I am supposed to be using the kid's nap time to clean up the kitchen, put away the mess of stuff we got at Target this morning, finish the laundry and pay some bills, but here I am, on the computer. Why? Besides the obvious reason--why in the world would I want to do anything on that list--because I just finished reading a fabulous collection of short stories and I want to share it with the world. Or the five people who read this blog.
Have you already read this? Jenny and the Jaws of Life, by Jincy Willett. It just blew me away. I read it about 10 years ago, in my first book club and I remember liking it, but I got so much more out of it this time. It's described in some reviews and in the foreword by David Sedaris primarily as funny, but that wouldn't be the first word I would use. It definitely is funny, but also dark, sometimes very, very dark, and deep and occasionally disturbing. I guess the funny is what grabs people. She does have a sly sense of humour, and I laughed out loud reading "Best of Betty" and "Melinda Falling." But I think I enjoyed the darker pieces more.
"My Father at the Wheel" was my favorite. A perfect and excruciating encapsulation of the child/parent relationship, from the perspective of the now adult child looking back. So many times in this story, and in many of the others, I stopped reading and took a deep breath because Willett had so exactly captured how I have felt. She really has a knack for recreating the feelings and emotions from childhood and the teen years. I literally blushed reading this story and "Jenny" because I felt like she had somehow been in my head 20 years ago. And it was not really a place that anyone wanted to be, much less write it out for everyone to know.
"Under the Bed" and "Mr. Lazenbee" were absolutely terrifying and incredibly sad. I kind of wish that I hadn't read either of them because I can't stop thinking about them. Powerful writing, for sure.
So, pick up a copy! I read her novel, Winner of the National Book Award: a Novel of Fame, Honor and Really Bad Weather, when it first came six or seven years ago and honestly, I don't remember much about it. I think I liked it, but I can't even remember what it was about, so that's not a good sign. And surprising, because this book made a huge impression on me. I own the novel, so I think that might be next up for me. Maybe I need to read her work twice to really appreciate it.
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