Customer Reviews

What She Left Me: Stories and a Novella (Bakeless Prize)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read some wonderful reviews of this book, and I purchased it with high hopes. Though I found several of the stories (specifically, the titular work, What She left Me) to be interesting and provocative, I was disappointed with the book as a whole. It was very uneven, and for every high point there were long sections full of dull, predictable prose. All in all, an uninspiring, if occasionally rewarding, collection.

For short story aficionados this is an excellent collection. The stories are rich in detail, seamlessly written, and completely engrossing as far as this reader is concerned. The final story, "God of Gods," is masterful.

This collection of stories combines uncommon craft with uncommon insight. The opening of the title story reminds me of one of Janet Fish's remarkable paintings of glassware. That is, while you might think the topic is glassware--or bar ware--the topic is really the light (of the protagonist) bending, twisting, transforming, and still shining through.

When I read the glowing _Publishers Weekly_ review of Doenges' prize-winning collection of stories and a novella about "diverse characters in hard times" who she writes about "with an engaging tenderness and a succor of edgy humor," I knew I had to get the book. I did and was pleased to discover it is *brilliant*. Nine stories about people sometimes on the edge, often gay and lesbian people trying to cope with a hostile world, are complemented by a novella that is poignant and rivetting (about a gay butcher in Chicago in the early 70s). My three favorite stories are the title story, "What She Left Me," about a woman whose unravelling follows the course of her mother's dying from cancer (as they both come to terms with their alcoholism); "Incognito," a sad and funny story about an inexperienced lesbian trying to make it on the Chicago dating scene; and "MIB," a great story that is probably my all-round favorite, about two childhood friends who grew up gay in some suffocating suburbs near Chicago and who reunite as adults (sort of) at an AIDs action. Finally, as _Publishers Weekly_ says, the ending novella is great. They called it "a moving meditation" on the life of a six-foot-six butcher in a Chicago supermarket. I really liked the way Odin Tollefson's coming-out as a gay man is connected to the racial upheavals of his time, and the way his own gayness helps him understand the mechanics of prejudice as well as the complications of illicit desires. In sum, I love all of Doenges' compelling tales, and they absolutely lived up to the praise they've been receiving from judge Richard Bausch, The New York Times Book Review, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly. Judy Doenges' work has moved me as no lesbian writer since Sarah Schulman has done.

While I too loved the highlight stories listed in other reviews, I found "Whole Numbers of Families" and "Crooks" to be strong as well. In a way her stories remind me of the writer Marisa Silver's portrayals of life in L.A., in that Doenges creates a landscape of hidden lives in modern America, often with glimpses of Chicago. Odin is a great character; all of her main characters are believable and intimately atriculated. I hope she writes more; as a 20 year old queer person I was really happy to find this book. Doenges takes the time to make her people complicated but really gay, telling stories that are just plain interesting. If you are Doenges and you are reading this, thanks for making these characters and talking about these lives. Even if they are slant lives, they are important. It's also nice to feel like you're not alone, reading them.

Judy Doenges is a masterful writer! Her work is filled with emotion and very convincing. I especially like the story "MIB"--it is one of the most poignant stories I have ever read. "What She Left Me" is a wonderful book--richly detailed and highly intelligent. It definitely deserves its rave review in the New York Times!