Toews' writing is humorous because, like her characters, it's real. You may be wondering how a book with such heavy themes could possibly be funny. Toews' rewriting of her own history captures perfectly the lingering unreality of death, that in-between feeling that occurs when a part of yourself disappears with the whole of someone else. As Yoli explains, "she wanted to die and I wanted her to live and we were enemies who loved each other." This book is a breathtaking and staggeringly funny account of what it means to let go of the person you love most in the world. Yoli, the protagonist and narrator, is trying desperately to keep her sister alive, all while sorting out her own messy adult life. Despite her nearly picture-perfect life, Elf suffers from chronic depression and the suicidal urges that can come with it. Older sister Elf is a famous concert pianist-beautiful, brilliant, and quirky beyond compare. In her novel, Toews tells the story of two sisters, Yoli (short for Yolandi) and Elf (Elfrieda), who, like Toews and her sister, grew up together in a small Mennonite community. Twelve years later, Toews' older sister killed herself. Her father had bipolar disorder, and he committed suicide when Toews was in her thirties. Toews was raised in a Mennonite community in Manitoba. Īll My Puny Sorrows is semiautobiographical, with many of the aspects of Toews' own life echoed in the characters and events of the novel. I can't even begin to tell you how glad I am that I took that chance. Although I had never before read anything written by Toews, I decided to take a chance on this critically lauded novel. Every subsequent review I read told me how intelligent and witty the book was. I first came across Miriam Toews' All My Puny Sorrows on the McSweeney's blog, which I follow due to my unwavering devotion to Dave Eggers-esque humor. Still, if you want to be sure to experience your own unbiased response to the book, Taylor encourages you to revisit this review of All My Puny Sorrows after you've read Toews' novel.Ĭontent warning: All My Puny Sorrows (and, accordingly, this book review) addresses difficult themes, including depression, mental illness, death, and suicide. Although this review discusses the themes of Toews' book, it tries its best to stay away from spoilers. Taylor Dennis, in-house editor at Scribendi and avid lover of all things book, reviews Miriam Toews' All My Puny Sorrows.
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