Review by dragonflypdx -- The Memoir Man by Frances Webb
Posted: 06 Sep 2020, 18:16
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Memoir Man" by Frances Webb.]
Reading Frances Webb’s The Memoir Man: And Others in Public Places was like happening upon a four-leaf clover. It is a delightful mix of prose and poetry, immediately drawing the reader into each of the twenty-three vignettes. As a writer myself, the short-form writing style is one of my favorites, and Frances Webb does it well. This collection will appeal to those who enjoy the art of poetry and the brevity of short-form prose. I would describe it as quirky and off-beat, which is the very thing that drew me in. Memoir Man is a bedside table sort of book, one that can be visited many times. Each time, the reader notices something they missed before, or recall a scene that made them smile the first time around, and is sure to evoke that response again and again.
Each of the quirky characters introduced by the first-person narrator is someone we feel like we know, or maybe have come across in our own experience. People watching is a popular pastime, and Frances Webb invites us to join her vicariously through her stories. The settings of public places—library, museum, train, subway, or out on a busy sidewalk—common to several of the stories, are easy to visualize. I love the way each scene can leave the reader wondering who is the “crazy” one—the observer or the observed? Or perhaps neither? Or maybe these are the musings of a very lonely person? It’s really up to the reader, and sorting it all out is most enjoyable.
One of the unique things about Memoir Man is that each chapter or “mini-drama” can either stand on its own or spark an observation or memory from another. As an example, without a spoiler, I mention the pieces of a cracked eggshell, first introduced in Chapter 1, “The Memoir Man.” And what about people who want to check their baby at the coat check so they can attend an event? Or a very different sort of “live” television?
When I reached the end, I wanted more, and I hope that Frances Webb will accommodate. It is no wonder that some of the pieces are previously published. The book is well-edited, and the author recognizes the “willing and kind and typo-free typing of Holly and Lucy” in the Acknowledgements. I highly recommend Frances Webb’s The Memoir Man: And Others in Public Places and give it a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.
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The Memoir Man
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Reading Frances Webb’s The Memoir Man: And Others in Public Places was like happening upon a four-leaf clover. It is a delightful mix of prose and poetry, immediately drawing the reader into each of the twenty-three vignettes. As a writer myself, the short-form writing style is one of my favorites, and Frances Webb does it well. This collection will appeal to those who enjoy the art of poetry and the brevity of short-form prose. I would describe it as quirky and off-beat, which is the very thing that drew me in. Memoir Man is a bedside table sort of book, one that can be visited many times. Each time, the reader notices something they missed before, or recall a scene that made them smile the first time around, and is sure to evoke that response again and again.
Each of the quirky characters introduced by the first-person narrator is someone we feel like we know, or maybe have come across in our own experience. People watching is a popular pastime, and Frances Webb invites us to join her vicariously through her stories. The settings of public places—library, museum, train, subway, or out on a busy sidewalk—common to several of the stories, are easy to visualize. I love the way each scene can leave the reader wondering who is the “crazy” one—the observer or the observed? Or perhaps neither? Or maybe these are the musings of a very lonely person? It’s really up to the reader, and sorting it all out is most enjoyable.
One of the unique things about Memoir Man is that each chapter or “mini-drama” can either stand on its own or spark an observation or memory from another. As an example, without a spoiler, I mention the pieces of a cracked eggshell, first introduced in Chapter 1, “The Memoir Man.” And what about people who want to check their baby at the coat check so they can attend an event? Or a very different sort of “live” television?
When I reached the end, I wanted more, and I hope that Frances Webb will accommodate. It is no wonder that some of the pieces are previously published. The book is well-edited, and the author recognizes the “willing and kind and typo-free typing of Holly and Lucy” in the Acknowledgements. I highly recommend Frances Webb’s The Memoir Man: And Others in Public Places and give it a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.
******
The Memoir Man
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon