Emotionally Weird: A Novel [Paperback]

Therefore, I can offer only my own opinion on the one and only "hidden meaning" (if, indeed, there was one at all) I found within Atkinson's words: Effie consistently describes food as rancid, etc. All very negative, even repulsive, descriptions. Food can easily be associated with life... something for which these students seem to have a healthy disregard (see the complete lack of interest in Proteus' well-being as another example of this, as well as their own overindulgence and slovenly lifestyles). So, we have a group of selfish, self-indulgent, careless people. And so many of them!!!! While I did not have a problem keeping one character straight from another, I agree with those who felt there were completely too many "non-essential" characters in this novel.

Admittedly, many of the word plays are well spun, but others only grew pointless. For example, why is Watson Grant alternately Grant Watson? (note: I am not completely finished with this book, so I apologize if this becomes clearer in the end. Normally, I would finish a book before reviewing it but in this case I'm not sure the book is worth any more of my time). And all I can say about the many stories-within-stories is that they became daft after a while and I pretty much gave up on them.

Further, Atkinson's semi-dreamlike narrative seems to me, at least, an attempt to copy Margaret Atwood's lyrical style (okay... I'm a tremendous Atwood fan, and even she wrote some clunkers, so I'm trying to give Atkinson the benefit of the doubt and will assume that her other writing endeavors are better). If this is the case, she fails miserably; to me, it comes off as bored and lazy. I will admit, though, that Atkinson was a good judge of her readers' criticisms... well voiced, in that aspect, at least, by Nora. As soon as I thought it, Nora said it. Still, that doesn't save this book.

Additionally, we are to believe that Effie is narrating this tale to Nora. Why, then, is the story at times referred to as being "written down" and at others a "narrative"? Parts of the story are -by Effie's own admittance- fiction and others... are we to assume they're real? Or is it all imagined? As a side note, biological or not, I really can't imagine a young girl of 20 or 21 happily describing to her mother tales of her sex life and drug use... not to mention academic sloppiness - even if Nora IS a bit of a space cadet herself (and as a side note, if this tale is indeed being written down by Effie, why, then, would she stick with poorly-written, half-baked detective novels when she clearly has a better grasp on the English language than can be found in those pitiful lines?).

Finally... do we really need to read "my mother is not my mother... etc." over and over to get the point? Quite frankly, Atkinson doesn't develop Effie enough as an individual for me to really care whether she was spawned under a cabbage leaf or dropped by a stork. Nora's history interests me even less which, to me, demonstrates Atkinson's ineptitude (at least as far as this novel is concerned). If the reader has no interest in the characters, why should she feel compelled to finish the book? It becomes very clear that Bob is more intelligent than Effie (my suspicion is that he downplays his intelligence to match that of Effie's - a person who is so academically unspectacular she is really in no place to judge Bob so harshly), as well as the better human being. In all, he's the only character I enjoyed reading about (and I am neither slouch nor druggie). As for the many other characters in Atkinson's little zoo... with the exception of Professor Cousins, who cares? They're all shallow, slovenly, mean spirited and trite. Again, however, I will assume that Atkinson has an agenda here. Unfortunately for her readers, however, I can't even begin to imagine what it is.

But I adore the way she takes off here -- the hilarious academic parody, the deft weaving of two or three different texts into a whole and the compelling emotional story at the core. I giggle my way through this book every time I read it, but its far better than just straight comedy. I don't even think you necessarily need to be aware of the various literary styles and methods of criticism she skewers to find the humor in the book -- her slacker undergrads are funny enough to entertain all by themselves. (Bob, the brainless Trekkie who spouts bits of philosophy in his sleep, is my favorite.)

Please read it. I really think you'll like it, especially if are or ever were an English major.

And don't be put off by the title...far as I can tell, it was picked out of a hat. Just ignore it.