The Trick is to Keep Breathing
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15
Ratings4
Average rating4
Meticulously observed, agonizing and funny, this unconventional account of clinical depression marks the novelistic debut of the author of the praised short-story collection *Blood*. Drama teacher Joy Stone has become severely depressed following the death of her married lover. Surrounded by his effects in the house they briefly shared, she can't summon the will to work or even to eat, nor can she benefit from the concern of her friends. Interspersed flashbacks to the day of her lover's death have a sensual, physical quality that contrasts vividly with Joy's present detachment. The nature of Joy's illness--and its accurate depiction, captured partly by an unusual spacing of the text in addition to journal entries, interviews and impressionistic passages--makes her a difficult choice for a narrator: readers may lose patience with her lassitude or be unwilling to put in the time needed to decipher the basic plot. However, the ironic, self-mocking tone that ultimately saves Joy also saves the narrative. Faced with an impersonal health care system, her sense of the ridiculous takes over, and with it self-reliance. Galloway delivers a thoughtful, witty chronicle of depression and potential renewal.
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The main character in this novel, ironically named Joy, is as deeply depressed as any character I've encountered. Joy has lost her mother to suicide and has broken off her long-term relationship with a boyfriend. She started an affair with a married man who unexpectedly dies as well. Reviewers say the novel is full “of great warmth and energy”, that “the wit and irony found in moments of despair prove to be Joy's salvation.” It didn't feel that way to me. The novel closes with Joy drinking heavily (again) while bemoaning her life (again). I didn't see any salvation for Joy; Joy felt destined for suicide. We ought to check on Galloway, too, while we're at it.
