The narrative thrust of the story gets its power from the relationships at its heart. At the age of seventeen, although he seems a middle aged man, Max falls in love with a thirteen year old girl named Alice. When Max's father disappears suddenly his mother takes them back to their original home. Their financial situation requires they rent out the ground floor and Alice and her mother are the tenants. As you might imagine in a story like this one, despite Max's devotion things do not turn out well with Alice. Alice and her mother leave San Fransisco intent on never seeing Max again.

The only other relationship of equal importance in Max's life is the one with his childhood friend Hughie. Hughie, the son of Max's tutor, is one of the few people who know Max's secret. And although Hughie ages in the normal way, he and Max become lifelong friends. Since watching the events as they play out is an important part of the pleasure of reading this work I wont spoil the details, but it is through the inter-tangled lives of Max, Hughie, and Alice that Greer's themes of love and loss play out.

Max's life is given meaning by his obsessive search for Alice and earning her love. Hughie's life seems defined by his friendship with Max, although Max often seems oblivious to his role. Alice's relationship with Max and Hughie, or any other for that matter, seem to threaten her own identity so she often seeks to escape. And of course Max's unique development provides an additional layer of obstacles and emotions.

Greer has produced a multi-layered work and one that would likely reward multiple readings. One can read it just for the pleasure of the language. As I noted above, Greer masterfully sets the emotional tone while capturing the physical setting. He also weaves in quite a few words of wisdom or bon mots using the accumulated experiences of Max as he looks back on his life. As a result one could re-read Greer in order to more fully appreciate the themes he lays out. There are a number of interesting ideas touched on including the tension between societal expectations and one's own identity; the loss of self in loving another; and the way we can be blind to our impact on those around us to name a few.

The Confessions of Max Tivoli is one of the more enjoyable novels I have read recently. Its mix of language, emotion, imagination, and narrative is a rare feat in my experience. Given that it is less than 300 pages and eminently readable, it richly rewards the short time it takes to read. I highly recommend it.