Privacy Glass by Missouri VaunMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I didn't mean to leave this review box empty, I just couldn't think of anything to put here.
The series comes to a relatively satisfying conclusion. These seem to be less of what I would think of as 'full short stories' and more . . . well, more than snippets/scenes. If there is a term that means something in between, I am not aware of it.
On the way to attempting to create 'something' with a specific woman who Nash meets when her friend, Nash's friend I mean, ends up in the emergency room (actually, if I recall correctly, they meet first at a car crash, then later at the emergency room. Been months - this slow reading makes me forgetful, I'm used to reading things in days (at most) not this 'tiny pieces at a time over 4 months' approach). I've forgotten now what the exact nature of the 'issue' is, but that nurse put the brakes on a romantic relationship but was willing to have a friendship. Nash accepts that though wishes to change her mind. Over the course of four short stories. Meanwhile, while attempting to change the nurse's mind (none of the descriptions have that woman's name and I can't recall it now . . . hah - I was thinking 'Anna' and looked through my reviews - Anna is right), Nash 'fell into' several encounters with other women. Don't worry - Nash isn't 'cheating' on Anna - they aren't in a relationship. She meets baristas, neighbors, strippers, . . . um . . others in prior stories.
So, which random other woman does Nash end up 'wasting time' with while 'waiting' for Anna? Why, that would be Anna. Who has finally gotten around to allowing the concept that Nash might be allowed to date her. And so this story involves Nash taking Anna on a date to a friend's wedding (somewhat odd place for a date, but whatever). An ex (though not sure they actually were more than fuck-buddies) is there at the wedding and corners Nash in the bathroom. You can see how Nash kept 'falling' into threesomes and the like - Nash seems to have very little willpower - (view spoiler)
I've read both a novel based on a comic series, and the first volume of that comic series - that remind me of this short story series. Not in story-line, but in tone. In a way. Well . . . kind of. In that the star of that comic series kept finding themselves in and out of relationships, sometimes with the same woman, sometimes with some other random woman, sometimes with a woman she 'accidentally' bought (mail order bride, and she didn't accidentally buy, her account was hacked, but still, the woman did turn up), while at the same time one or another woman remained that comic series' star's main desire. Like here. Wherein Nash kept bouncing around women while really desiring another. Okay - that's a random thought I had while reading this series. That I was reading a version of Jane's life (Jane being the woman from the comic series, Jane's World), though Nash seemed more polished than Jane.
I'm probably noticing a pattern that really isn't there. Probably knowing that both works were/are by the same author.
Right, this is what happens when I can't think of what to say. I babble.
This short story includes a scene at a wedding, includes several people from prior stories (including Nash's friend, who I think is named Webb; and 'green dress'; and Anna). Strangely, most of the story takes place outside of Orlando. Partially in Savannah Georgia (nice description of the place, brief, in the story), briefly in St. Augustine (I think) - though no description of the place is included (more of a 'stopped there for lunch' type of deal). And some brief portions in Orlando. I say ‘strangely’ since it had been mentioned that the series was stated, from the beginning, to be deeply connected to Orlando and that community. Interesting enough snippet.
Bah. This review. Mmphs. The point I was going to make never got made. Though fragments of it are littered about above. It was interesting to see Anna and Nash’s journey, though I’m half-‘n’-half on whether this would have been better as is (short stories) or as a novel. On the one hand, some of the ‘connective’ tissue missing would have to be put in for a coherent novel – and months wouldn’t have gone by while the story unfolded; while on the other hand, the numerous ‘side journey’s along the way fit more the short story format than a novel – at least, I’d have been annoyed to spend so much time bouncing around if I was reading a straight forward novel.
Rating: something around 3.50
February 7 2017
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