Big thanks to the John Barrios and the whole NAILED crew. And drinks on us, many, soon, somewhere, some how. Excerpt? Cool. "To this reader, it feels as though a lesson is learned in every chapter. The narrator may not always understand what he is processing, but the reader has a deep sense of the working of the narrator’s mind. It is a good place to spend an afternoon. Ben Tanzer displays his ability to balance the darker moments of grief with a humble sense of humor. It is not only Tanzer’s sensitive wit, but the timing and delivery of his humor within the structure of the narrative, which helps ensure the impact of the more dramatic moments."
Digging it we are and quite thrilled to be included with such fine company as well. So please do take a look and drinks on us Hettler whenever, and wherever, we next meet. Excerpt? Cool.
"And
I felt it was a true reflection of the chaotic feelings that rush
through you from moment to moment, day to day, when preparing yourself
for the ultimate and unavoidable loss of someone you can't imagine
living without."
Maybe it's the alcohol or the lateness of the day. Or possibly watching Before Midnight and feeling so sad about the state of Jesse and Celine's relationship, normal as it may be. Maybe it's not just the state of their relationship, the fights, the frustration of parenting small children, broken families, work, and dashed hopes, but the fact that they are no longer as young as they once were, and neither are we. Possibly it's that we just spoke with the Rachel Hyman for our most recent podcast and she mentioned that we were just across the street from where she and her first love broke-up. But it's impossible to read Such Phantom and not feel what it's like to have a break-up loom over your life, your ex like a ghost, everywhere you are, and every little thing reminding you of them. Of course relationships gone bad are all about little things. The things that are know longer cute. The repetition of being with one person. The quirks you ignore until you cannot bear to do so any more. And how what once felt so solid slowly falls apart, piece by piece, floating away like the very images Hyman populates her work with, fragments of a life now changed.
