56 An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
This was very good. Roy and Celestial are newly married when Roy is falsely accused of rape and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Racism and class are strong themes, but the heart of the story is about love and its resilience, and what makes it endure, or crack.
I listened to this as an audiobook over a few weeks, and appreciated the narration very much. The story switches between Roy and Celestial’s first person narrative with occasional switches to other narration, as well as letters. This makes it much more nuanced - we are never aligned wholly with Roy or Celestial or encouraged to do so, because the point is that these situations are always complicated.
I realise with this that I’ve read all but one of the Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist so will make time for My Sister The Serial Killer. I’ve loved all the other five so have high hopes - good to hear other people have liked it.
57 See A Little Light by Bob Mould
Autobiography of cult indie rock icon. If I wasn't a huge fan of Mould's bands Hüsker Dü and Sugar, I would not have got beyond the half way point with this, as the first half is a fairly standard memoir of touring, recording and performing, with a few lectures on the music business thrown in. I only stuck around because I love the music and was interested in what he said about the different tracks and albums.
But I am glad I persisted because the second half, where Mould recounts how he had a job writing scripts for pro-wrestling and grapples with finally embracing, and enjoying, being gay, was when it lifted off for me. His account of the sad slow breakdown of a long term relationship was devastating and one of the most on-the-nose tellings of how it feels to see it all unravel that I have read.
We've had Bob Mould in his various incarnations playing in the house all week because of this and to my delight I just found my 12 year old listening to Copper Blue through choice. If I can move him on to Zen Arcade I'll have achieved a parenting goal.