"Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory" by Raphael Bob-Waksberg is a collection of short stories that delve into the complexities of relationships, both romantic and familial. The stories are described as subtly heartbreaking yet inherently comedic, blending surreal humor with dark, disturbing emotions and situations. The writing style is noted for its rich language infused with humor, effortless reading experience, and undercurrent of magic realism that transforms the worlds into curious new places.
The book captures the worst versions of relationships, exploring themes of love, loneliness, and the nuances of human connections. The stories range from ordinary failed workplace romances to surreal experiences, with characters navigating breakups, heartbreak, and the trials and tribulations of love. The author's unique voice, smart storytelling abilities, and wistful wit create a collection that is both weird and beautiful, offering unexpected truths and interpretations of meaning that resonate with readers on a personal level.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings may include themes of heartbreak, loss, emotional distress, and relationship struggles.
Has Romance?
Yes, romance is a significant theme throughout the collection.
From The Publisher:
Written with all the scathing dark humor that is a hallmark of BoJack Horseman , Raphael Bob-Waksberg delivers a fabulously off-beat collection of short stories about love-the best and worst thing in the universe.
Featuring:
A young engaged couple forced to deal with interfering relatives dictating the appropriate number of ritual goat sacrifices for their wedding.
A pair of lonely commuters who ride the subway in silence, forever, eternally failing to make that longed-for contact.
A struggling employee at a theme park of U.S. presidents who discovers that love can't be genetically modified.
And fifteen more tales of humor, romance, whimsy, cultural commentary, and crushing emotional vulnerability.
Ratings (13)
Incredible (4) | |
Loved It (4) | |
Liked It (3) | |
It Was OK (2) |
Reader Stats (31):
Read It (14) | |
Want To Read (15) | |
Not Interested (2) |
2 comment(s)
As a Bojack fan, I anticipated high levels of equal parts weirdness, hilarity and poignancy, and I have to say that these short story gems met and even surpassed my wildest expectations. What a pleasure.
I love short story collections read by more than one narrator. They’re always a good palate cleanser after a longer novel.
This collection is a good mix between comedic sketches and more traditional short stories, and a number of the pieces land little emotional gut punches, much like the disarmingly absurd Bojack Horseman. The narrators include a few famous names, some of whom are friends with or have worked for Waksburg.
I think my favorite story was “Up-and-comers,” about the members of a band who all get super powers that only work when they get drunk. “We men of science,” about a man who invents a door into an alternate universe where everything is the opposite of his own, was a close second. “You want to know what plays are like?” was especially devastating.
Highly recommended, especially in audio.
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Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory?
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