Yours Fatally

Jonathon Bender (b.1967 - d.1999) commits suicide, leaving behind piles of unsent letters. Many of these are addressed to his family - his brother, his parents, his ex-wife. Others are written to an array of people (both real and imagined), places and inanimate objects: Santa Claus, classmates, the state of Michigan, a weather satellite and many more.

Following Jonathon's death, his younger brother Robert collects these letters, along with other cuttings and papers, and pieces together the life of a person he never really knew. Dear Everybody, a novel by Michael Kimball, presents these clippings and documents in chronological order. In doing so he has created a most unusual book. A wonderful, clever, imaginative and moving book. It really is quite something.

Jonathon was conceived by accident. Emotionally rejected by his father, practically from birth, and a source of worry and bemusement for his mother his is a lonely and troubled childhood. When Robert is born a few years later his parents do a much better job of understanding and loving this new child, but little of it rubs off on their firstborn who becomes even more unusual and confused.

Dear Everybody takes this story, a subject not uncommon in fiction, and presents it to us from peculiar angle. The letters, diary entries, magazine cuttings and comments from Robert are often short, many just a line or two, but together they form an impressive whole and I am more than prepared to say that this is will be right up there with the best of year by the time 2009 comes to a close.

One or two of the letters Jonathon writes to his parents are so heartbreaking, such show stoppers, that I had to put the book down for a few minutes before picking up the thread once more. But pick it up I did, racing through this 250 page novel in two sittings.

If you go out and buy this on the back of my review then you won't be disappointed, and if you are then you need to give yourself a slap. This is a fucking marvelous book and I fully intend to read and re-read it many a time between now and my ultimate demise.

Comments

[R.]

I can't do anything but agree with this review - I instantly fell in love with Dear Everybody and the sweetness that art Michael Kimball when I picked this one up a year ago. So much is being said with so little words that you just have to wonder how he does it. Aside: pick up How much of us there was by Kimball when you get a chance - perfection.

[Jane Turley]

This sounds absolutely fascinating; I'm gonna give it a shot.

[Susan Sonnen]

I can't wait to get my copy!

[fiona robyn]

Ooh, swearing - you must have liked it. I agree - fucking marvellous. Can't wait to host Michael on Planting Words on the 21st.

[jem]

I've heard great things about this. And couple with your interview I'm going to bag this. I think that 'experimental' novels can get it right or wrong. But I trust you to see through any mere gimmick.

ASIDE - I recently read 'The Art of Being Dead' which I think you mentioned, maybe in a sidebar. I thought it was nearly very good, as new existential novels go, but something fell a little short for me, perhaps just because my hopes were too high in the first 27 pages.

[rate my girlfriend]

this is so good.