For Christmas, my family gave me a book lover's calendar that our local library sells. You know the kind, a page for each day, a new book on each page, a good mix of new and old and true and not true. This caught my eye because it was described as a love story told by thirty-five characters, some of them inanimate objects (the emergency brake on a subway, for instance). And, well! It is fresh and funny and quirky and new. Reminds me of Nicholson Baker (!) and Jonathan Safran Foer (!) and even Salinger (gasp!). Who is this Rudolph Delson and where did he learn to talk in this code that goes right to my poetic little heart? And, Martha, I thought of you when I read pages 124-129 where the two main characters discuss naming Jennica's new Maine coon cat.
One of many paragraphs from Maynard and Jennica that made me smile:
On the train downtown from Practical Cats, a long-legged black girl wanted to know the cat's name. She was sincerely charmed by Congressman Cat. And her boyfriend, dressed like a gangster, was smiling amiably and humbly and even apologetically at me. It was like being in church, the air of fellowship this cat brought about.
This book came out in 2007 and was his debut novel. Anyone else read it?
3 comments:
"It was like being boarded by pirates, the way this fellow looked at you. He looked at you as if to say, I am laughing, thus you too must laugh."
Ha! I loved this book!
Sounds fun, Christine. I'll have to see if the public library has a copy. I get all the best book recommendations (fiction & non, old & new) from your blog!
Thank you, Mary! We appreciate your thoughtful comments and reviews very much. (Our library has two copies and will be open again on the 5th)
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