Richard Brautigan (1935–1984)

This extraordinary book allows the reader to discover a new side of Richard Prince's oeuvre. There are no smoking cowboys swinging their lassoes or bare-breasted blondes on heavy motorcycles in this droll collection of highly expressive drawings and watercolors, whose inventive shapes and joyful colors recall children's drawings or paintings by the mentally ill. Half-figures of indeterminable gender with staring eyes, big ears, and frizzy hair challengingly smirk at the viewer and become an show more inventory of possibilities that later find their way into the joke paintings of the same period. This lavishly printed publication presents these apparently funny, yet sinister works to a larger public for the first time. show less

I don’t consider myself a sexual prude but a book where every other chapter is about a Bob and Constance, a couple having sex in ways that keep their venereal warts from infecting the other’s intimate parts was very off-putting to me. The other chapters were about three brothers who were searching for their stolen bowling trophies. We learn that the trophies are stored in the apartment below Bob and Constance and guarded by Willard, a paper-mache bird who stands about three feet tall. show more Weird – yes, but I read on as this is a very short book and I have to admit these opening chapters intrigued me.

It quickly became obvious that while this book poses a number of mysteries, it has no intention of actually solving the mysteries or explaining the who, what, when, why or where of the story. It is whimsical, outrageous, silly and highly stylized and yet, I couldn’t stop myself from reading on.

The subtitle of this book is “a perverse mystery” and perverse seems to be the right word. This short book takes the reader on a very bumpy ride with it’s false leads and contradictory statements. I’ve seen this author’s style described as comic realism which I would say is pretty apt. Willard and His Bowling Trophies blended satire, suspense and comedy in an absurdly unique way that certainly caught my attention. show less

The book is structured as a semi-autobiographical journal, chronicling the travels of its narrator, who is closely modeled after Brautigan himself. Brautigan's narrative style reflects his characteristic wit, irony, and poetic prose. The journey is not just geographical but also an introspective one, marked by digressions and reflections rather than a linear plot. The episodic nature of the entries, spanning from January to June 1982, captures the whimsy and randomness of life, yet they show more cover themes of mortality, depression, and solitude.

Central to the book's thematic exploration is the shadow of death. Brautigan's protagonist navigates through the aftermath of the suicide of a woman he knew, whose home he temporarily occupies, and the death of a friend from cancer. These events cast a melancholic tone over the narrative, mirroring Brautigan's own struggles with depression, alcoholism, and his contemplation of mortality. This personal connection makes the book an eerie foreshadowing of the author's own suicide in 1984.

Despite its dark themes, "An Unfortunate Woman" retains Brautigan's signature humor and irony. His ability to find the absurd in the mundane, like describing a chicken in Hawaii or a courtroom scene for forgetting when one last wrote, provides a counterbalance to the narrative's inherent sadness. This juxtaposition of humor against despair showcases Brautigan's complex engagement with the human condition.

The novel serves as a personal document, offering glimpses into Brautigan's life during his final years. It's a raw, sometimes painful look at a man grappling with his identity, his past, and his imminent end. For Brautigan's fans, this book is a treasure, providing not just entertainment but a deeper understanding of the man behind the literary persona. His daughter, Ianthe Brautigan, found and later advocated for its publication, recognizing its value as a piece of her father's best work. show less

Razor-sharp depiction of being the most neurotic person alive. I am both the paranoid and incorrigible writer and his dreamy, misunderstood beloved. There is also a town that turns mad and mutinous and becomes an awesome anti-nationalist front. What more could a writer herself want from a book.

In terms of the writing: I thought the spare prose would bore me after a while, but Brautigan's use of repetition and clever phrasing made every sentence fresh and surprising. Also, this book is show more CRAZY-- and hysterical in a way only someone clinically depressed can acheive. On top of all of this, it is also stunningly lyrical at times. Many passages took my breath away. Brautigan's ability to invent totally original metaphors (knowing the english language is already obsessed with the figurative) is astounding.

This is truly something else. Just go in blind and read it. show less