Evening in Paradise

Evening in Paradise: More Stories by Lucia Berlin
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Okay, I know alcoholism is a disease BUT it is not an excuse for poor choices, self-indulgence and lack of responsibility. Nor, in my estimation, does it make meandering autobiographical stories written while drunk, stoned or both literature. One of the blurbs says the subject matter is " harrowing for women". Well, only if you've made the choices this woman makes.
Sure there are several stories that I liked but by and large I was impatient with the mindless literal bed-hopping ( sometimes with minors other times with friends of a husband who then become new husbands) and geographical meanderings of an irresponsible mother of four boys. Irresponsible in conceiving them and irresponsible in "rearing" them. Nice to know that by the time they had grown up she got sober and through some strange happenstance became a college professor of creative writing. Guess someone thought her writings were good, though they didn't get published until after she died.
Received a copy of this book from BookBrowse to discuss starting Dec 2.

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