I initially enjoyed this collection of short stories, but if it wasn’t a required reading for the North Shore public library book club, I wouldn’t have finished it.
I suppose this is modern literature, imbued with the right amount of Gender Studies, updated roles, Trump supporters, and a vapidness at the capitalist society. But I am reminded of painting a room once, being in a hurry, and putting the paint on too thick. I came back to find it had run, streaks of excess marring the new surface. So too Sittenfeld has put the political correctness on too thick.
In ‘The Prairie Wife’ the character Kirsten considers destroying the reputation and fortune of a former lover, Lucy. She knows a secret, and her self righteousness gives her the okay to tear down that hypocrite. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. I would like to see Sittenfeld explore that holier-than-thou aspect, but I felt it was condoned.
There is a sameness to the characters and settings that becomes boring.
Smart characters that veer into cattiness. Such shallow people are everywhere, but I felt the author shared in the bitchiness. I was awed that these characters so easily thought about committing adultery without any thoughts on the pain and suffering it inflicts. That lack of empathy and introspection left me cold.
Sittenfeld has a character say “It’s not that you’re wrong. But when you say stuff like this, it makes life a lot less enjoyable.” She should listen to her better self.