Lots of books have the title, Fidelity. Michael Redhill takes a broader perspective on what that word actually means. It involves frogs, sex tapes, scientific fact, roadkill, and vasectomies. Some stories show that even thinking about being with someone other than your spouse is an act of infidelity--not an uncontrollable dream, but an actual plan even if the plan isn't fully developed and is for some time in the distant future. Some stories show that divorce is not the end of love, no matter the reasoning behind the divorce. Some stories show that fidelity has nothing to do with marriage or love at its core; it is, in essence, about loyalty and honesty in any form. Redhill offers some good lessons about the relationships of human beings.That being said, reading Fidelity made me feel the way I felt when I watched The Squid And The Whale. I felt absolutely awful. About myself, about my past relationships, about my present relationships, about everyone I know, and about everyone I might meet. I felt bad about being part of the human race. But then, I felt redemption when I backed away from his parallel world. His characters are not the people in my life. Unlike them, I have the capacity to move on. They're stuck in the pages.
