Weirdo by Sara Pascoe

 

 

Such a sweetie. Attractive, talented Sara Pascoe has written a novel narrated by a not-so-attractive, not-so-talented single lady who is ten years her junior.

Sara Pascoe's Weirdo will take you on quite a ride. It's a terrific novel that instantly captivates. The narrator is Sophie Collins, a thirty-two-year-old Brit, and her story is a real whopper. However, please be warned: since Sara Pascoe makes her living as a stand-up comic, you might expect Sophie's tale to be one extended comic riff. This is definitely not the case. Sophie's story is a somber one. While there are certainly some humorous moments, even these are shrouded in a layer of sadness.

In an interview, Sara Pascoe mentioned that people, either in real life or as characters in fiction, typically do not share their deepest and most embarrassing thoughts. However, in her novel, readers are given insight into Sophie's darkest obsessions and most twisted desires. It may not be the prettiest picture, but that's how it works: as humans, we all have our dark side and flaws.

I'd love to see Weirdo hit the best-seller list. The main reason: so many people, especially young women, will find Sophie Collins a fascinating study – not necessarily a kindred spirit but surely a close cousin. Another top reason: Sara Pascoe's novel proves to be a keen study of our modern urbanized society, a society saturated with cell phones, mass media, drugs, and booze. In fact, Weirdo would make an excellent supplemental text in a college course in sociology or developmental psychology.

There's so much I'd like to highlight. Thus, I'll abandon a more conventional review format and make an immediate shift to snapshots.

UNHEALTHY OBSESSION - The novel opens with Sophie spotting Chris, a cool, good-looking guy she'd met when they both worked on London tour buses. She's been obsessing over Chris for some time, and now, there he is, sitting at a table with a couple of friends in the pub where she's working. However, as we delve deeper into the novel, we discover that Chris is little more than a self-centered scumbag. Sophie also makes this discovery, in a way. Sara Pascoe observes: as we mature, we recognize that our happiness and personal growth frequently result from surviving negative events.

DEEP IN DEBT - Sophie spent money she didn't have—over £6,000—traveling to Australia to find Chris. This extravagance didn't work out nearly the way Sophie thought it might. Each section of the narrative is punctuated by short written correspondences, usually from a bank, credit company, or the law, asking Sophie to start paying up. In our current world, many women and men are in serious debt, but as Sara Pascoe notes, this is something one doesn't encounter in fiction. Not in her novel! We, as readers, are continually reminded just how much Sophie worries over her debt.

A WOMAN'S BODY, ONE - "The rage is always worst on the first day. The only positive is that my period cramps are drowning out the throbbing of my hemorrhoids/cancer, lucky me, happy birthday Jesus." Sophie is constantly aware of where she is in her menstrual cycle, a cycle that has a huge influence on her mood and sense of self-worth. Sophie even wonders if a woman commits murder at the beginning of her period, whether this should be considered a mitigating circumstance in a court of law. Sara Pascoe has always wanted to know where female characters in novels are in their menstrual cycle, but, alas, the author never tells us. Not so in her novel!

A WOMAN'S BODY, TWO - “Okay, pants down, seat up and I'm finally pissing. There's no elegant way to do this – I try not to get too much on my hand. I can never be entirely sure where exactly the urine is going to come from – yes, from my fanny obviously, but it seems like slightly different places sometimes.” Just as Raymond Carver and Richard Ford wrote in the style of "dirty realism," Sara Pascoe has crafted her own version of "bathroom realism." Reading Weirdo, we're presented with a complete picture of Sophie, from top to bottom.

LIGHTS, ACTION, CAMERA - “If I was in a film I'd be better-looking and that's why men in films like women in films even when they're terrible people.” Sophie continually thinks of films and TV; she imagines how glorious it would be if she were a star performing for the camera. Paradoxically, Sophie feels she's being continually watched by her mother, even through the eyes of a cat. Paranoia, anyone? Such is the irony of our modern world.

AM I NORMAL? - Sophie desperately wants to be normal, like everyone else. Unfortunately, what is considered 'normal' in today's world often borders on the pathological. It's a brutal fact that nearly all men and women find themselves trapped in their own minds, with a whirlwind of thoughts racing at lightning speed, perpetually disconnecting us from our bodies and our true nature.

BADASS BACKSTORY - Is it any wonder that Sophie's favorite fictional character is Matilda from the Roald Dahl novel? After all, like Matilda, she comes from an awful family and loves reading. The novel provides glimpses of just how awful Sophie's upbringing must have been, not only through her actual recollections but also in those scenes where Sophie deals with her mum and sister. One memorable instance is when her current boyfriend, Ian, spends Christmas with her at her mother's house. 'Also, Ian shouldn't be too pleased to receive her compliments; earlier in the evening, she had described Vladimir Putin as 'charismatic.' Yet, as Sara Pascoe remarks, Sophie's mom loves her – but in ways that are not so terribly apparent.

NOT EXACTLY ROMEO AND JULIET – Like most young lasses, Sophie would dearly love a relationship with deep intimacy, affection, sharing – and passion. But her reality is quite different. “I don't know what love is, but it's not this. It's not being treated like a horny binbag of rotting leaves. I asked him once why he won't even kiss me. I wasn't shouting and freaking out, by the way, I was being calm and listening and hoping I could make it better. He said he doesn't like kissing in case it might turn me on.”

Weirdo is a novel for our time. Pick up a copy and join Sophie on her London odyssey. A most rewarding read. There's also an audiobook where Sara Pascoe does the narrating. I'm currently making my way through a number of novels written by young authors. Without doubt, Weirdo counts as a high point.



At least my depression is making me poetic. I would leave such a good suicide note. 'Dear world, a boy won't text me and my haemorrhoids are back. Bye from Sophie.'