My New Friend, "MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER," by Oyinkan Braithwaite

 

Me and my new friend, My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Hello. I'm Bobby Keniston, and my only friends are books. You might think this is a call for sympathy, but, the way I see it, books will never call you up unexpectedly and ask you to help clean up after a murder. 

Speaking of such things, my new friend I want to tell you about today is My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. This dark wonder of entertainment is a fascinating debut, and I have no doubt you will find it easy to make friends with it. 

HOW I MET MY NEW FRIEND

My Sister, the Serial Killer came up on a number of different book talks I watched on YouTube. Like most people with a pulse, I found the title more than a little intriguing, so I checked it out of my local library. 

ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

My Sister, the Serial Killer is a darkly comic first-person narrative about a Nigerian nurse named Korede who has a bit of a problem. The problem is not a spoiler, as it is laid out in the title. Korede's younger sister Ayoola is a serial killer. Before she was simply a killer, but 3 is the magic number to get one to the title of "serial killer".  The book begins with Korede helping her sister clean up the mess. I guess it is helpful that Korede is a bit of a cleaning freak. 

Korede feels responsible for taking care of Ayoola, and has since the very beginning. Ayoola is the beautiful one, the one who turns heads, the one their mother believes actually has a chance of being married. Ayoola is also very shallow, uses her looks to get what she wants, and, is a bit of a narcissist sociopath who never takes responsibility for her actions. 

But what can you do? Family is family. 

Korede is in love with a doctor named Tade. It seems the only respite she gets from her sister's shadow is at the hospital, where she works hard, runs a tight ship, but daydreams about Tade and confesses her sister's sins to a coma patient. 

But when Ayoola shows up at the hospital and Tade catches a glimpse of her, he is immediately smitten. This is no surprise to Korede--- people are always smitten with her sister. But how can she let the man she loves date a woman who may end up killing him?

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

Korede is a wonderful narrator, given a complex and believable voice by Braithwaite. More than the dark humor and violence at the core, this book is about a relationship between sisters. Korede is expected to always take care of her sister, the pretty one, the fair one, the one that men love and fawn over. One is immediately sympathetic to Korede. And though she feels this bitterness toward her sister (justifiably so, in my opinion), Braithwaite manages to make the reader believe that Korede will protect Ayoola, even after she kills. 

I love that the chapters are short. It keeps the pages turning, and, like with Vonnegut, each little chapter seems to be a compact, interesting moment that keeps the story building and building. If one is in a reading slump, I think the pace and structure of this book--- along with the fact that it is a quick read--- will help get you out if it. 

I also love the fact that Braithwaite examines the fact that people want to believe there is something deeper in a beautiful person who attracts them. Tade is a nice, sensitive character, but Korede witnesses him fall for his shallow sister. More than this, she sees him attribute more to Ayoola than what is truly a part of her personality. It is a kind of delusion and justification. Ayoola even tells Korede that Tade is no different than any man, and only wants her because she is beautiful. This is a fascinating theme to explore, and one that feels all too true at times in the real world. 

I also love the device of Korede confessing her feelings to a coma patient. It tells us so much about her as a character, and her need to connect with someone, in some way. 

FINAL TAKEAWAYS

Do yourself a favor, and make friends with My Sister, the Serial Killer. It won't take you long to read, and, if you're like me, once you're finished you will be eagerly wondering what Oyinkan Braithwaite will bring us next. 

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

My New Friend, "FLIMSY LITTLE PLASTIC MIRACLES," by Ron Currie, Jr.

 

Me and my new friend, Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles by Ron Currie, Jr., who grew up about an hour from where I live.

Hi. My name is Bobby Keniston, and my only friends are books. But that's okay. To paraphrase my new friend, Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles by Ron Currie, Jr., maybe no man is an island, but I am at least an isthmus. It's clever little lines like this one that make me very glad indeed I have made some new friends by Mr. Currie. But Currie is not only clever, but really working to take a big bite into some of the paramount experiences of being human--- love, grief, guilt, the meaning of truth, and, ultimately, the breaking down of self. And he does all of this with the reputation of being a comic writer. Of course, this makes sense, in actuality. Some of the greatest works of art that plumb the depths of what it means to be human are protected by the candy-coated shell of comedy. A spoonful of sugar, after all, makes the medicine go down, as our favorite British nanny likes to say. 

