Ms. Hen reviews My Year of Rest and Relaxation

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

Ottessa Moshfegh

Penguin Press

2018

Ms. Hen decided to read this novel because she had read another by this author, EILEEN, which she reviewed a couple of years ago, and she adored. She ordered this book from her local library, and got ready to read another lovely book about a screwed up, unhappy woman. These are Ms. Hen’s favorite types of books to bury herself in.

This novel follows an unnamed protagonist in the year 2000 and 2001, when she decides to sleep for a year because she does not want to deal with her life. She already sleeps a lot when she decides this, but she goes to a psychiatrist and tells her that she has insomnia and asks for medication. The psychiatrist is unstable herself, and she gives the young woman a sheaf of prescriptions. She drugs herself and sleeps most of the time, except to shuffle to the corner bodega to buy coffee and snacks, and when her bulimic, emotionally unhealthy friend Reva comes to visit and complain about her life and beg her friend to go out.

The character has an on and off boyfriend who is a jerk, and she is as beautiful as a model. Both her parents have passed, and since she has a large inheritance, she does not have to work. When she did have a job, she worked at an art gallery, surrounded by the freaky artists of New York and beyond. She is a recent Colombia graduate who majored in art history.

The aspect of this novel that Ms. Hen admires the most is the humor. It’s a novel about depression! So how can it be funny? It just is. The humor is dry and realistic, and current to that time and place. The character is obsessed with Whoopi Goldberg and notices that every time she appears in a film or a TV show, she makes it ironic. Ms. Hen doesn’t feel that way about Whoopi Goldberg, but she does think that Whoopi brings realism to her screen presence.

Ms. Hen loves the descriptions of the art and artists in this novel. Ms. Hen is interested in contemporary art, and how some artists have excess time to be able to create perverted, offensive art, to be able to make bigger works to offend people, or at least attempt to do so. Ms. Hen enjoys museums and galleries filled with bizarre things like this.

Ms. Hen found a mistake in the novel. The character was supposed to turn 25 in 2000, but later on she said she was born in 1973, the year that Roe vs. Wade went into effect. She thought her mother might have wanted an abortion, since she got pregnant when she was 19. She would have been 27 in 2000 if she were born in 1973. Ms. Hen thinks that she might have forgotten how old she was because she spent all her time sleeping.

Ms. Hen realizes that this novel might not be for everyone. This book might be for the weird kids who want to know that there are other weirdoes in the world who might be as messed up as they are. The world can be a terrible place, and sometimes life might not seem worth living, but you just have to muck through the shit to be able to stand on your feet again.

Ms. Hen reviews When You Are Engulfed in Flames

When You Are Engulfed in Flames

David Sedaris

Little, Brown and Company

2008

Ms. Hen has read a David Sedaris book before, when she spent time in France. She was talked into reading ME TALK PRETTY ONE DAY because a lot of it is about France. She does not read essays that much, but she enjoyed that book, so when she found this book at a Little Free Library near where she lives, she scooped it up. She thinks she might try to become a spokesperson for the Little Free Libraries, since she goes to so many and continuously finds great books to read. She would like to get paid well for doing this, so she wouldn’t have to work at a normal job.

This collection of essays reminded Ms. Hen of how strange and funny David Sedaris truly is. She thinks that if she met him, she would like him. She doesn’t think this of many writers. Ms. Hen is a strange hen herself, and she gravitates toward weirdoes, or chickens with similar types of feathers.

This collection deals with the dark side of life, but with a humorous twist. All of the essays have to do with death in one form or another. One of Ms. Hen’s favorites is “Memento Mori,” an essay about the time the author bought a genuine skeleton for his partner, and it haunted him when they hung it in the bedroom. The skeleton seemed to remind him that he was going to die. This is hilarious, but sad at the same time. Memento Mori is a Latin expression meaning remember you must die. This essay spooked Ms. Hen because she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have a real skeleton in her bedroom.

