A sense of the selfies
Three books in which the lines between two people are porous as all heck
I took some weeks off! been busy saying hello to a new job and good-bye to an old dog. The latter was my warm barnacle for more than a third of my life. Where did I end and she begin? All right, she was a dog, I get it. Though, in her tiny walnut brain she probably felt like that boundary was pretty thin.
At any rate, it makes a good segue to this issue’s theme, which is sort of a spooky one: A deteriorating sense of self. These books all reminded me of each other, in that the protagonist struggles to understand who they are in relation to another person in the book. Are they someone whole and complete on their own? Twin sisters, best friends, and survivors of violence — actually two out of three of these books are really funny despite it all. These are some of the best books I’ve read this year.
👀Well, guess what, readers! I have all my past EELS recommendations with links to all my past EELSes in one easy-to-scan spreadsheet! Click the button below, hit “request access,” and if you’re on the subscriber list, I will give you access! Pro tip: It is excellent for finding a gift.
👞 My Brilliant Friend
Elena Ferrante, (translated by Ann Goldstein), 2011
Ptuh. That’s a scornful spitting sound. Various other books before, during, and after I read this one were truly soured like old milk just by being in this masterpiece’s presence. I felt sorry for them. They’re probably fine books. But this painstakingly constructed Italian coming-of-age tale about Elena and Lila, who fight to stay afloat in an impoverished, brutal area of Milan in the 1950s, is just of another class.
A lot of that fight involves attempting to advance at school while their parents look on with suspicion. Girls are needed at home. Books cost money. Both of these girls are bright, but one of them has something truly spectacular. Elena tells both of her stories, and can’t help but view herself always through the eyes of Lila, comparing the two for better or for worse. The feelings are so intense and complicated, it hurts to read.
Recommended for: Those who like a book where every sentence is worth thinking about, and those who like to think and talk about a book for weeks after reading it. Also, you need to have patience. This is not a plot-heavy book, but it is not boring, unless you find intense female friendships boring and a lot of casual violence boring. Which, weird. Also, sigh, I guess I will go ahead and mention it was #1 on the NYT 100 Best Books of the 21st Century List because that’s cool! Thank you Gabby and Tim S. for insisting over and over that I finally read it.
📕 Hell of a Book
Jason Mott, 2021
This sounds like I’m joking, but Hell of a Book is a meta, fun romp from page one. It’s also really gutting and raw at times. It’s like in that Fleabag / Reservation Dogs genre of TV, only a book. If you know what I mean, you know what I mean.
Anyway, the protagonist (highly recommend the audio, here) has written one hell of a book. He’s promoting it on a tour, dodging calls from his publisher about the progress on his second book, and running repeatedly into this same kid. The tone has an absurd feel that actually has a tiny bit of the book right below this one and a lot of White Tears. It also slightly reminded me of A Little Devil in America (see EELS: The food of love or whatever), but that might be because they had the same narrator. That narrator (JD Jackson) is so good, by the way.
Recommended for: Those who like a clever, insightful read that is not what you think it is. Oh, it also won the National Book Award, so, like, don’t take my word for it.
Recommended format: Audiobook!
🚰 Cassandra at the Wedding
Dorothy Baker, 1962
Sakes alive, I read this book so fast. I inhaled it. I crammed it into my eyeballs. This is the perfect book for me. My pal Tim F. nailed it right on the damn head when he texted me and insisted I had to pick it up right away. But is it the perfect book for you? Do you love a witty yet falling-apart-at-the-seams woman in the mid-20th century? How about strange family dynamics that take place in a limited setting, both time and place? (Actually, I also recommend the show Flowers.)
Well, get you over to Cassandra and her journey to the aforementioned wedding, which is between her twin sister and her betrothed…John? Who cares! He’s nothing to Cassandra, who hopes this will all blow over because without Judith, she feels like a shade. This is the most literal match to my theme, as Cassie’s inability to deal with her twin’s split onto another branch of life sends her into a crisis. But, a humorous one. Again, with notes of rawness and Fleabaggery. It’s OK, you won’t be upset you read it, I promise.
Recommended for: Those who like a lot of banter. I mean a LOT of banter.
And now, a bonus recommendation or several
Last year, I was better at reading spooky stuff than this year. If you want to refresh yourself, here are my recommendations.
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First, here are three scary books ranging from “ooooo” to “lol enjoy never sleeping again!”
It’s pumpkin spies time
First off, apologies for just flat-out skipping last week. I also missed my kid's …
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Second, here are three books that make you wonder what goes on in people’s brains, but like, in a good way.
Let’s unsettle this once and for all
The important thing to remember about October is that, just because Halloween season ends, it doesn’t mean you have to let the Spirit of Halloween fade away! Nay, friend. You can keep that ember glowing within your heart and shine its dark light…
That was the fifty-third EELS! If you enjoyed it, please share it with a friend and like it by hitting the heart! It’ll help others find it and maybe they’ll like it, too.
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📚 Susan
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Another great read along this theme is People Collide by Isle McElroy. I actually scrolled quickly through your post thinking, surely People Collide is in here. Mais non! It's my favorite read so far this year, and I won't stop yapping about it, as you can see.
Welcome back, Susan! I'm sorry you had to say good-bye to your dog, but good luck with your new job, I hope you'll love it. The action in "My Brilliant Friend" takes place in Naples, not in Milan. They're two completely different cities, two worlds apart, we could say, so much so that, in Milan, the story would probably have another development all together. And sorry, but I tried to read it, after my daughter insisted that I did, and found it... yes, really boring. I read just the first chapter, I don't remember exactly, or maybe the first 20 pages, and found Ferrante's writing dull and monotonous. Maybe, in the English translation, it sounds more interesting than in the original Italian.