Janice Galloway's inventive first novel is about the breakdown of a 27-year-old drama teacher named Joy Stone. The problems of everyday living accumulate and begin to torture Joy, who blames her problems not on her work or on the accidental drowning of her illicit lover, but on herself. While painful and deeply serious, this is a novel of great warmth and energy: it's the wit and irony found in moments of despair that prove to be Joy's salvation. First published by Polygon in 1989 and Dalkey Archive Press in 1994, now available again.

This has a very claustrophobic feel written in a continuous stream of thoughts and feelings often sharp, melancholic and at times bleakly funny. The whole book reflects the character Joy Stone and her slow painful inward collapse as she struggles to make sense of all that is happening around her.

Posting to wishlist tag recipient.

Thank you for sending me this wishlist book. I am more excited to read this after reading your note. And thank you for the postcard and BC supplies.

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Updated February 25, 2019

I was glad I read the book and I "enjoyed" it, but it was hard to say it was "enjoyable" as the main character was depressed and I was in her world. This was a book I could only read bits at a time. It was not one I really look forward to reading but each reading session, I would want to go on once I started. It was a good literary experience.

I have finally got around to posting the book. Enjoy!

The book arrived today. Thank you so much mcsar for this RABCK, for the fabulous postcard and its E. A. Poe quote, and for the label! As I am a few pages away from finishing my current read, I will start this very soon.

A very difficult read, that could be done only in small doses. The inner voice writing is very accomplished, but pulls you into the downward spiral of the character's depression and is therefore distressful. Still glad I read this.
Reserved for Icila, who was also interested in the book. I will mail it to her in June, when I return to France.

Hello Icila, I'm finally back in France where I am able to mail this book to you as promised.
Happy reading (not so happy in the case of this novel...) and have a great summer!

Thank you vaga-bonde and welcome back in France !
I w'll take your advice and wait for some times before reading it.