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A review by jmcphers
The Convalescent by Jessica Anthony
3.0
This book is published by McSweeney's, a publisher known for their ability to find quirky talent and fearlessly publish even the truly bizarre. This book falls squarely in their fold: a sprawling, surreal Hungarian history mixed with the minutiae of the life of a hairy little man selling meat out of a bus. It's not the sort of premise that makes the average reader think "Heavens, how fascinating!" However, I am a sucker for quirky stories and this one quickly drew me in.
Anthony's writing is peppered with wonderful details and the prose--most of it written from the perspective of Rovar, the main character--is delightful and occasionally funny. We get to see his tiny little world repeatedly contrasted with the thousands of years of epic history that lead to his presence. About halfway through, we get very tired of him talking about the ailments and ugliness and malaise that plauge the Pfleigmans, but we will have no relief from this tirade.
The story holds a lot of promise, and Anthony is very good at creating awkwardly hilarious situations. It's not too much of a spoiler to say that you will learn some Sad Facts while reading this book, melancholy nuggets that the author tosses out casually that will make you think about things that have already happened much differently. Sometimes you will feel sorry for Rovar, and sometimes you won't like him very much. He's such an interesting character that he makes up for many of the book's shortcomings despite his whining.
I can't say that this book exceeded my expectations, but it met them solidly. Anthony is a talent and I bet she's got some great stuff coming.
Anthony's writing is peppered with wonderful details and the prose--most of it written from the perspective of Rovar, the main character--is delightful and occasionally funny. We get to see his tiny little world repeatedly contrasted with the thousands of years of epic history that lead to his presence. About halfway through, we get very tired of him talking about the ailments and ugliness and malaise that plauge the Pfleigmans, but we will have no relief from this tirade.
The story holds a lot of promise, and Anthony is very good at creating awkwardly hilarious situations. It's not too much of a spoiler to say that you will learn some Sad Facts while reading this book, melancholy nuggets that the author tosses out casually that will make you think about things that have already happened much differently. Sometimes you will feel sorry for Rovar, and sometimes you won't like him very much. He's such an interesting character that he makes up for many of the book's shortcomings despite his whining.
I can't say that this book exceeded my expectations, but it met them solidly. Anthony is a talent and I bet she's got some great stuff coming.