Eggshells, by Caitriona Lally
Vivian is a bit of an oddball, living in her deceased aunt's delapidating older house. She wanders through the streets of Dublin, searching a a fairy door to the Other World, where she is sure she belongs.
Her empathetic portrayal in this well-done novel allows you to see the world through her eyes, helping you understand her emotions and motivations. Somehow, it all makes sense.
See, Vivian has a bit of a past, with a vague history of trauma and depression. She's an orphan and unemployed. She's a lost soul who seeks her own way in the world -- a way that is lonely yet longing to be engaged, and is observant and concerned with the world around her.
Her travels through Dublin are Joycean. She names the streets and places, bridges and roads, back alleys and buildings. that she passed in her travels. She traces her walking route out on paper and gives it an illustrative name.
She has an assortments of quirks. She is enamored by street names -- she walks up LEESON STREET to see the "cheery double EE's." She enjoys the work of the people who paint over some of the white letters on the blue-background streets signs, turning, for instance PENBROKE STREET ino -E-BROKE STREET.
She advertises for a friend named Penelope so she can ask why it doesn't rhyme with antelope. She keeps lists of words that amuse or tantalize her. She wonders why we have capital letters, but not capital numbers. She expresses concern about how the number four can stand on just one leg, and why the number two always seems to be looking backwards.
But mostly, she is just looking for her place in life. The writing here is sympathetic and understanding. You sometimes fear the author may cross the line over to mockery, but she never comes close. This is where Lally is at her best in giving Vivian a voice.
It's a witty, fun tribute to those of use who might be deemed a bit peculiar, but who nonetheless bring enjoyable and outlandish views to our sometimes homogenous life.
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