Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

I just finished reading Martha Tod Dudman's book Black Olives. The book is not about food. It follows the thoughts and actions of a woman who, while near the olive section in her grocery store, sees her recently ex boyfriend. She then flees the grocery store, having not spoken to him in 9 months, where she sees his car. In the face of all logic or self-preservation she impulsively gets into the back of his car. The book is less about the current action of the story (he comes out, starts driving, doesn't notice her, drives around, returns home etc) as much as it is a rumination on how the woman, Virginia, got to the point where getting into his car seemed like an okay thing to do...except the book makes her not seem crazy, she is as amazed, astounded and terrified by her actions as the reader is.

It is a break up book. I found it a bit hard to get through. If I read for too long at a time I'd start identifying too much with the character though there were a number of huge differences between us: age, location, duration of relationship etc. This is, of course, the wonderful thing about fiction...you find yourself, occasionally, reading the words and feelings of others and finding them eerily similar to the thoughts in your head that you never say out loud to almost any one. Or that's one of the things I find wonderful about fiction.

I kind of wish that this book had veered more towards the absurd. The premise is good but I don't think it went far enough. It's sad. I think it's supposed to be a bit empowering at the end but, well, I think it's just sad. It is also scary to think that no matter how old you are this shit sucks.