Another that Ms. Hen liked is “April in Paris,” which is about the author’s obsession with spiders, and one particular spider that he adopted and fed flies to entertain himself, whom he dubbed April. They were living in Normandy, and decided to take April to Paris, but there weren’t enough flies to feed his favorite spider in the big city, so April was distressed. When they got back to Normandy, she ran off, leaving her owner upset over her disappearance. Ms. Hen thinks this is weird, but the story stuck in her head. How many people actually love spiders enough to make one into a pet and take it to Paris? Not many.

The last essay in the book, “The Smoking Section,” is the longest in the collection, and is all about the author’s history of smoking and the process of quitting. He decides to travel to Japan to stay there for a while to see if that will help him quit. Ms. Hen thinks it’s strange to quit smoking in Japan because she understands that everyone smokes there, but the author does a lot of strange things, so this does not surprise her. He writes about trying to learn Japanese and failing, and also about the Japanese mannerisms, such as humility and putting others first all the time which Ms. Hen found fascinating. He quit smoking, which Ms. Hen has learned is more difficult that stopping drinking or heroin.

Ms. Hen thinks this book is fantastic. She believes in the power of humor, and wishes there were more humorous writers that she could enjoy. Life is difficult, but why shouldn’t we laugh at ourselves? If we don’t laugh, we could end up crying, and there’s no point in that.

Ms. Hen reviews The Tiger's Wife

The Tiger’s Wife

Tea Obreht

Random House

2011

Ms. Hen picked up this novel at the Little Free Library in Downtown Crossing in Boston. She chose this because she liked the cover and the title. She had never heard of the book, but she understands it was well received when it came out, and it was a finalist for the National Book Award.

When Ms. Hen first started reading THE TIGER’S WIFE, she had the feeling that it was similar to THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING because it is about a doctor, and it has the same type of tone, and it takes place in a likewise setting. This novel, however, does not have that much more in common with that one.

This novel is about a young doctor, Natalia, in a country that is not named, but is supposed to be Bosnia. The country is recovering from war, and Natalia’s grandfather has just died. She is in a rural area vaccinating some orphans with her friend, and she goes to retrieve his things that were in his possession when he passed away suddenly in a remote area.

Natalia recounts the story of her relationship with her grandfather, and how they went to the zoo to look at the tigers, and also tell the story his life when he was young in the small town where he lived. A tiger appeared in the village one day, and frightened the people that lived there. One of the women was supposedly the tiger’s wife, because she fed him, and the people in the town thought that the tiger impregnated her.

This novel shows the superstitions of rural people, and how isolated they are from the rest of the world. Some people actually believed that the woman was married to the tiger, and the women of the town would gossip and most of the men listened and did not do much to help her.

This novel is told in layers. The stories of the different characters go back and back and at times, Ms. Hen almost lost track of who she was reading about. The people in the village, and how they got to be there, and even the story about the only gun, and how it arrived, spread around like honey on pieces of crusty bread, and never stopped, and at times left Ms. Hen breathless. This novel is an excellent example of how to write multi-layered stories, one on top of another, like a club sandwich with a tower of bread. Ms. Hen admires this writer because she does this so well; it kept Ms. Hen on her toes, and she took her time reading it, because she thinks that this novel is meant to be read slowly and ingested gently because there is so much to absorb.

There are some chickens and hens that appear in this novel, which always pleases Ms. Hen. Natalia is driving through the country with one of the monks when, “There was a henhouse which had apparently collapsed at least once in the last few years, and had been haphazardly assembled and propped up against the low stone wall…” The characters are in a run-down area ravaged by war, and they have to make do with what they have. Ms. Hen is glad that the hens are being protected during difficult times.

Ms. Hen loves finding novels that are new to her that she adores. This is one of those. There are a lot of animals and magic in this novel, which Ms. Hen enjoys. The story twists and turns until it left Ms. Hen’s head dizzy. Ms. Hen won’t think of tigers or wild animals the same again.

