This book is an intriguing flip on the traditional novel. It boils the idea of a novel to its essence - the relationship between two people - but rather than narrating it, allows the reader to view a failed relationship after looking through the physical detritus left after the relationship ends. It's a revealing look at the amount of things accumulated throughout such a time period and how much little things matter. This reinterpretation of form was the most compelling part of the book. The plot itself was hard to feel drawn into because of the lack of narration. Shapton is quickly heading to the top of my list of authors willing to take risks with books - this and her "Swimming Studies" are both really interesting ways of telling a story well with a completely new eye. This is a book/SLASH/art installation on paper. Leanne Shapten's brilliant and quirky sensibility fills every page; wish it could be re-issued with more user-friendly cover and title so that average readers would 'get' that it's the (fictional) catalogue of shared possessions of a deceased relationship. Then again,it's being made into a movie (I think). The ex-couple, Hal Morris and Lenore Doolan (Paul Sahre and Sheila Heti)appear in black and white photos throughout in the book. It's a marvelous artifact.
Brilliant relationship detective story told through fake auction catalogue.
—weigna
LOVED the idea of this book. never panned out. wasn't funny or tragic...
—purenrgpower
Decided to re-read this book- still love it!Such an interesting idea.
—NTher
Tenderly voyeuristic, unnervingly retro, objectively intimate.
—dani
A bizarre, compelling, voyeuristic reading experience.
—mita
