The Joy of Funerals
The Joy of Funerals
The Joy of Funerals
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Description
Description
In "Recovering Larry," a woman mourns for her dead husband by having sex with grieving men. In "Shrinking Away," a woman pays a daring shiva call on her psychiatrist's widow. "Swimming Without Annette" explores a woman's obsession with her dead wife's killer, while "Still Life" peers into the life of a pregnant artist who wishes to paint herself out of a bad marriage and into a prettier world. In "Post-Dated," a single woman wonders if her recently defunct date was perhaps the perfect man.
Read independently, these vivid and raw stories stand on their own. When read as a collection, they are anchored together by the novella, The Joy of Funerals, which follows the life of Nina, a single thirty-something woman who attends the funerals of the deceased characters in the previous stories.
Written with raw wit, mordant humor and a unique voice, Strauss explores our basic need for human connection while trying to answer the penetrating questions, 'where do I belong' and the 'how do I fit in.' The Joy of Funerals is a smart, vivid, and arresting look into the inner world of those left behind, and those still holding on.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"Part "Six Feet Under," part "Sex and the City," The Joy of Funerals holds our attention from page to page, and to Strauss's credit, manages to take us beyond this skittishness and into empathy for the characters." Los Angeles Times
"An evocative novel in stories with interconnected characters who are recognizably human. The Joy of Funerals is decidedly about the here and now." The Wall Street Journal
"A collection of short stories that will both captivate and disturb you. Marie Claire
"The desire for human connection runs throughout this dark and spirited novel." Vanity Fair
"Die-hard fans of "Six Feet Under" will go crazy for this kooky collection. Each tale is so strange and twisted, you can't help but keep turning the pages." Cosmopolitan
"This dark and surprisingly buoyant novel examines the fascination people have with death as a way to find love and connection." Glamour
"Strauss is a sharp-eyed accountant of the fleeting moments that wound us - and these single girls would make for great company at a wake." Elle
"Alix Strauss is a truly gifted writer. The Joy of Funerals is a moving, funny and painfully honest book!" Molly Jong-Fast, author of Normal Girl
"Death has never been so sexy-or so funny, entertaining, surprising, and yes, occasionally even sad. Alix Strauss has an enormous talent for bringing characters to life, and for finding the heart and light in even the darkest tale. The Joy of Funerals is a rollicking read that will make you glad you're alive." - Pamela Redmond Satran, author of The Man I Should Have Married
"This honest, dark, sly book does reading the Obits one better. It dares us to admit to ourselves that there is a peculiar kind of comfort born in the wake of a death, a universal communion that serves to remind us that we, in fact, are still alive." Cynthia Kaplan, author of Why I'm Like This
"Don't miss this darkly comic novel about funerals, sex and loss... The Joy of Funerals is original and moving." Libby Schmais, author of The Perfect Elizabeth
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
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