Only I am not convinced that Ron Currie, Jr. is a comic writer as others say. This is not to suggest that his work is not often funny, because it is. He is often compared to Kurt Vonnegut, though, like Currie himself, I have my doubts that the comparisons are apt. Certainly they both have elements of the satirist. And structure-wise, Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles feels most like a Vonnegut novel, one like Hocus Pocus perhaps, with each section being very short, sometimes even a single sentence, and never longer than a few pages. Still, I must say, I find Currie's writing pushing itself to be as raw as it possibly can, to be right on the edge. But when you're on that edge, it isn't always easy to keep the reader with you. It is a testament to Currie's talent that he can keep bringing you back with moments of deep humanity and poignancy. 

HOW I MET MY NEW FRIEND

As I mentioned in my discussion about my friend God is Dead, (which you can read by HERE),  I first discovered Ron Currie, Jr. because of an interview he did with Carolyn Chute. Since I have been wanting to read more Maine voices (as I am a Maine writer myself), I found three of his books in my local library and checked them out. So now I have made friends with God is Dead, Everything Matters! (which I may write a post about some day), and my newest friend I am discussing here. 

By the way, the interview between Ron Currie, Jr. and Carolyn Chute is pretty cool--- the least pretentious discussion between two authors you will ever hear, I bet. You can check it out on YouTube by CLICKING HERE. 

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles by Ron Currie, Jr., is narrated by a fictionalized Ron Currie, Jr., who, though fictional, has a great deal in common with the Ron Currie, Jr. who wrote the novel. Our narrator, Ron, has gotten back together with his high school sweetheart Emma, who he has never stopped loving, as she is going through a painful divorce. The connect and copulate wildly (and rough), but Emma also needs time to put her life together. Ron, who is a writer, needs to finish a book he is under contract for, so, they decide he should go away to a Caribbean Island where he can write, while Emma works on herself for a while. Once on the island, Ron has major doubts, and Emma grows distant. Between visits from his only friends Dwayne and Hankie, and rough, vicious fights with the locals, Ron feels as though Emma is slipping away from him. Her messages grown scant and, at least to his mind, cold. This makes it easy for him to do a great deal of drinking, and then hooking up with a young woman named Charlotte, who moves in without any real invitation. 

In-between all of this, Ron is clearly still dealing with the immense grief that came with the passing of his father. His father died of lung cancer, and Ron watched as he grew weaker and more dependent, until he was finally gone. This no doubt contributes to his feeling of abandonment from Emma, and his general uncertainty that comes from deep grief. It almost certainly accounts with his obsession on the Singularity, how AI will take over, and perhaps make a world without grief or pain or darkness of any kind (we hear a great deal about the Singularity in the book, and about Ray Kurzweil, who wrote, The Singularity is Near).

This is told in a manner many would call postmodern. It is, as I said before, a series of very short chapters that are non-linear. For example, it is not really much of a spoiler to say that Ron and Emma do not end up together, as he tells us this very early in the book (which somehow doesn't make it any less sad when they don't). And the book jacket describes how one of the major thrusts of the book is Currie faking his own death (in his defense, he wasn't trying to fake it), even though that doesn't really come into the story until more than halfway through the book. It is from here that Currie delves into the theme of deeper truths that can come from made up stories than from facts, in what appears to be a reaction to the hoopla surrounding James Frey and A Million Little Pieces.

The jumping around in a non-linear fashion actually makes the book more accessible in my opinion. It is like Bukowski in a meat grinder with Vonnegut and some Wallace, maybe even a dash of Bret Easton Ellis from Lunar Park.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

Ron Currie, Jr. is a terrific writer, and I like how the structure and form of the book. Currie has a great deal to say, and he doesn't mind throwing unpleasantness at the reader. He asks difficult questions without being brazen enough to suggest he has the answers. Sometimes the excesses can feel like they are too much, but by the very humanistic and poignant wrap up, I began to wonder if the excesses are what make ending not only possible, but also so powerful. 

NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH

Like his other work I have read, Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles is not for the faint of heart and squeamish. There are several depictions of violence, and some very rough (but completely consensual) sex. 

FINAL TAKEAWAY

I am happy I discovered Ron Currie, Jr. and his work. It sticks to my bones and makes me think. It is not always easy, but literature is not supposed to always be easy. Or nice. I think he is a writer who deserves a wide readership. 

And I'm not just saying that because he is a fellow Mainer. 

