So Much Blue

Percival Everett's "So Much Blue" delves into the intricate web of memory, art, and self-deception through the eyes of Kevin Pace, a man haunted by his past. Kevin secretly works on a massive, enigmatic painting, a canvas entirely in shades of blue, hidden even from his family and closest friends. This artistic endeavor serves as a metaphorical repository for his untold stories and buried truths. The narrative intertwines two pivotal periods from Kevin's life: a passionate affair with a young artist in Paris a decade prior, and a more distant, perilous journey to a pre-war El Salvador to retrieve his best friend's drug-dealing brother. As Kevin grapples with these deeply personal historical events, the novel brilliantly explores how the echoes of the past inexorably shape the present, revealing the secrets we often keep not just from others, but from ourselves. It is a profound examination of the human psyche, exposing the delicate balance between remembrance and revision.