Book Marginalia is a new feature on Gasp. I started it so I could explore genres that I normally wouldn't cover. It is not meant to be a complete review; rather it is more like my personal notebook.
66 Laps, a novel
by Leslie Lehr Spirson
2000, Villard/Random House, page 214
How I received the book: I found it. Literally.
What attracted me: I thought it was Chick Lit. Since I don't read that genre, I read it to expand my horizons.
Plotline: Suburban mother has an affair as revenge against husband. Bad things happen. Dostoevsky meets Chick Lit.
Structure: Standard. Status quo ---> Suspicion ---> Action ---> More Action ---> Climax ---> Ending.
Writing style: Curiously, there were wisps of poetry in the book. A cut above what I would expect from the genre. She also does that "shocking first sentence which stands alone in a paragraph" thing which feels a bit 90s-ish to me. But the book was published in 2000, so I can't complain.
Comment: When I detailed the plotline to Jethro - including the ending - he asked if was diving into my pulp fiction collection again. The ending was that tough.
Analysis: As well, the book points out that there's a huge chasm between the lives of men and women. Men can grow old gracefully, women can't. Men can have affairs, and women can't. A passage in the book reflects the idea that a male perspective is the norm, according to a sociologist. That kind of thing. Main character indulges in the stereotype and then complains about it as well.
Length of time to read the book: One sitting. About the time it took Auburn Tigers to lose to Mississippi State in a football game.
About the Author: This book won the 1998 Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society Gold Medal for Best Novella. Also, she wrote the script to "Heartless," which was shown on the USA Network. 66 Laps was her first book. She's written a few other nonfiction books about parenting.
Criticism: I wasn't the intended audience for this book since I tend to be an asexual reader. I don't think about a "female perspective" when I read. For the most part, I've grown out of those limiting "male v. female" beliefs as well. So readers who want to ponder that Chinese finger puzzle would enjoy this book. The pulp fiction elements make it fun. I'd be interested to read her next book, just to see if she's gone beyond her comfort zone.
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