Stuart Dybek’s We
Didn’t is an uncomfortable read. It starts off with a Green Eggs and Ham like list of all the places they didn’t. It
takes a second to realize what they didn’t do, that is each other. Then it goes
into some graphic detail about the first time they have/attempt to have sex.
Reading it made me feel very uncomfortable, like noticing a neighbor didn’t
close their bedroom blinds before bedtime and you can see everything their
doing. It sounds so private and intimate, and yet its being described and
remembered in perfect detail for the audience. I’m not saying it’s bad, or that
this shouldn’t be in stories, but it did elicit a powerful emotional response
from me, namely awkwardness at being a part of this intimate act between lovers.
I find it interesting when the story takes a sharp turn from
a romantic night on the beach to a ‘murder’ mystery from the point of view of a
bystander. It is a point of view that is rarely explored, cops, victims, loved
ones, even the murderers themselves have countless stories from their
perspective. It seems rare though, that anyone care about the people on the
beach that see the body when it’s discovered. The people with no connection to
the victim, and thus have to guess what happened. That story alone would be interesting,
but having it mixed into a graphic love story between two teenagers makes it
truly a unique and intriguing read.
Good observation of the use of listing as a technique, and the echo of Dr Seuss' classic, which I didn't hear until now. Yes, this is a story about the bystanders, but it is not the story of the drowned woman; she is peripheral (though she plays a significant role) to the failed love story in which the narrator and Gin are the main characters. I'll be curious to hear why you found this uncomfortably graphic.
ReplyDeleteProofread before you publish (they're, not their; it's, not its).