Ms. Hen reviews Beyond Beauport

Beyond Beauport

James Masciarelli

Koehler Books

2018

Ms. Hen came to read this novel because she met the author in her travels through the world. He told her that his character’s name is also Shannon, and she told him that she wrote a blog about books, and he gave his book to her as a gift if she promised to write about it. And so she is.

This is not what Ms. Hen typically reads. She it not quite into adventure novels, but she is willing to take a risk and read something different when the opportunity presents itself. Even though this is described as an adventure novel, it is more of a literary adventure, the characters are complex and well-drawn, and the story revolves around love and family.

Shannon Clarke is a forty-six year old native of Gloucester, Massachusetts and has always loved the ocean. She got pregnant young, and eventually married the father of her child. She worked at various jobs around the town, and has close friends in the area. She is in the process of a divorce, and is experiencing depression, and her children have moved away. Her Uncle Paddy comes to visit and tells her a story of her ancestors and their connection to pirates.

Shannon and Paddy go on an adventure to look for treasure in Florida and the Caribbean. They get into scrapes, and Shannon’s big mouth gets her in trouble sometimes, but she is a tough woman who can take care of herself. Since she and Paddy can trace their heritage back to pirates, they are fearless and strong.

Shannon has always dreamed of being a sea captain, but her obligations to her family, and also money has always gotten in the way. Paddy teaches her how to be a captain through the different levels of proficiency, and she gradually works her way up. He teaches her how to handle herself quickly in last minute situations where she needs to make snap decisions. It’s life or death on a boat if someone is not fast enough to know what to do.

Ms. Hen has always loved pirates, as many people do. Before she read this novel, she had the idea that it was historical fiction because who in their right mind becomes a pirate today? There is some history thrown into the story when Shannon dreams of her ancestors who were pirates and they guide her to where they buried the loot. Ms. Hen thinks it’s charming that Shannon and Paddy hunt for pirate treasure, and it’s not like it is in the movies where they live happily ever after. This novel displays a more realistic approach to hunting treasure.

Ms. Hen has not any other novels in which the protagonist is named Shannon, and she appreciates her name being used effectively. However, Ms. Hen has nothing in common with the Shannon of the novel, she has no desire to be a pirate, and is not a tough Shannon, but rather a delicate Shannon who does not start fights, and likes taking pictures of flowers and puddles. Even though she has nothing in common with Shannon Clarke, Ms. Hen enjoyed this novel as an escape to the sea air of Gloucester and the Caribbean, where adventure abounds and a spirited world exists.

Ms. Hen reviews Just Kids

Just Kids

Patti Smith

Harper Collins

2010

Ms. Hen decided to read this book at the end of June during the lightest days of the year because she read Patti Smith’s other memoir, M TRAIN during the darkest time last December. As she has said before, she is not a fan of Patti Smith’s music, but she has become a fan of her writing.

This book is about Ms. Smith’s relationship with the photographer and artist Robert Mapplethorp when they were young. She arrived in New York, having just given up a child for adoption, and she didn’t know that many people, and she got together with Robert because he saved her from going on a date with a creepy science fiction writer. They fell in love, and soon after moved in together. They worked at odd jobs, she, mostly at a bookstore, and him at other jobs, while they tried to find their medium and their voices in art.

Patti and Robert moved to different places while they were together. The most significant was the Chelsea Hotel, where they paid too much money for a small room, but the place was filled with all types of artistic people they could socialize with and garner inspiration from. Robert was in the process of dealing with his sexuality and finding out that he was a homosexual, even though the couple was still together. Patti writes great anecdotes, such as the time she went to buy a sandwich at the Automat, and Allen Ginsberg bought it for her because she didn’t have enough money, and she thought it was because he thought she was a boy, and he was trying to pick her up.

