Spiotta’s Truth

I picked up Dana Spiotta's novel, Innocents and Others, almost immediately after finishing Roberto Bolaño's compilation, Last Evenings on Earth. Admittedly, I do have a bias toward female writers, and I melted right back into a feminine groove. Maybe a feeling of familiarity and comfort is what makes me like it so much. It’s that warm sensation you get when you learn that you aren't alone—even if it's just relating to a fictional character. I understand their feelings, emotions, desires, and trepidations. I'm one who fully believes we live in a cocoon of our own spinning, and it's uplifting to know that someone else managed to wriggle their way inside of mine.

Spiotta begins the novel with a short essay written by one of the main characters, Meadow. Genius move. It's intriguing, it's confusing, it's sexy. It's a perfect preface to the remaining pages. And opening with "This is a love story," but then taking the reader on a trail of artistic debauchery? I don't want to say it's genius again, but it is.

I feel so close to Meadow and her hectic, almost obsessive way of thinking. She feels like a part of me. Especially juxtaposed against characters like Carrie, who craves emotional comfort, and Jelly, who craves physical comfort. That sends you down another rabbit hole of thought: Is this less about love and more about comfort? Is love just comfort in its own way? I don't know.

A perfect novel to pick up as we near the onset of winter, Innocents and Others will capture your heart. What better way to warm up than with a little soul searching?

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Have you read Innocents and Others or any other Dana Spiotta novels?

Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The English Society