I was always a bit of a purist when it came to reading – real physical books, not digital or audio versions. Lately though, I’ve decided that these alternative forms are sometimes better than the real thing. With my diabetes, my eyes have changed a bit, so reading is sometimes a challenge. Digital books allow me to adjust the size of the font and audio books do not require eye strain at all! Two books I read recently: A Death in the Family by James Agee and Parker: Selected Stories by Dorothy Parker. The first one I listened to during the day, as I was puttering around the apartment. The second book lulled me to sleep at night.
A Death in the Family. I started reading this one using an old copy on my bookshelf. I’m not sure whether it was eye changes due to diabetes or age of the book or something else but I found it challenging to clearly read. The pages had yellowed a bit and the font was a little too light or too small or too something. I looked online and found a free copy on Audible. The book, published in 1957, was narrated by Lloyd James, who had a great voice for this novel – a soft Southern voice that was perfect for Agee’s sometimes repetitive text. This was the perfect way to take in this story.
The narrative describes several days in the life of a family. The husband/father goes to visit family to see a dying relative who, it turns out, is not as near death as supposed. So he decides to drive back home to his wife and young children. Unfortunately, he is killed in a car accident on his way home. The book focuses on his wife, who received a call about the accident, and his 6-year-old son, but includes other family members as well. The sudden death resonated with me, as my father died suddenly and unexpectedly when I was 8 years old. This is a quiet story that does not have a firm plotline – it is just about the impact of death on the lives of the family, which is about as impactful as it gets.
The description of the young wife waiting in the early hours of the morning to find out if her husband was killed in the accident or injured was beautifully written. The uncertainty was painful and her fears were palpable. She prepared a downstairs bedroom in case he was too injured to go upstairs. She made tea for her aunt, who has come to stay with her while she waited to hear whether her husband was dead or alive. She prepared herself for all possible outcomes – mild injury, lifelong disability, catastrophic injury, death. She was thinking through how she would cope and manage her children for each outcome. Her parents and brothers came to wait with her – all awkwardly trying to figure out what to say and how to comfort her. We all know that feeling. What should you say or perhaps more importantly, what should you NOT say?
The story continues the next morning as she tells her children that daddy is not coming home. Those of us who have been a part of this conversation will never forget it … 53 years later, I can remember my mother telling me. My Mom was 43 and her strength was amazing. My Dad was there when I went to bed and gone when I woke up the next morning. You learn to cope but never really get over it. Experiencing this type of death as a young child affects you in ways that are not always initially clear. When I was in my mid-30s, I lost a close friend in an airplane crash and became depressed and could not stop crying. I went to counseling and it all came back – while I missed my friend, it was really about losing my father and the subsequent changes in my family and my life. The beauty of this book is that readers get to experience a taste of parental loss without the full impact.
Parker: Selected Stories. This collection of stories was narrated by Elaine Stritch, who was perfect in her reading! She had exactly the right tone and brought the stories to life. As with any Dorothy Parker stories, there is keen observation and humorous writing. I listened to these stories as I went to sleep. It was a great way to end the day.
Most of the stories focused on young or middle-aged women who were coping with work and/or family issues. They were fun, silly, insightful, witty, and often had a bit of a twist. I honestly don’t remember the details of any specific story – perhaps a downside of listening while trying to fall asleep. I don’t think I qould choose this format for books that I required focus or that I wanted to remember. However, I know I drifted off in a better mood than I would have without the stories.
