another marvellous thing
girl! this book is about very very little. a pretty boring affair.
THANK YOU! Yay yay I found another one!! When I find another romantically inclined, artsy, whimsical, city-loving (optional) silly, smart author, who’s also precise and cutting, and a little bit catty, I dance!
Rarely groundbreaking these books, rarely unique. But always always funny and thinky and oh so kind.
Reading this book I felt captured and gotten and understood and maybe that’s because I’m simply like everyone else and I’m ordinary. But that is just what I want to be! And Colwin knows it. “You’re just the common garden variety”. That’s what the midwife tells Billy when she starts anxiously unravelling at the hospital. I want to be told that every day.
How did the ending of this book become about anxiety. I don’t know. It starts out as a bit of a romp. Just an affair! The power of Laurie Colwin. I guess it was always a story about anxiety. And it was always a story about being a woman. Unnoticeable.
Poor cold Billy. People think you’re un-fussed and put together because every other character in life has had a perspective-view chapter. Frank, the mysterious 3rd person… but never you Billy! And so quickly it all comes crumbling down and you’re an anxious wreck and everyone’s shook – except you – you saw it coming, you see it all coming even bad things that probably won’t happen.
I like your writing style Laurie!
A Post Script for those engaging in Babitz Dideon discourse (whether to impose an opinion or impose disdain for the subject) : Colwin might be a little refreshing respite from the trash talk.
Her answer is sympathetic:
Being unique is exceptional and small and anxious. Being ordinary is homely and big and dramatic.
And so, being Joan is prestigious, being Babitz is sweet.
Maybe?
Idk… I just – I’ve sampled Anolik’s take, I’ve heard the podcasts, I’ve seen the tweets: Let the girls have fun!