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A review by tyrant_flycatcher
Evening in Paradise by Lucia Berlin
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Reading Berlin has been like finding a stranger who used to live near your town while living abroad, and talking about the things you love and hate about that place. Huilotas, the changes to the hotels in Puerto Vallarta, the peaceful feeling of the Pacific coast. Chatty mozos, people from Guadalajara. Walking on a malecón.
But even if you both know those places and flavors, there are differences in how you interpret them. One of you was raised there, the other merely stayed in the place for some years. You frequented different social circles, had different economic means. You hold differing views of why things operate the way they do and whether they are fair. Maybe one of you never took the time to question such things.
While the places visited and the sights seen form a connection between you two, there is also a barrier that is difficult to explain in words. You are grateful for meeting this person, but you do not become close friends.
___
The stories in this book follow the motto of "write what you know" to a T. Even if the names of the characters change across the book, you can tell that she based most of these stories around certain points of her life. There are certain things you cannot fake when referring to places and people's customs. How much is real and how much is fiction is unclear, but she describes these stories with the subtle hints of someone who has experienced their hurt.
Not every story is a winner, but in general they all have something to say. Specially about the lives of women during those times, and the lingering weights that failed relationships leave with them. However, at the middle of the book a pattern in her writing becomes very apparent. A certain way of ending stories usually after an event that leaves the protagonist with a negative future outlook. Losing a house, a relapse, moving out, a possible divorce. This pattern occurred so often that I have to admit I lost a bit of interest during the last third of the book. The quality was still there, but it lost its shine.
I do not regret reading her. Learning how she experienced the same places I did in her own way. Being a witness to her incredibly tough life, and the lessons it can give. But it will take some time before I want to revisit her work. There are limits on how much you can vary the same sad tune, after all.
But even if you both know those places and flavors, there are differences in how you interpret them. One of you was raised there, the other merely stayed in the place for some years. You frequented different social circles, had different economic means. You hold differing views of why things operate the way they do and whether they are fair. Maybe one of you never took the time to question such things.
While the places visited and the sights seen form a connection between you two, there is also a barrier that is difficult to explain in words. You are grateful for meeting this person, but you do not become close friends.
___
The stories in this book follow the motto of "write what you know" to a T. Even if the names of the characters change across the book, you can tell that she based most of these stories around certain points of her life. There are certain things you cannot fake when referring to places and people's customs. How much is real and how much is fiction is unclear, but she describes these stories with the subtle hints of someone who has experienced their hurt.
Not every story is a winner, but in general they all have something to say. Specially about the lives of women during those times, and the lingering weights that failed relationships leave with them. However, at the middle of the book a pattern in her writing becomes very apparent. A certain way of ending stories usually after an event that leaves the protagonist with a negative future outlook. Losing a house, a relapse, moving out, a possible divorce. This pattern occurred so often that I have to admit I lost a bit of interest during the last third of the book. The quality was still there, but it lost its shine.
I do not regret reading her. Learning how she experienced the same places I did in her own way. Being a witness to her incredibly tough life, and the lessons it can give. But it will take some time before I want to revisit her work. There are limits on how much you can vary the same sad tune, after all.