I was unaware there was a book called THE DICTIONARY OF FAILED RELATIONSHIPS, an anthology of bitter breakup stories by women. This, I figure, is because I am a man.
Which must be why that book has now been sequeled, only this time from the male perspective, for THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EXES: 26 STORIES BY MEN OF LOVE GONE WRONG. The stories are presented alphabetically, each with an applicable explanatory title (i.e. “Honesty,” “Profanity” or “Xanax”), by such authors as CANDY FREAK’s Steve Almond, Joshua (brother of Zach) Braff and FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE’s Jonathan Lethem.
EXES is a mixed bag, not entirely successful as an anthology. My theory is because I don’t have the desire or patience to read breakup story after breakup story, especially when some (I won’t name names; they know who they are) veer toward the whiny and pretentious. Yet the book is not a total loss. Neal Pollack’s trial of “Virginity” is highly amusing and only slightly disturbing. (And, I must admit, I flipped to this story first and didn’t realize the book was fiction.)
Nick Fowler’s “Innocence” is anything but, about the dirtiest entry in the book, and for that he should be proud. I also enjoyed “Quitting” by The Onion‘s Dan Guterman, which is presented uniquely as a series of lists, like “Places I Would Kiss Billie Anne Had I the Chance to Kiss Her Again.” Juvenile revenge via egging is the subject of Jeff Johnson’s tale, titled – of course – “Egging.”
These bright spots aren’t enough to recommend the whole book. But at least it made me very happy to be happily married. So I got that going for me.
Related posts:
- Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way
- McSweeney’s to unleash UNFRIENDLY book for kids
- Swamp Thing: Love in Vain
