Sharp writing that showcases a delightful sense of humor.
Guiaşu offers a collection of funny tales and lists that tackle a vast array of subjects.
The first story in this delightful and eclectic compilation begins with the unnamed protagonist in a pub, celebrating the publication of his first short story, only to be told by a friend, “Don’t take this personally, but you can’t be a writer. You just haven’t lived enough.” It’s a clever opening for a book whose vast scope encompasses an awful lot of what life has to offer. “Logical Flaws and Other Problems with Jurassic Park,” presents an imagined letter to John Hammond, the fictional creator of Jurassic Park, in which the correspondent points out the several issues that give the story its title. Other stories tell of a rabid squirrel squaring off against a German shepherd and a human-resources department announcing “Bring Your Pants to Work” day. And, in “Trying to Figure Out Which One of My Neighbours Ratted Me Out During the Pandemic,” police appear at a person’s door with complaints that they left their house for nonessential reasons. Lists include “Life Lessons You Probably Won’t Find in Self-Help Books” (“Know your limitations, but don’t share that knowledge with anyone”) and “Things That Go Through Your Mind as You Are Taking Part in the Running of the Bulls Event in Pamplona” (“Generally speaking, quadrupeds are faster than bipeds”). No matter the topic, it’s funny stuff, although a few pieces have more serious overtones, such as “Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow,” with its antibullying theme. The author is a university professor at who delights in skewering academia; “Submission Guidelines” is a laugh-out-loud parody of scientific journal requirements, and it’s followed by “An Honest Rejection Letter,” which includes such gems as “We wish we could tell you to keep trying, but that wouldn’t be good advice.” Guiaşu also plays with different styles along the way, particularly scoring with the clipped prose of “In the Wilderness, Reading Hemingway.” Overall, there’s much to like about this congenial, diverting, and agreeable collection.
Sharp writing that showcases a delightful sense of humor.Pub Date: Nov. 26, 2024
ISBN: 9781039194946
Page Count: 222
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PERSPECTIVES
Briskly written soap with down-to-earth types, mostly without the lachrymose contrivances of Hannah’s previous titles...
Sisters in and out of love.
Meghann Dontess is a high-powered matrimonial lawyer in Seattle who prefers sex with strangers to emotional intimacy: a strategy bound to backfire sooner or later, warns her tough-talking shrink. It’s advice Meghann decides to ignore, along with the memories of her difficult childhood, neglectful mother, and younger sister. Though she managed to reunite Claire with Sam Cavenaugh (her father but not Meghann’s) when her mother abandoned both girls long ago, Meghann still feels guilty that her sister’s life doesn’t measure up, at least on her terms. Never married, Claire ekes out a living running a country campground with her dad and is raising her six-year-old daughter on her own. When she falls in love for the first time with an up-and-coming country musician, Meghann is appalled: Bobby Austin is a three-time loser at marriage—how on earth can Claire be so blind? Bobby’s blunt explanation doesn’t exactly satisfy the concerned big sister, who busies herself planning Claire’s dream wedding anyway. And, to relieve the stress, she beds various guys she picks up in bars, including Dr. Joe Wyatt, a neurosurgeon turned homeless drifter after the demise of his beloved wife Diane (whom he euthanized). When Claire’s awful headache turns out to be a kind of brain tumor known among neurologists as a “terminator,” Joe rallies. Turns out that Claire had befriended his wife on her deathbed, and now in turn he must try to save her. Is it too late? Will Meghann find true love at last?
Briskly written soap with down-to-earth types, mostly without the lachrymose contrivances of Hannah’s previous titles (Distant Shores, 2002, etc.). Kudos for skipping the snifflefest this time around.Pub Date: May 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-345-45073-6
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2003
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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