Oh, and the title? It refers to nicotine patches. 

Thanks for reading my blog about my new friend. Come on back next time when I talk about a new friend, and please feel free to comment below with recommendations! 

My New Friend, "THE WOMAN IN THE PURPLE SKIRT," by Natsuko Imamura, translated from the Japanese by Lucy North

 

Me with my new friend, The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura, translated from the Japanese by Lucy North

Hello. My name is Bobby Keniston, and books are my only friends. Before you start feeling bad for me about this, keep in mind that there are more books in the world than any of us could need in a lifetime, so... that makes me popular? Right? Right???

Or maybe I'm as invisible as I sometimes fear. Which leads me to today's new friend, The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura, translated from the Japanese by Lucy North. The Woman in the Purple Skirt is all about feeling invisible, and turning that invisibility into obsession toward one who is far more visible than you--- like a woman in the neighborhood who wears a purple skirt and seems to fascinate everyone she meets. She certainly fascinates our narrator, the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan. 

HOW I MET MY NEW FRIEND

Like most people, I like to learn about other parts of the world. I realized I hadn't nearly enough books from all over the globe. I have been particularly interested in reading more Japanese literature. So went on YouTube and found a BookTuber with a channel called Books and Bao, who had a wonderful video recommending  "30 Must-Read Japanese Books in Translation," which you can watch yourself by CLICKING HERE.  The Woman in the Purple Skirt was on the list, and, much to my delight, was carried by hometown library, the Thompson Free. 

Libraries are a great place to find new friends, wouldn't you agree?

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

Okay, so this is where things get a little difficult. The joy in reading this book is from the Imamura's brilliant creation of our narrator. This is not a plot-heavy book, but the things that do happen in the last third or so, are really big, and I would never dream of spoiling them. I can describe my new friend a little bit, but don't be surprised if I don't do it justice, because it might seem simple. But I assure you that it is anything but simple. 

The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan (which is how she likes to think of herself, though she does have a name we learn later on) watches the Woman in the Purple Skirt (who also has a name). Watches her go to the bakery and pick up a pastry, watches her go to the park and sit on HER BENCH, watches her eat the pastry. Watches her read the want ads in the paper. Watches her go home. Watches her go from job to job. Watches as the kids in the park, who seem just as fascinated by the Woman in the Purple Skirt as our narrator is, play games to decide who has to run up and tap her. 

Our narrator does all this watching, and is invisible. No one seems to ever see The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan. 

The major thrust of the book comes when our narrator, through a few little tricks, gets the Woman in the Purple Skirt to apply for  job cleaning a hotel, the same hotel where our narrator works. The Woman in the Purple Skirt gets the job, becomes very popular, all while our narrator watches, unable even now to introduce herself. 

This is about as comfortable as I am giving away plot points. Too much of the joy comes in discovering what happens next. But I can say that this is a stark portrait of obsession and loneliness. 

MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

I love the language. The simple, understated nature of how our narrator tells the story. What one realizes after awhile is that what makes the book so readable yet unsettling as well, is the ability Imamura has to make the narrator both relatable but completely unrelatable, too. We follow her as she follows The Woman in the Purple Skirt. And quickly learn that our narrator sees nothing at all unusual about her obsession. Nothing at all unusual about her stalking behavior. After all, how bad can it be if she, herself, is invisible to everyone?

Imamura's writing is addictive, and this is a short novel that could most likely be read in one sitting. Big credit to Lucy North's translation, as well, for capturing the spirit here. 

FAVORITE SCENES

It's hard to choose, but here are few:

There is a moment after the kids in the park have been playing with The Woman in the Purple Skirt, and they all share an apple. Once they are gone, our narrator goes to the bench, where an orange has been left behind, and bites into it viciously, through the peel, and continues to bite and bite. 

There is another moment, which made me laugh out loud, when our narrator, the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan, steals a pair of sunglasses. I will not describe the scenario any further. But it was terrific. 

FINAL TAKEAWAY

I had a blast reading this book, and it has stuck in my mind, too. One can't help but think of the chorus of "Eleanor Rigby", or a movie like One Hour Photo, other media that explores loneliness. But The Woman in the Purple Skirt feels special, perhaps because of Imamura's light, skillful touch. 

It definitely got in my head. 

Thanks for checking out my thoughts on my new friend, The Woman in the Purple Skirt. I definitely recommend you all making friends with her, too. 

