The Funniest Book of 2009
Growing up in a nonreligious but somewhat spiritual family, denominations of severity were always intriguing to me. My friends in my predominantly Italian hometown of Youngstown, Ohio were catholics, sometimes taking me to their church, me inadvertently shocking them by taking communion without ever having been baptised. I did not know as a 13 year old nonreligious girl studying the world religions and philosophies for fun that taking communion as the heathen everyone saw me as was wrong … would I go to this hell place?
The Jehovah’s Witnesses were always something of deep mystery to me. It was as if they knew not to come to our porch,ring our doorbell, knowing perhaps that they would be greeeted with blank but intirgued stares and definitely not converts. As a teen girl, though, watching cute teenage boys in shortsleeve buttondowns, neckties, loafers, and pleated khakis was nice. And it didn’t surprise me that they didn’t talk to me, give me a glance, since no other boy in those torturous years did either. But I wanted them to bring me The Watchtower. Yeah, I really wanted that, their sweaty, peachfzz upper lips glistening in my eyes while they described my needing to be saved, be a part of them like breath so that I would not burn for eternity.
But I watched MTV with an addictive spirit, especially Headbanger’s Ball, Yo MTV Raps, and 120 Minutes as these shows were church … my religion … and that lovely Adam Curry was my god, preacher, and daily bread. These boys, like the little cocain-snorting blossoming bankers’ sons at school, wouldn’t like me either.
Abrahams’ book is touching, amazing, and laugh-at-high-decibal funny. My love Don was a bit ill at ease to hear me laughing hysterically in the airport, the airplane as we headed toward our Jamaican dreams.
And now as I read the macabre novel, Darkly Dreaming Dexter I sometimes wish to return to such a fun read with dark moments, yes (as is always a part of any intense religion), wanting to read it again to try to stave off my current night terrors. Last night, even with Don by my side, I dreamed of an elaborate plan of embalming live bodies, their shoes lined up like lozenges in a tin in the winter, everything so cold, hard, and wrong. Horribly wrong. And, as always, I was a reluctant partner in this darkness, unable to save myself or those surrounding me.
So, yes, a funny book … A GOOD THING! And this book’s got it ALL! And All … And all … Hallejueuh, amen!
