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trumanchipotle 's review for:
The Leftovers
by Tom Perrotta
I've never watched the show, but the book version of The Leftovers is the best exploration I've ever read of society's collective grief and the surreal malaise following 9/11 (despite 9/11 having nothing to do with the plot). Not a whole lot of action, but still a masterful character journey through the collective psyche of a society grappling with unimaginable loss.
Jill's experience particularly resonated with me given that the Sudden Departure happened five days after she started high school, whereas 9/11 happened two weeks after I started high school. The parallel drew me into the narrative in a way I hadn't anticipated, making Jill's journey and self-destructive coping mechanisms particularly poignant.
For such a heavy subject, there's a lot of comedy – Perrotta's musings about the monotony of city council meetings (including borderline-surreal public comment periods) made me laugh out loud. That being said, I almost DNF'd over the suggestion that "there's something pathetic about watching It's A Wonderful Life by yourself," which is one of my favorite holiday traditions (and no I am NOT owned thank you very much).
Despite this minor grievance, I'm glad I stuck with it. It's a compelling dive into the chaos of loss and the human capacity to find meaning in the aftermath – highly recommend for those ready to confront the messy, beautiful paradox of grieving and living.
Jill's experience particularly resonated with me given that the Sudden Departure happened five days after she started high school, whereas 9/11 happened two weeks after I started high school. The parallel drew me into the narrative in a way I hadn't anticipated, making Jill's journey and self-destructive coping mechanisms particularly poignant.
For such a heavy subject, there's a lot of comedy – Perrotta's musings about the monotony of city council meetings (including borderline-surreal public comment periods) made me laugh out loud. That being said, I almost DNF'd over the suggestion that "there's something pathetic about watching It's A Wonderful Life by yourself," which is one of my favorite holiday traditions (and no I am NOT owned thank you very much).
Despite this minor grievance, I'm glad I stuck with it. It's a compelling dive into the chaos of loss and the human capacity to find meaning in the aftermath – highly recommend for those ready to confront the messy, beautiful paradox of grieving and living.