Conversation Hearts [Hardcover]

Everybody's had conversation hearts -- those little hard chalky candies they put out around Valentine's day. Zero nutrition, not much taste.

And sadly such is the case with John Crowley's "Conversation Hearts," a short story straining to pull itself out to novella length. Crowley's vivid writing pops up during the "real life" portion of the novel, but it never really goes anywhere or has much in the way of conflict, resolution or emotion. It's like a conversation heart -- mildly sweet but lacking in substance.

Meg is an author with a devoted husband and two young children, one of whom has a spinal deformity that leaves her perpetually using crutches. She's writing a new children's chapter book, and goes to a meeting with her agent (the sort of person who says "darling") to discuss the book's potentially upsetting content -- that of a child born with some kind of handicap.

The book in question takes place on a planet much like ours, except all the inhabitants are covered in fur. One baby, a girl named Trxx, is born without fur, and is regarded as a pitiable creature by all who don't know her well. The book explores Trxx's struggles in the world, her family's love, and her friendships despite her lack of fur.
John Crowley is responsible for some truly breathtaking fiction, such as the classic "Little Big" or the Aegypt Cycle. Unfortunately "Conversation Hearts" not only is not up to what Crowley is capable of at his best, but it's frankly rather boring. By the end I was left wondering, "What is the point of all this?"

Neither of the stories -- the children's book or the framing story about the author -- has much dramatic oomph. There's some halfhearted attempts at tension with Meg encountering authorial woes or being threatened by a snowstorm, but these never really amount to anything. When the book ends (after about ten minutes reading time), it simply ends.

Even the central idea (that children with handicaps are lovable and special) is just a pat message because nobody is ever unpleasant to Trxx or Lily. In short, it feels like Crowley had a half-formed idea for a potentially cool novella, but sat down and dashed it off immediately without fleshing it out.

Part of the problem is that Crowley's writing is vivid and evocative, full of nuance and feeling. And dumbing it down to the level of a children's picture book -- as at least half the text is -- robs it off its beauty and charm. The whole story of Trxx and her planet of furry people is cute, but it doesn't fit Crowley's writing style at all.

Oh yeah, and it's very brief. As in, it's just a few snippet scenes pasted together around a kiddie book with no end. Very, very short.

John Crowley is a truly talented and brilliant author, but it feels like he sleepwalked through "Conversation Hearts." Only for those who must read everything he's written.

Valentines Day, snow storms, handicaps, and parenthood.

This unusual little novella has both a very obvious message on its surface and a more subtle message-kernel at its heart which may be easy to miss. Read in the best light, the book has something important to say about resisting the Cult of Victimhood and the scrappy, demanding spectacle that has come of democratic-egalitarian moralism today.

› Go to Amazon U.S. to see both reviews  2.5 out of 5 stars