Past Perfect

Rating:
Summary: Telling, not showing
Review: This is one of the few books I simply could not finish. It opens with the nominal point-of-view of Elizabeth, who tells us she is lonely, tells us she is withdrawn, and tells us she pretends interest to the things she used to care deeply about.

I wish I could say that the stilted recital was meant to artistically mirror Elizabeth's frozen state after an unexpected break-up, but things simply don't get any better. For the full half of the book I endured the flat narrative, Elizabeth related all the things we needed to know to understand every situtation she confronted, ruining all sense of mystery for the reader. It's not badly written--unlike some writers, Stelboum knows her mechanics. I just couldn't connect with Elizabeth.