It's Gone

[evilmomlady]

I was recently persuaded to buy a book (A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka) by the excellent reviews it had received, coupled with the following accolades (amongst others) on its cover: "Winner of the SAGA Award for Wit 2005", "'Extremely funny' The Times", "Winner of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction

Comments

[sesquipedality]

I've not read the book, but I wanted to say that's a nice icon.

[evilmomlady]

Thank you, I do feel rather pleased with it.

[acoolsecretary]

I read "The Bridges of Madison County" when it first came out and didn't get "it." Coming out of a relationship, at the time, was probably why. I still don't get "it."

I haven't read the book. But I think it is all about perspection and where you are at any given moment. Sometimes we just get stuck on the sad parts of anything. I find myself there quite often this whole past year.

[bobbylevi]

Let's hope your sense of humour is merely mislaid or being a bit fussy.

[emschin]

I haven't read it, or seen it reviewed. The title intrigues me, tho. In your opinion, is that the best thing about the book?

Where you are in life has so much to do with how things seem. Years ago my youngest daughter was in a car accident. Her arm was virtually torn off at the shoulder and lots of it ground up.
They reattached and transferred skin from her thigh, but it was a long and distressful time. AT THE SAME TIME, there was a criminal in Milwaukee who had lured young boys up to his room and killed them. He ATE part of at least one.

People around here, and I think on TV, coped by making numerous macabre jokes about it. THEY WERE NOT FUNNY TO ME! My darling's
arm muscle was destroyed and I couldn't laugh at some joke about Jeffrey Dahmer eating someone else's.

[evilmomlady]

It is an intriguing title, and no, it isn't the best thing about the book at all. It is actually a good book and certainly worth reading. The problem I have with it, is that the subject matter is not what comical novels are usually based on, and it certainly isn't comical to me. I wonder what the author thinks of it, and if she wrote it as a comical novel.

I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter's arm. It must have been truly dreadful for her, you and the rest of your family. I can't understand why people make jokes about the macabre. It's just too awfull. They're just too insensitive to consider how the people who are affected might feel.

How is your daughter's arm now, and how does she cope with life?

[emschin]

The recovery was better than we could have hoped. They were about ready to amputate when the plastic surgeon said since she had feeling in her fingers and could move them, he wanted to try to save the arm. And he did. The orthopod was sure she wouldn't be able to use it much because he, personally had taken out most of her bicep. I don't know how it happened, but she worked very hard at rehab and had excellent care.

After nine months she went back to work as a waitress and could pick up a heavy soup pot or pour a full pot of coffee with that arm. It is quite disfigured and gives her discomfort in some weather, but she always wears sleeves to her elbow and is quite brave.

I am so grateful that the best hospital in the state was only half an hour away.

[evilmomlady]

How fortunate that the surgeon decided to try and save the arm. I'm very glad that she was able to regain the use of her arm.

[yeoww]

I haven't read it. I am someone who often finds movies and books that others rave about too violent or otherwise upsetting.

What night was it - Monday, maybe? One TV station had a legal drama about a 4-year old being kidnapped by a pedophile, another station ran a crime drama about a 12-year old boy getting badly beaten, and a third staiton was airing a program about a psychic who gets upsetting dreams. These are all hit shows. No, thanks.

[evilmomlady]

What is the matter with people? I just don't understand it.