Extraordinary Theory Of Objects: A Memoir Of An Outsider In Paris (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
In Stephanie LaCava's An Extraordinary Theory of Objects, a young Stephie details her family's move to Le Vesinet, France and her feelings at being separated from friends and life in the United States. Always (by her own accounts) a little odd, Stephie continues her habit of collecting objects that bring her meaning. As her account details her coming of age, a generally carefree Stephie becomes increasingly troubled, and her interactions with intriguing boys and reigning "mean girls" at her international school cause mixed emotions and destructive actions.I very much wanted to love this book. The book itself is beautiful, and the sketches are quirky and fun. However, the format was a little irritating. The extensive footnotes often filled more than one page, and so, it was difficult to read both the text and the footnotes and maintain any sense of continuity. Finally, LaCava was also very self-exulting, which grated on my nerves. Furthermore, the plot built and built and then crashed into an abrupt ending. So, though I really wanted to like this book, I found that the footnotes, self-aggrandizement, and abrupt conclusion left me feeling unsatisfied. Woof. A very dear friend sent this to me knowing my affinity for all things Paris. But this book was just narcissistic and pointless, and she isn't actually in Paris for the majority of the book, but the banlieue/suburbs (nitpicking, but valid). The author tries so hard to be deep and eloquent and falls embarrassingly short. The prose reeks of desperation (her depression is kicked off because no boys want to dance with her at a school dance, so she goes into the forest and lays facedown in the dark, a la Bella in Twilight when Edward left her) and reads like LiveJournal-circa-2002-vague-blogging. I finished it in a few hours, so I can't be too upset that I wasted time on it; it was a fast read, made faster by my decision halfway through to stop reading the footnotes that pervaded the entire book and served no purpose (unless you wanted to know the origin of pajamas or street signs...seriously). There are about 45 references to "Bonjour Tristesse" and the word "insouciant" pops up constantly, as does the author's humblebrag that all French people adore her authentic French accent. No merci.
What do You think about Extraordinary Theory Of Objects: A Memoir Of An Outsider In Paris (2012)?
Read it on the train. Egh. Not a great writer by any means; better in photos than in words.
—kalakla
She's my ex-student! I am the teacher mentioned in it! How can I not love it?
—Mariya
