What I like about Stephen McCauley's novels is that his characters are fundamentally decent people. They may hurt one another, as we all occasionally do, but it's never deliberate; McCauley isn't interested in writing about cruelty or dramatic unkindness. Or "dramatic" anything, for that matter; his novels are decidedly low-key, without a lot of huge earth-shattering plot points. Instead, McCauley tends to show us relatively ordinary moments in people's lives, and to surprise us with how fascinating the small things can be.
Insignificant Others, for instance, begins when Richard finds evidence that his partner Conrad has been having an affair. He's not terribly surprised by this; they have an unspoken understanding that physical monogamy is less important in their relationship than emotional fidelity, and Richard has an "insignificant other" of his own. Still, knowing is different than suspecting or imagining, and Richard begins to wonder if his life isn't quite so well-ordered as he'd believed.
Some of the symbolism of Richard's work life -- he works in the personnel department of a software company that assists corporations with video conferencing and the like -- is a touch heavy-handed (oh, he helps people communicate! how ironic...), but that's a small flaw when compared with the novel's strengths. McCauley's characters are vivid and endearing; even minor characters like Richard's personal trainer are given more depth than you'd expect from the comic relief. The constantly shifting relationships between Richard and the other principal characters are always convincing, and McCauley's story has an emotional depth that's a bit surprising in what initially seems to be just a light, fluffy comedy.
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