Friday, September 17, 2010

Jenn Ashworth, A Kind of Intimacy *** 1/2

The inside flap tells you everything you need to know about this book. The narrator is a delusional woman who is determined to interpret whatever happens to her in a positive light, despite all evidence to the contrary. Annie is making a new start after "losing" her husband and daughter, and she knows that her new neighbor's friendliness means he is infatuated with her. No matter that he has a live-in girlfriend.

The reader's enjoyment comes from the mismatch between what is obviously going on and Annie's interpretation of it. She is a master at building an alternative narrative with herself at the center. When she hears her neighbor making love to his girlfriend, she knows it means he is getting ready to give her the bad news about leaving her for Annie.

Annie's voice is very entertaining, and frequently funny even though you know this has to end badly. The book runs a bit too long, with repetitive incidents clogging up the middle once you've started to see where the story is going.

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