Wednesday, January 27, 2016

After a While You Just Get Used to It by Gwendolyn Knapp

After a While You Just Get Used to It: A Tale of Family ClutterAfter a While You Just Get Used to It: A Tale of Family Clutter by Gwendolyn Knapp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Humor combines with unvarnished personal and familial stories--delivered with non-mawkish affection--to produce these original, memoir-esque tales. Disparate topics such as IBS, cyber-cheating, and hoarding are delivered via Knapp's unique voice. It's not easy to speak about members of your family so deeply, honestly, and critically without losing any (or all) of a reader's sympathy There's underlying heart in not explaining away why people are they way they are. It's very genuine and refreshing. I'd want someone like Knapp writing my biography. Which I realize is an incredibly vain thing to say. How about this: She's someone I'd want to have a conversational, lengthy interview with for a blog post. One where she asks all the questions.

BTW, I came across Knapp's work via Eater, where she contributed a perfect story of what it's like to volunteer at Tales of the Cocktail. It's also included in this book.

Cover Distraction Rating: Very low, unless there are squirrel aficionados in your train car.

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Tuesday, January 12, 2016

The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler

The Way of All FleshThe Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The back cover blurb touting The Way of All Flesh as an novel that "sounded the death-knell of the Victorian age", intrigued me. This is a tale of Ernest Pontifex and his truly awful parents. His father beats him regularly and both mother and father engage in a psychological abuse that is particularly insidious. Cunning and malicious. Compounding this treatment is that Ernest's parents see themselves as paragons of virtue and sacrifice in regards to the treatment of their son.

Naturally, Ernest's development suffers mightily and he endures a series of setbacks both minor and major. (Well-rendered and often painful to read.) Will he ever break free, assert himself, and defy his parents?

The Way of All Flesh is at its best when Ernest is front and center. The novel, however, gets bogged down by pages of exposition. The narrator diverges from the story to engage in philosophical and religious discussions that range from the general to the vague. This is especially the case when discussing Ernest's work as an author. I was bored.

I would recommend this novel for a view into the dark side of the Victorian family, displaying an outward morality and propriety when actually a prim reign of terror. Ernest Pontifex is a memorable character. I'm wavering between three and four stars but the dull moments overshadow the brilliant ones.

Note: The edition I read has a different cover but the page count and publisher is the same.

Cover Distraction Rating: I'll say high. Not because of the what's on the cover but because of the condition of my paperback. It was brittle like Pringles and started falling apart the second I began reading it.

the way of all flesh

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