The Squid and the Whale Page #4

- I'm not sure.

The street's Stratford Road.

My dad's moving there.

I hear it's the fillet of the neighborhood.

- You like Franz Kafka?

- I don't know him.

He's great. The Metamorphosis

is a masterpiece.

- Sounds good.

- Yeah, it is.

- Have you read This Side of Paradise?

- No, but it's minor Fitzgerald.

- ls it? I loved it.

- It's a minor work.

Gatsby is his masterpiece.

And Tender is the Night is dazzling.

Last Tycoon, had he finished it....

I hope you like it. Your notes

were awesome, Bernard.

I loved your idea for the change

in tense at the end.

It could be the coup of the story.

I reread A Hunger Artist on your

suggestion and stole a couple things.

- See if you can spot them.

- Good story to steal from.

- F***!

- Frank.

Sorry.

How long were you and Mom not getting along?

A couple of years.

I thought we would work it out.

I wanted to. I tried.

As you know, I tried very hard.

- Your mother wasn't interested in that.

- Why not?

- I think it has very little to do with me.

- Sh*t! F***er!

- Frank!

- She could never make up her mind.

She'd pull away and then get angry

at me for not being more aggressive.

Her affair with Richard

made it difficult for me...

...to save the marriage.

It became a fait accompli.

- Affair?

- With Richard.

- Who's Richard?

- A man from the neighborhood.

I think she met him at one of Frank's

Little League games. A shrink.

Seems sort of like an ordinary guy.

Not an intellectual.

- How long was she having the affair?

- About four years.

- You're kidding.

- No. I thought you knew this.

No. No.

F*** that cock sh*t!

Frank, you gotta relax, my brother.

- Hey, Mom.

- Hey, honeys.

- What are you doing?

- Just changing things around a bit.

I've come by to tell you

I'm not staying here anymore.

- Why?

- You know why.

- I don't.

- Frank, do you know why?

- No.

- Why don't you tell me?

Because you cheated on Dad.

How did you hear that?

- Your father told you.

- Yeah, he told me.

Why did you, Mom?

I was having a hard time.

Where were we during this?

Did you bring men home?

Not while-- Not....

Not when your father was in town.

You actually met Richard, both you boys.

He came over for takeout once.

You talked about the Stones.

Oh, God. Under our noses.

Like a brothel. Men coming in and out.

- Shut up.

- If you want me to explain, I will.

- I don't wanna hear it.

- I do.

Walt doesn't, so I won't say anything.

- Walt can leave.

- You disgust me.

You weren't even a writer until recently.

You bailed on Dad because he's not

successful and hasn't got recognition.

- You sound like your father.

- I'm glad. You disgust me.

You're being a sh*t, Walt.

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