Some people might read this book, and think that Ms. Smith wrote this to prove how cool she was, with all the fascinating people she met in New York in the 60s and 70s, but Ms. Hen doesn’t think this is the case. She thinks Smith wrote this to describe her life; she didn’t always have enough money to eat, and she and Robert struggled to make the rent and find enough money for food and essentials. Ms. Hen doesn’t believe Smith thinks she was cool, and it’s the people who don’t think they’re cool who are cool. Ms. Hen has known people in her life who aspire to coolness, but she thinks aspirations will get a person nowhere, coolness just happens. Ms. Hen is not a hen who is cool, so she will never know. Some people might think she’s cool, but she knows that she is just a weird hen who lives day to day.

This is a memoir about two people finding their medium and the best way to express themselves through art. It took a while for Patti to come to music to be a singer in a band, and it also took time for Robert to discover himself with photography. Robert died young from AIDS. He was gay, but he and Patti always had a special relationship and were good friends until he died.

Ms. Hen thoroughly enjoyed this memoir. It paints a picture of a time and place that does not exist anymore. Patti Smith is still alive and thriving; Ms. Hen started following her on Instagram recently, and she is touring in Europe, which impresses Ms. Hen. To be that age and still have the energy to get on stage and sing, is something astounding. Ms. Hen believes in art and people who are not afraid to live their lives. You can sleep when it’s over, or some people might say. For now, keep dancing and thriving.

Addendum

Ms. Hen took a writing workshop recently, and she learned (again) about ekphrastic poetry, or poetry written about and inspired from art. Ms. Hen decided to write a poem about one of the photos in this book. The photo is of Patti and Robert holding each other on a fire escape. Here it is:

https://www.google.com/search?q=robert+mapplethorpe+west+twenty+third+street+fire+escape&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=IylKXKqkyDUK5M%253A%252CyYZfZEFHcZCnNM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kSzMPfdlaejtQINBaknFcyIW0iGjQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjb8dXHmYDjAhWk2FkKHWY5DroQ9QEwAXoECAAQBg#imgrc=IylKXKqkyDUK5M:

After West Twenty-third street fire escape

Skinny, we clutch

each other,

not always enough money

to eat, but we feed on love

most of the time.

We don’t realize our hair

will be considered ridiculous in the future,

we might never know since we live

in the moment,

all we desire

is to learn how to express

what’s morphed the world

into either chaos

or bewilderment.

Ms. Hen reviews The Mare

The Mare

Mary Gaitskill

Vintage Books

2015

Ms. Hen bought this novel at a charming used bookstore called Yes Books in Portland, Maine when she was there last month. She used to be a fan of Ms. Gaitskill until she saw her at Bennington at one of the residencies, and Ms. Hen heard her read and lecture, and she was not impressed. She remembered learning about this novel when it came out, and it was supposed to be decent so she picked it up.

The Mare is about a young Dominican girl who participates in the Fresh Air Fund, an organization that helps bring inner city children to rural areas, so they can experience nature, and go swimming, hiking, and get away from the dirtiness and danger of urban life. Velvet stays with Ginger and Paul in their house, which Velvet does not think is a rich person’s house at first. Velvet takes horseback riding lessons at a place next door, and she begins to love the horses and the lessons, especially one horse named Fugly Girl. Ginger takes care of Velvet, but Velvet’s mother, Silvia, does not like that a white woman is trying to be a mother to her daughter. Ginger and Velvet have a complex relationship, and they try to fill needs each other has.

One of the aspects of this novel that Ms. Hen did not like was the fact that Ginger, a forty-something white woman, is a sniveling idiot, and pines for a child. Ms. Hen does not think that every woman that doesn’t have a child is heartbroken.  Ginger is a clichéd character, as many characters are in this book. Ms. Hen would like to read about a character who is a forty-something woman who is happy she does not have a child. Ms. Hen believes that some women think that life is better without children, and they only mess up everything. They can be too much work, and if a person has a difficult time taking care of herself, a child can be a burden.

