Lerner has an impressive if over-intellectualized writing style, and his books address subtle topics. For example, my review of his book 10:04 says: "I'd say it's about the interplay between art, memory, and personal identity."
Perhaps The Topeka School is simply too subtle for me. It contains Lerner's usual set pieces that work narratively and thematically, but this time they don't add up for me. I'd say it's about how language and communication collapse under pressure, and edge into violence. The central metaphor of the book is competitive high school debate, but Lerner doesn't convey the literal experience of that activity well enough for it to carry its analogical weight. In particular, "the spread" is a dominant concept that isn't explained clearly enough.
The chapters alternate between the points of view of three characters: Adam (the Lerner stand-in), his mother Jane, and his father Jonathan. The characters' voices are not distinctive enough: I sometimes found myself forgetting which character I was listening to.
The Topeka School feels more autobiographical than Lerner's other books do, even if the character names are changed. It includes incidents previously referred to in Leaving the Atocha Station. I imagine this book will be quite helpful to future students writing dissertations on Lerner's oeuvre.
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