Véhicule Press, 2008
read by Carrie Schmidt
Julie Paul’s first collection of 14 short stories, though well-written, has its share of problems. There is repetition throughout the collection, and consistently unlikable characters. It is clear that Paul is a talented writer; dialogue flows naturally and she sets a scene well, whether in Mexico with a woman exploring new sexual territory in “Chicory”, or taking a speculative look at the future of baby-making in “Instant Family”.
It is not a surprise to learn that Paul considers her work influenced by Alice Munro: heterosexual relationships, monogamy, adultery, and motherhood are consistent themes in Munro, and so it is with The Jealousy Bone.
The repetition that plagues this collection begins early: the first two stories mention red wine as the cause of headaches, leaving the reader concerned that red wine and headaches will appear in all of the stories. (They don’t). Coats made of velvet and infidelity are prominent in “Staking the Delphiniums” and “False Spring”, while yoga makes regular guest appearances throughout. There is also a particular clothing removal technique that is described in detail at least three times in the collection: a lover hooking his or her thumbs under nylons or underwear and peeling or ripping the garment away from the body. This repetition causes the reader to wonder how much of the author’s life is appearing in the stories, or whether the collection was edited as a whole or individually.
Many of the characters do not inspire sympathy or interest; they are often vain and have romanticized notions of their privileged lives, as in “Backstory”: “We look good together, I’ll admit it, strolling along Bank Street with coffees, buying raspberries in the Byward Market, throwing extravagantly coloured leaves into one another’s faces every fall.” A yoga therapist breaches all sorts of confidentiality rules when gossiping to a client in “False Spring”, and the need to breed churns out maniacal caricatures in “Instant Family” and freaky, overly cautious parents in ”Feeding on Demand” and “Boring Baby”.
Individually, many of the stories are enjoyable: “The Jealousy Bone”, “Instant Family”, “Frozen Shoulder” and “Boring Baby” are particular stand-outs, but as a collection, the obnoxious, unlikable characters are overwhelming in their self-reverent vanities and internal woes. In the words of the narrator of “Boring Baby”: “Aw, shit. You don’t really need to know this either, all right? I already know it, and telling you again is making me yawn.”
