Nellcott Is My Darling [Paperback]

Golda Fried (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 19, 2001

Alice Charles has just moved to Montreal to go to McGill University. She’s never had a boyfriend and doesn’t know how to do laundry. She joins the Film Society and hangs out in the library. She drifts away from boring Bethany, her best friend from high school, and starts to trail after Allegra, the caffeine-addicted, dish-throwing artist in the dorm room next to hers. And, most of all, she thinks about how she’s still a virgin and how she’ll never figure it all out.

And then she meets Nellcott Ragland, a 23-year-old who works at Basement Records and wears black eyeliner, and he asks her on a date.

Alice tries to hide out in the Film Society office. She spies on Nellcott at the record store. She gets advice from Walker, her filmmaking, womanizing friend from Toronto. But sooner or later her parents are going to visit and watch her cry. She won’t admit it to them, but Nellcott has become her darling.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Golda Fried grew up in Toronto and then went to university in Montreal where she wrote poetry and was involved in spoken-word events like the Lollapalooza festival in 1994. Her collection of stories, Darkness Then a Blown Kiss, was published in 1998 and was listed as one of the ten best books of the year by NOW Magazine. She has been teaching freshman composition for the last three years in Greensboro, North Carolina. Visit Golda’s website at www.goldafried.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Coach House Books; 1 edition (May 19, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552451518
• ISBN-13: 978-1552451519
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,336,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonky, wispy, and wonderful., August 6, 2005

By 

Justin James Morgan "Mook Baven" (Barstow, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nellcott Is My Darling (Paperback)

Who knew that such dreamy decsriptions of love, longing, and life could be so achingly accurate. Golda Fried writes from the corners of her heart.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An edgy read, November 13, 2005

By 

Dena Harris (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nellcott Is My Darling (Paperback)

I love reading books like this because they make me think I'm part of some cool, hip crowd that "gets" these books. Fried writes in minimalist terms, yet that doesn't keep both the story and characters from having a whallop of an impact. I found myself thinking about Alice for weeks after I'd finished the book--replaying some of the scenes and dialogue in my mind. "Nellcott is My Darling" is up for a major book award in Canada and after reading it, it's easy to see why. This is a gifted author and I look forward to reading her next novel.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My new favorite author, August 6, 2005

By 

donnadune (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nellcott Is My Darling (Paperback)

Golda is so funny and deep at the same time. Her metaphors are wonderful...."'Stay away from boys, her dad said. They will only rape you and leave you with nothing.' Her parents looked back and forth at each other and then at Alice. Alice felt like running, like calling Nellcot, but he would somehow find out where they were and show up at their table like a spilt drink."

As I read the book, I felt each scene as if I were in it myself...."Allegra yanked Alice to the women's bathroom. Their trips to the bathroom were becoming familiar. Allegra spent ten minutes putting on her deep raspberry-bruise lipstick and then kissed Alice on the cheek, making Alice feel like a substitute tissue."

The truth about how confusing relationships can be is easily understood in this charming story....
"'Why don't you ever call me?' he asked her.
'You usually call me. You don't even have an answering machine if I did call you.'
'You could call me at work.'
'But you're working.'
'French girls are much more aggressive.'
'What does that mean?'
'It means, I guess we're going to have to practice this. I'm going to go home now and you're going back to your dorm and you are going to call me.'
'Will you answer?'
"We'll have to see.' He went home.

And I have felt just like this many times...but Golda Fried put it in such original terms......
"'I don't need another guy or anyone else telling me what to do. What do you tell people about me? Does he know I'm a virgin too?'
'Um'.
'God, Nellcot, Lovers should not bring their love to the light.'
'We aren't lovers.'
Ouch. A pigeon flew into a sordid cloud and her hair was violent on her face and if she had been chewing gum, it would have gotten caught in her hair."

The fact that I just want to quote the book in this review makes me realize it's like me saying...." Listen to this!....Isn't this great?" I read the book right through to find out how it ended. I was surprised in the end though and want to read the book again, this time savoring the very unique creative writing style of Golda Fried, my new favorite author. I hope she is working on her next book. I hope you who are reading this will have the rare pleasure of reading this book too.