When I read about a book twice in one day – and both times think it looks worthwhile – that’s usually a sign that it would make a good blog topic. Most recently, it was Him Her Him Again The End of Him by Patricia Marx. I read good reviews of it in Entertainment Weekly and on one of my favorite book blogs on the same day, and that happy coincidence has landed it in the EDIWTB blog.
Entertainment Weekly says:
The plot – a grad-school dropout obessed with an unworthy wife-cheater – might incline you to roll your chick-lit-weary eyes. But Marx’s lively novel is full of refreshing characters, including parents who write comedy sketches about Belarus, Stephen Hawking’s suicidal assistant, and said unworthy lech, who uses words like soupcon and anon. But the highlight is the unnamed heroine, endearingly neurotic and whip-smart. ‘I hope you’re not getting fed up with me, because, as it happens, I think I’m beginning to like you more and more,’ she tells the reader. Fed up? Never. A-.
And from Clipped Wings in Kitty Hawk:
Patricia Marx is a former SNL writer, has written for all sorts of periodicals, like the New Yorker, and currently teaches scketch comedy at NYU. SO…you can imagine what we might be dealing with here. No? Ok, I’ll tell you. Absolutely, neurotically hysterical, laugh out loud funny. I had to make sure noone was in the store when was I reading to make sure I didn’t embarrass myself by laughing so hard I snorted.
Our narrator (who I’m pretty sure was never named) is a obssessed with Eugene, a philosophy teaching narcissist. They meet at Cambridge and fall, well, into bed together. The whole while, Eugene leads our narrator on while pursuing another woman. And continues to lead her on while getting engaged, married, having a baby….Our narrator is of course to blame for not getting it.
Anyway, this obssession continues for 10 years, while our narrator struggles through dropping out of PhD school, losing numerous jobs in NYC and running through many men. Ultimately, she finds out the real Eugene and well…I’ll leave you to find out.
This book is funny, witty (although sometimes, too witty) and smart. I recommend it, although, not while drinking caffeine, the writing is all the buzz you need.
Here is another glowing review from the International Herald Tribune.
My husband tells me that all of the books I read are depressing – maybe I should pick this one up next.