Velvet and her mother and brother are also clichés. Ms. Hen found it somewhat offensive that a white author is writing about a culture that she does not know personally in such a stereotypical way, like the descriptions of the people in the neighborhood and the things they say and do. Velvet’s mother is a rough woman, who beats her child, and cannot read or write. The way Ginger treats Velvet’s family is racist, and the whole program could be considered racist of bring young people from the inner city to the country to see how the other half lives, and it could make them become depressed about their own situations.

Some things about this novel are positive, however. Ms. Hen liked the way it was written: there are very short chapters told from a first person point of view, from the eyes of the different characters. Most of the book is told through Velvet and Ginger’s perspective, but there are also chapters from Paul and Silvia. Even though Ms. Hen liked the way it was written the voices were not consistent throughout the novel, especially Velvet’s. She is a child, and she makes remarks that a child would not make with her education and life experience. Ms. Hen also liked the descriptions of the horse, and how the horse and Velvet were similar; both needed to find a friend and be rescued.

Though there are some good things about this novel, Ms. Hen thought it was mostly a waste of time. She thought this novel was offensive on many different levels. This novel is over 500 pages, but even so, it zips through, since the chapters are short, which made Ms. Hen happy that it was over fast.

Ms. Hen reviews Ship Fever

Ship Fever

Andrea Barrett

W. W. Norton

1996

Ms. Hen decided to read this collection of short stories because she found it at the Little Free Library in Boston, and she picked it up because she liked the cover. She didn’t realize at the time she found it that she had read another book by this author years ago, THE FORMS OF WATER, which she remembers enjoying.

These short stories are all connected, but they do not contain the same characters and information. All these stories are about history and science, with a little bit of sexiness thrown in to make it interesting. Ms. Hen likes history, but she does not really understand science, even though she admires it, and knows to some people it’s fascinating, and that’s how they spend their spare time. A lot of the characters in these stories are scientists or pursue science.

One of the stories that made Ms. Hen think was, “Rare Bird.” This takes place in the 18^th century, and it’s about a woman who is interested in the behavior of swallows in England. People she knows believe that the swallows can be brought back to life when they appear to be dead. Ms. Hen thinks this story is fascinating because it is not only about science but it’s also about how women were treated in that era. Women weren’t supposed to be passionate about anything except for frivolity, and this character and her friend were outcasts because they wanted to perform science experiments. It made Ms. Hen think that a lot of the world has not changed, and some women still only care for superficial, primal things, and not the pursuit of higher learning.  Ms. Hen is not a hen who would do science experiments for fun, but she is a hen who admires women who do what they want and pursue intellectual stimulation.

The title story, “Ship Fever,” is the longest story in the collection, and Ms. Hen thinks it is the best and most thought provoking. This story is about a young doctor, Laughlin Grant, in Quebec City in the 19^th century during the Irish potato famine. He does not treat a lot of patients in the city; he studied in Paris, and as a result, his methods are more advanced than the New World doctors of that time. He doesn’t believe in bloodletting, and that is a practice that is accepted in that area. His childhood friend, Susannah, has a husband who is a journalist, and he writes about the emigrants traveling from Ireland on ships that are diseased with typhoid. Laughlin goes to Grosse Isle where the emigrants are being treated. Sickness and death are everywhere. Ms. Hen had never read about this before, and it is based on historical fact.

Ms. Hen thinks this story mirrors what is happening today with the migrants coming from the south of the border from the United States. People were treated horribly in the 19^th century who were from Ireland; Canadians and Americans didn’t want them; they thought they were lazy and dirty and useless, much like how the migrants from Central and South America are now are perceived. Ms. Hen knew about this history, but she had never read anything similar to this before. These were her people, even though her ancestors did not come over from the potato famine; they came to the United States shortly after that. It’s been almost two hundred years since then, but the general public seems to have forgotten who the people were that nobody wanted here in the past, who were considered animals and disgusting. People are people and everyone just wants to live a decent life.

This book surprised Ms. Hen. It wasn’t quite like what she usually reads. She doesn’t read a lot about characters who are interested in science, but she enjoyed these stories. There’s more to the world than the sphere in which we live.