lit definition

Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr is an interesting amalgamation of these two definitions.  Mary Karr the Peck Professor of Literature at Syracuse Universary. And once upon a time, she liked to get “lit” up, drunk.  And right away, she comes off as one of the most unreliable narrators I’ve ever met.

Anyway I tell this story is a lie, so I ask you to disconnect the devices in your head that repeats at intervals how ancient and addled I am.  It’s true that – at fifty to your twenty – my brain is dimmer.  Your engine of recall is way superior, as you’ve often pointed out.  From Lit: A Memoir, page 1.

This is from the prologue, which is a letter to her son Dev.  And

Maybe by telling you my story, you can better tell yours, which is the only wa to get home.  In which I mean to get free of us. From Lit: A Memoir, page 6.

Karr starts her story with her seventeenth year.  She left home to wander aimlessly with a bunch of stoner surfers, work crappy jobs, and pretty much loose herself in a confused state of blah.  After an encounter with “Sam-u-el, his name was- short version Sam” the scary, philosophy spouting, possible harmless/possible would-be rapist, drug-addled man Karr accepts a ride from while hitchhiking, she decides to get herself, NO, NOT CLEAN, but an education.  She moves to Minneapolis and begins college, where she is neither particularly promising or a waste of everyone’s time.  Luckily for her, she meets a professor who takes an interest in her mind and wants to help her.  Because girlfriend seriously needs help.

Karr is the daughter of alcoholics.  The love of alcohol is encoded in her DNA.  While drinking with her daddy (and I’m pretty sure it was at a time when it was not legal for her to do so) she says:

The bottle gleamed in the air between us.  I took the whiskey, planning a courtesy sip.  But the aroma stopped me just as my tongue touched the glass mouth.  The warm silk flowered in my mouth and down my gullet, after which a warm blue flame of pleasure roared back up my spine.  A poof of sequins went sparkling through my middle. From Lit: A Memoir, Page 43.

For me, when reading books like this, I already have an idea of how it ends.  Yes, it’s a look at Karr’s decent into alcoholism and madness.  Obviously, she’s written a book about is, so it seems she’s probably recovered. Yet my friends, the trip is worth the $14.99 paperback price and then some.  I hope from these small snippets I have given you, you can see what an amazing writer Karr is.  It was apparent immediately to me that Karr is a poet.  Her words evoke her fear, her confusion, her hope, her doubt, her madness, and her love.  Another taste:

I keep getting drunk.  There’s not more interesting way to say it.  Only drunk does the volume crank down.  Liquor no longer lets me bullship myself that I’m taller, faster, funnier.  Instead, it shrinks me to a plodding zombie state in which one day smudges into every other-it blurs time. From Lit: A Memoir, page 171.

and

Out of the kitchen holding a crockery mug comes a lady with cropped dark hair and eyes the color of fresh-dug earth.  Liz has the frank, inquisitive gaze of a trained scientist, but softer in its aspect.  The clubhouse/college-dorm feel of this place suggests a camaraderie lacking with my writer pals. From Lit: Page 241.

Literally I can turn to any page in the book and find a tiny gem.  The language is exquisite.  I adore Karr’s dark humor.  Her biting wit and sarcasm reminds me of myself… which actually may be disconcerting.  Watching Karr exorcise the demons of drink, drugs, Mother, Father, Husband, Son, and Self is fascinating.  If you enjoy such intimate looks at life, addiction, family and resurrection of self, Mary Karr is the way to go.  You won’t regret it.

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Many thanks to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for my copy of this book.

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The Patron Saint of Used Cars and Second Chances

Title: The Patron Saint of Used Cars and Second Chances
Author: Mark Millhone
Reading Level: Adult, Non-fiction
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Rodale Books (July 7, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1594868239
ISBN-13: 978-1594868238
Rated: 4/5

A man reconnects with his dad and finds his way back from a year filled with tragedy and loss in this touching memoir that puts a humorous cast on some of life’s darkest moments…

Mark Millhone has just had the worst nine-months of his life.   His youngest son, Benny, almost died from birth complications.  His emotionally distant father was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  His neurotic mother died of a heart attack.  His son was mauled by the family dog.  And his once idyllic marriage is slowly coming apart at the seams.

What is a guy to do?

Why, what any other red-blooded American man would do!  Late one night, Millhone logged on to “The Patron Saint of Used Cars” aka EBAY and bid on a vintage BMW.  Loading up the kids and wife, Millhone drops them off with her parents in upstate New York and heads to Texas.  There, with his Dad, he picks up the car and commences on a road trip to find himself, a little perspective, and the sheer will to just keep going on.

Mark Millhone pulls no punches in this wry, hilarious and heartfelt look at the worst year of his life.  It is a unique male perspective on marriage, child-rearing, loss, love and rekindling the romance in a faltering relationship but it will appeal to both sexes without a doubt.  I really enjoyed this little book and laughed, and cried, along with Millhone every ‘mile’ of the way.

Many thanks to TLC Book tours for the review copy.

Check out these other tour dates:

Wednesday, August 5th:  Book, Line, and Sinker

Thursday, August 6th:  The Book Lady’s Blog

Monday, August 10th:  2 Kids and Tired Book Reviews

Wednesday, August 12th:  A Sea of Books

Wednesday, August 19th:  Luxury Reading

Friday, August 21st:  Beth Fish Reads