See you next time, as soon as I make a new friend. 

My New Friend "GOD IS DEAD" by Ron Currie, Jr.

 

A photo of me and my new friend. I met my new friend at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine

Hi everybody. My name is Bobby Keniston. My only friends are books. But don't feel sad for me--- after all, a book has never called me up at 2 in the morning wanting to talk about something bad that has happened in their life, causing me to feign interest and empathy while my eyelids keep wanting to close. So... there's that. 

Today, I am going to introduce you to my new friend, "God is Dead" by Ron Currie, Jr. 

QUICK DISCLAIMER

I realize the title alone will activate the blasphemy radar for certain readers. These readers will not even want to go past the cover or title page, and probably shouldn't. While there is challenging content within the book, I would not consider it blasphemous or immoral or anything of the sort. But then, I like to read critically and think about what I've read, and am not the type of person to hide my narrow-minded world view and prejudice behind an appearance of morality and righteousness. That's just me. If you are that type of reader, you may want to skip this post altogether. 

HOW I MET MY NEW FRIEND

For the many, many readers who have been following along with my posts (is there anybody out there?), you know that I have been trying to discover more Maine authors. One of those authors has been Carolyn Chute, and when I did a search about her, I found a YouTube video of Ron Currie, Jr. interviewing her about her latest book, "The Recipe for Revolution" for the Portland Public Library. You can actually watch the video if you like by CLICKING HERE--- it's a long interview, but worth it. It may be the least pretentious interview between two authors you will ever see. This is what piqued my curiosity about Mr. Currie and his work. 

In full disclosure, I read Mr. Currie's first novel "Everything Matters!" before I read "God is Dead," which is his debut book, though a collection of thematically-linked short stories and not a novel. I may write about my friend "Everything Matters!" in a different post. 

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

As I mentioned above, "God is Dead" is a collection of short stories, starting with the title story in which God comes to Earth as a Dinka woman in the North Darfur region of Sudan. God has come, it seems, to apologize to humanity, but can do very little except sympathize and provide endless amounts of sorghum. God runs into Colin Powell, who, in the world of the story, has come back into contact with his childhood and the racism he faced, and it has made him a "foul-mouthed race warrior" as Lydia Millet said in her blurb for the book. Indeed, Mr. Powell practicing his best Samuel L. Jackson glare is a moment that made me laugh at loud, which I don't do too often when reading. 

In any case, God, while in this human form, dies, and is subsequently eaten by a pack of feral dogs, who have no idea that they are eating the "Creator", and it gives them a strange consciousness, though this  isn't fully revealed until later in the book, the sixth story, titled "Interview with the Last Remaining Member of the Feral Dog Pack Which Fed on God's Corpse", which, despite a title that will turn off readers I mentioned in the disclaimer above, is actually a fascinating tale about meaning and existence, through the eyes of a changed feral dog, who, for all its consciousness, is not deified. 

Indeed, every story after the first is an examination of how our society would change if we had distinct and definite proof that God had somehow died. Suicides for the clergy sky rocket. There is a mass panic for a time. New idols (including children) are put in place to fill the need to worship. New philosophies, the Postmodern Anthropologists and the Evolutionary Psychologists, form, indoctrinate, create zealots and war on each other (these names were another deep chuckle--- I laughed out loud when a popular country song, "Proud to be a PoMO" is played at a parade). 

Basically, the world changes completely, but not really at all. People simply scramble to look for meaning. 

Which is funny. 

But really sad. 

FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

There are three stories that connect into one big story:  "False Idols," "The Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit" and "Retreat". It was nice to follow these characters. 

I also like how Ron Currie's theme here, and in "Everything Matters!' is how meaning can exist if we make it so. We often try too hard, or depend on outward forces, real and imagined. But Currie seems to be telling us that we don't need to do this. There's plenty of meaning within if we just look for it in the simplest of terms. 

FUN FACT

When my new friend was first released, many compared its author to Vonnegut. Mr. Currie himself has said that he doesn't find the comparison an apt one. Neither do I. 

FINAL TAKEAWAY

I recommend it for those who want to think about our world and its quest for meaning. Be prepared--- despite some humor, it can be a big downer and isn't for those squeamish about dark comedy. 

Thanks for reading my thoughts on my new friend and its author, Ron Currie, Jr. 

Come on back to hear me talk about a new friend...