Cordelia Strube

Yup. No rating on this one because I got about 30 pages in and realized I was going to hate it. There's nothing wrong with the writing (though I found a lot of it more "tell" than "show"), but it's just that it's that type of writing that critics call "smart" and "witty" and "intelligent" and for me (and I know it's just my preference), it tells me the story isn't really going to go too far, and it will be filled with all these observances about people that I don't care about.

So, I've put the book down.… (mehr)

I've been looking forward to Cordelia Strube's forthcoming book, Misconduct of the Heart. The premise had intrigued me....

"Stevie, a recovering alcoholic and kitchen manager of Chappy’s, a small chain restaurant, is frantically trying to prevent the people around her from going supernova: her PTSD-suffering veteran son, her uproariously demented parents, the polyglot eccentrics who work in her kitchen, the blind geriatric dog she inherits, and a damaged five-year-old who landed on her doorstep and might just be her granddaughter."

I picked it last week, sat in the sun and turned the first page....and was immediately hooked by the first few chapters. The introduction to Stevie et al is rough, raw and yes, powerful. Inside Chappy's you'll find the walking wounded, the marginalized, the forgotten and largely dysfunctional cast. And I wondered where in the world would Strube take this story from such a grab ya by the throat introduction?

But that was my initial gut response. As I kept reading, I found my perception changed - I cared about what happened to Stevie, her family and co-workers. I wanted more for them. My own emotions ran the gamut - anger, sadness, outrage (gotta love corporate - not) but also on the flip side hope, love and yes, humour.

One of the Chappy workers regals the others with animal kingdom facts. The facts given relate directly to what is happening in the book at that time - very clever. Stevie's inner dialogue and thoughts will make you stop and think. There is much wisdom to be found in her thoughts and dialogue. And I would challenge you to think about this character's observation...

"Olivia has this theory we go through life not really seeing what's around us or really knowing who's around us. And because we're shit-scared of what we don't know, we close our eyes to stuff."

When I first started to read the book, it was like a train wreck that I couldn't stop staring at. But by the end? Yeah, I wanted to know these people. They're so, so.... well, so real, so well depicted. Just people doing the best they can in the situation they're in - bad and good. Each player has a tale to tell and I was interested in each and every one. But Stevie? She was one of the best characters I've met in a long time.

And yes, there are some really heavy situations. Gentle readers - this is no holds barred read, certain situations may be triggers for some.

Strube is a very, very talented wordsmith with a sharp eye for the human condition. I absolutely loved this book. Hands down one of my faves for 2020.

PS - I really started wondering about the behind the scenes at the restaurant. Makes you wonder how much is truth - and how much of that is fiction.… (mehr)

I read through a bunch of reviews here on GR and elsewhere to see if this was mentioned, and it was not: I have no idea whether or not Strube handled the character of Irwin (hydrocephalus) sensitively or accurately at all. Review publishers, it would be great if you'd occasionally get someone with lived experience to read and review on works such as this.

Harriet is a great character. All of the characters seem to be written with depth and empathy. The dialogue was a joy. I felt for Harriet so deeply as she tried to matter to a single adult human being in her life. It was a compelling read.

And yet, positioning Irwin's character as tragic felt like ableism to me.

Since I hadn't seen any discussion in reviews of this book, I looked it up, and haven't found any evidence in the peer-reviewed literature that adults who had congenital hydrocephalus have lower social functioning or impaired mental health compared to the rest of the population. Having Irwin be so suicidally depressed, so incredibly lonely, so perennially rejected, actually felt more like Strube's reactions to someone like Irwin and her assumptions about what such a life must be like. In fact one thing that's come across in the very nascent field of hydrocephalus and adult depression and anxiety is that it's related to the fear of dying. Like the rest of us, they like being alive and want to keep on doing it.

And the ending ... welp. I really can't get behind this idea that a young man who ended up with Harriet's physical heart after her death somehow magically ended up with her artistic drive, talent, and style. This went well beyond magic realism into sheer medical make-believe. Knowing people who have had organ transplants, I can't say I've ever seen any evidence of this kind of personality transfer.

And I have teenagers in my life with obvious physical differences and disabilities, who have complicated medical lives and a lot of pain--and no, they're not completely rejected by everyone in their peer group and living lives of total loneliness leading to suicidal ideation. Yes it sure is complicated, but this kind of tragic over-simplification and flattening does them no favours.

A lot of damage is caused by the kinds of ideas in this book. No matter how well-written it is, I can't recommend it.… (mehr)