Are you familiar with the phenomenon of learning about someone or something and then seeing it everywhere? That is me with Heather Havrilesky. I heard about Foreverland: On the Devine Tedium of Marriage when Havrilesky was interviewed on the podcast Marriage Therapy Radio. I was intrigued and purchased the book with a precious Audible credit. I was initially disappointed because I thought it would be a Hurray-For-Marriage book; however, it is more raw and honest, showing a marriage in its complexity: in its divine tedium. It is a memoir of her fifteen-year marriage. This week I was listening to the podcast Death, Sex, and Money, and Havrilesky was on the panel She is an advice columnist. She reminds me of Cheryl Strayed in her humorous guidance. I'm sure you will be hearing her everywhere.
I like books with quirky plots or premises, and Something Missing is a ten on the odd scale. Martin has "clients" that he repeatedly robs from, not the usual big things, but little things like laundry detergent, toilet paper, and cereal. It is never said, but I think Martin has OCD. He is overly meticulous; his attention to detail has tipped from functional to crippling. When the book begins, Martin is emotionally isolated, but he is good-hearted and cares for the people he steals from. Unfortunately, he begins to invest in bettering their lives, and his carefully controlled life descends into chaos. Matthew Dick created an unusual character and made me care about him. I'm glad I read it.
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