Junot Diaz
“I’m not a bad guy.” This first line
sets the stage for Junot Diaz`s latest collection of short stories, This Is How You Lose Her. Who is this
person and why start on the defensive? The narrator is Yunior (who tells eight
of the nine stories in the book), a Dominican-American who serves as Diaz`s
literary alter ego. Diaz is a dazzling writer. There is a velocity to his
writing. His words fly off the page at you. You hear his voice speaking to you more
than you feel like you are reading his words.
On the surface, This is How You Lose Her is a book about an immigrant finding his
way in a new country, but the real story is about Yunior’s search for love.
Yunior is smart and funny and self-aware; he sees his flaws and struggles with
them. This search culminates beautifully in the final story, “A Cheater`s Guide
To Love,” where we see him unravel and then try to piece him himself back
together. It is a modern masterpiece of the short story form.
Diaz reminds me of another writer, Sherman
Alexie. Both are dynamic, funny, and profound, telling us tales from the other
side of the American Dream. Riveting stuff.
"You hear his voice speaking to you more than you feel like you are reading his words." - exactly how I felt when reading Diaz. High praise indeed. Wonderful, concise review, Brendan.
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