Dept of Speculation

Dept of Speculation

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Department of Speculation by Jenny Offill is a brief novel soaked with vignettes of real life details, oddities, and observations used to display how fragile domestic life is – as if everything balances on a delicate thread and one fray will send the world spinning. The main characters, simply referred to as “the husband” and “the wife”, lease a home in Brooklyn and begin their new life complete with its emotional side effects and quirks. We see the inner struggles of the wife as she battles depression and a lack of self esteem. We see emotional spirals that everyone is familiar with, though many may dampen that voice. Offill's style is something I can definitely appreciate: she says what needs to be said, nothing more. No flowers, no frills.

I have to say, the most interesting part of this book is it's form: there is no plot, just a collection of little details and thoughts from the wife's perspective. She shares her feelings, her insecurities, and even her love/hate relationship with yoga which no doubt represents her emotional instability. Though this perspective offers few “full” details, part of the fun is that my mind would take the raw material and fill in the blanks. I began to create my own scenarios for the novel as I continued. However, this same tone can also leave you in bewilderment and at times I was confused as to which scenario was currently occurring or who was speaking to the wife.

Surprisingly, there were quite a few funny moments! In particular, Offill referred to the Internet meme I CAN HAZ CHEEZEBURGER, to which the wife later refers to in a moment of cheek and confidence when approached by flirtatious men by thinking I CAN HAS BOYFRIEND?

Overall, the tone of the novel is rather melancholy – the wife battles depression, sees various therapists, suffers a miscarriage, and absorbs the husband's infidelity. Though the infidelity begins to push the wife over the edge, she slowly returns to daily life and begins a new chapter with the husband. I would not say this is a story of forgiveness, more acceptance of life's cards. Nonetheless, it is a very refreshing view of inner turmoil.

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8 Ways to Beat the Mean Reds

8 Ways to Beat the Mean Reds

Monday, January 19, 2015

"You know those days when you've got the mean reds.... the blues are because you're getting fat or maybe it's been raining too long. You're sad, that's all. But the mean reds are horrible. You're afraid and you sweat like hell, but you don't know what you're afraid of. Except something bad is going to happen, only you don't know what it is."
-Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's

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Euphoria by Lily King Book Review

Euphoria by Lily King Book Review

Monday, January 12, 2015

I first picked up Euphoria after seeing it raved about on NPR. Research indicated that it was based on the adventures of Margaret Mead on the Sepik River so I knew Euphoria would at least be an interesting way to pass some time. Interesting is an understatement. I now understand why this book has such accreditation, and why it was in so many “best of” lists for 2014. Euphoria is a cunning book taking place in 1930s New Guinea that manages to have two main characters in the throws of anthropology: depressed Andrew Bankson and best selling author Nell Stone. Her husband, Fen, is jealous of her success and constantly on a quest to outperform her in the anthropology world, even to the point of degrading and abusing Nell emotionally.

Nell and Fen had previously been studying the Mumbanyo tribe, a group with violent and even cannibalistic tendencies – actions which fascinate Fen. However, Nell becomes ill and insists on leaving this tribe much earlier than they originally intended. Fen holds this against her for much of the book, as he was after a secret artifact to trump her success with his own. However, while the three scientists are each working on their own projects they discover themselves to have made many lifelong friends among the natives and even work themselves into an enthralling, disconcerting love triangle full of passion, jealousy, and discontent. Characters become selfish to the point where you want to choke them, and so selfless that you want to cry with them on the New Guinea beaches. The simplicity of the natives tribes is breathtaking and as the trio spends more time with studying these groups, we begin to realize just how basic is human emotional spectrum.

Furthermore, as if I haven’t rambled enough on how much I loved this book, I’ll drive the point home by mentioning that the New York Times said this exquisite novel was “about the rewards and disappointments of intellectual ambition and physical desire.” I could not have applied a better description. After all, every human can related ambition and desire.

Without giving spoilers, all I can say is run, don’t walk to the library to find this book. Euphoria is story that will truly leave you gasping for breath.

P.S. Check out Cultural Icons and Their Favorite Books. Let me know which one is your favorite!

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