The First Hurt, Stories by Rachel Sherman
From the back cover of The First Hurt, Stories by Rachel Sherman’.
In this brilliantly original story collection, Rachel Sherman evokes the wonders and horrors of a young woman’s life, from girl to teenager to adult, through crushes, sex, family, and the agonies and ecstasies of finding one’s way. The First Hurt heralds the arrival of a singularly fresh and remarkably assured new voice. Sherman’s beautifully direct and deceptively simple prose produces accessible, shockingly real narratives that combine a disarming sexual edge with great sensitivity and humor. From a high-school girl’s crush on her female teacher, to a family’s serenity threatened by a sexy Danish au pair, to a girl’s sexually outrageous soldier penpal, all the way to a young couple’s horrifying yet life-affirming experience of learning to love their brain-injured newborn twins, this collection wends its way around the deepest of struggles with unusual frankness and wisdom.
Rachel Sherman’s stories are very unsettling and full of characters with major problems. Her writing is very honest, maybe too honest. To tell you the truth, I was really alarmed after I read the first story about a young teenager corresponding to a soldier overseas. He’s a perv with a foul mouth. And then I was stunned when reading about a mother and the way she ignored her newborn twins. How could she treat them the way she did? And then a older man doesn’t think twice about accompanying a teenage girl on a car trip and things are just weird. These stories are fascinating but really strange. I was confused though, were these characters related? I thought that the girl was the same for a while and then I didn’t think so. I think it would take a reread on my part to see.
The First Hurt is vulgar and very sexually charged, which I didn’t care for. I’m the type of person that feels very guilty about reading that type of stuff. So, I’d recommend it if that kind of stuff doesn’t bother you because the characters and stories will haunt you. But if it does, I would really stay away from this one.
On that note, would you like to win a copy of The First Hurt, Stories by Rachel Sherman? Literary Ventures Fund has graciously donated two copies to be given away in conjunction with my Darfur awareness campaign. Click here for details on how to get involved and entered to win. It’s really easy! Check back (you are subscribed to this blog, aren’t you?!) at the end of the month to put your name in the hat for this one. Prizes will build up throughout the month.
Rachel Sherman’s website.
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Category: Adult, Book Reviews, Fiction
Tags: E-H Title, Q-T Author, review copy
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I have this one but haven’t read it yet. I guess I’m not moving it any closer to the top of my TBR pile…
on September 17th, 2008 at 5:46 amIn one sense the stories sound intriguing; however, in another sense it makes me cringe at the thought, so I guess I’m ambivalent about this one.
on September 17th, 2008 at 7:33 amThanks for the heads up on this one. I think I’ll avoid it based on your thoughts.
on September 17th, 2008 at 8:59 amI think I’ll pass on this one too. I am interested to read Lolita, which seems to be the daddy of all the unconfortable teen stuff, but I don’t think I would if it didn’t have such a history. I’m not against a little sex in my books, but this would make me uncomfortable. Plus, the whole baby thing.
on September 17th, 2008 at 9:18 ami am still reeling from the aftermath of lolita.. but i might want to give this a shot sometime.. it kinda gives you a peep into the lives of crazy people around the globe and i think it is better to know about some crazy sorts so you can always brace yourself:)
on September 17th, 2008 at 9:39 amI tried it and it was too disturbing for me so I quit reading it. Good review though.
on September 17th, 2008 at 9:58 amJen – It was a really fast read. It could get off of the TBR in just a couple of hours.
Joy – It’s hard to tell what people will like. This one had really good writing but the premise of everything is beyond what I enjoy reading about.
Traci – I hate language and sex. This one did have a lot of it.
Lisa – I hated this mother for the way she treated her babies! But it worked well if it brought out such a strong emotion in me.
Ramya – I’ve never read Lolita. I’ve heard fabulous things about it, but maybe it’s not for me.
Tracy – Glad to know that I wasn’t the only one who thought it was disturbing, but I persevered for the sake of the review and giveaway. I think it was supposed to be disturbing, so in that regard the author was able to convey that feeling really well.
on September 17th, 2008 at 1:48 pmNatasha you have been reading some interesting books lately.
on September 17th, 2008 at 9:27 pmI’ve read a couple of just OK books lately.
The Underneath-book blogger seem to univerally like this book but I thought it was ok.
My big fat manifesto- Less than ok
hmm. sounds interesting but very creepy. but then again… sometimes that makes me curious and i have to read it. but if i don’t like it i’ll need to know what happens so i keep reading any ways. lol. very complex. =]
on September 18th, 2008 at 6:53 pmOk Natasha, I want to leave a comment but can’t think of anything to say for this one.
on September 19th, 2008 at 10:55 amThis does not sound like a book I would enjoy and I will probably promptly forget about it as soon as I move on from this page…
hey natasha..well i did hear amazing things about Lolita initially too… but i was too caught up in the story to pay any attention to the word plays and the literature plays of nabokov.. and i definitely don’t have the strength to re-read this one!
on September 19th, 2008 at 12:58 pm[...] (The Historian)20. Maw Books (Yankee Girl)21. Maw Books (Saturday)22. Maw Books (Hope Was Here)23. Maw Books (The First Hurt)24. Maw Books (The Leper Compound)25. Maw Books (Gathering Blue)26. Maw Books (Darfur Diaries)27. At [...]
on October 10th, 2008 at 10:06 pm