A brilliantly written epic tale of a quirky, dysfunctional family in the tradition of "The Corrections" and "The Hotel New Hampshire." Collie Flanagan was named after his mother's favorite breed of dog. His brother, Bingo, was named for an Irish setter. Their names are the least of their worries because they're Flanagans, members of a wildly wealthy, impossibly articulate family that also includes a philandering father, pigeon-racing uncle, radical activist mother, and domineering media mogul father whose own daughter has accused him of being a murderer. As Collie searches for his place in the world, somewhere beyond the big, raucous family home on Martha's Vineyard, he suffers insurmountable loss and does his best to be brave as he copes with people he has no choice but to love. A coming-of-age tale centered on family life, "Apologize, Apologize " is full of sparkling prose, surprises, tenderness-and dogs, both real and in name only.