An Unsual Novel, Whose Brevity Is An Asset!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                 I am not saying I would have been unhappy, had "Crudo" been longer, but it brought something to my attention.  When a novel emphasizes structure over narrative, it should be short.

                                                   Now, a question to my female readers--have any of you heard of a post-feminist author named Kathy Acker?  The name meant nothing to me, and the book is written with minimalist punctuation--no quotations of authors, no quotes in dialogue.

                                                     Consequently, there is a lot of Kathy Acker in this book.  But the only way to find out where, is to consult the source list at the end.  Not to mention the narrator's name is Kathy, and she incorporates a lot of Acker's experiences as hers--working as a pole dancer, and porn actress, and having had a double mastectomy.

                                                        The narrative is confusing--who is the real Kathy, here?--but the writer's observations on the times around her--ours--are fascinating and illuminating. This novel really hits it stride when it goes into essay mode.

                                                            Which brings me to another book, which faces me with a dilemma.  That book is "Duck, Newburyport," by Lucy Ellman.  It is a thousand page plus, single sentence narrative of the day in the life of a contemporary woman.  Of courses, it faces me as a challenge, especially as it is getting all kinds of literary intention.

                                                               For those hovering on the fence, as to reading this, or who have eliminated it altogether,  I say to them, read "Crudo" instead.

                                                               Structurally, it does similar things as "Duck, Newburyport," but with less of a demand on one's time.

                                                                 And it commands more of one's attention.