lives when they aren't receiving answers from their loved ones or friends or neighbors. All of the stories are told in first-person and are intimate retellings of very personal situations and memories.

“Azul” is about a husband's awkward relationship to a foreign exchange student—who is named Azul—and the close relationship the student has to the narrator's wife. The narrator—Paul—is baffled by how close his wife becomes with Azul and often wonders why he's tasked with driving Azul to his lover's place. Paul often delights in observing Azul's spats with his gay lover Ramón. When they break up, Paul unwittingly invites Ramón to a house party for Azul with unsettling results.

In “Merkin,” Lynn and Michael are neighbors who support each other when their respective relationships and marriages fall apart. They're platonic friends even though they speak about a mutual attraction. Lynn keeps her lesbian relationship from her father, using Michael as a stand-in boyfriend. Michael organizes a poetry reading for deaf students. Even though they don't seem to understand why the other does what they do, they are deeply supportive of each other.

By far the best and most moving story in the collection is the titular “The Theory of Light and Matter.” It's the story of college student Heather and the relationships she has with two men: her boyfriend Colin and her professor Robert. She loves the two men for very different reasons, but is drawn to older Robert because he truly seems to know the real her. Their relationship is mostly platonic, but Heather confesses to the reader a very deep connection she feels to Robert. Colin is the more practical choice and she reveals that she eventually marries him, but she confesses to a couple of rendezvous that expose her true feelings toward Robert and her disconnection from Colin. It's a story filled with emotion and mystery and the undeniable truth that people are full of secrets—some worth sharing with others and some which can never be excavated. After Colin discovers Heather spending time with Robert at a bar, she agrees to never see Robert again, yet she still secretly visits him and reveals even more to the reader. It's a devastating admission to the denial of her true feelings. I loved this story.

I really enjoyed this book of stories and I highly recommend it. I would give this book five stars.