[READ: January 20, 2023] Sweet Desserts
I absolutely loved Ellmann’s Ducks, Newburyport. It was unlike anything else I had read up to that point. I also assumed it was her first book because I hadn’t heard of her before and there wasn’t really any talk of her previous books.
But it turns out that she had written many books before Ducks–and they all seem to be very different in style from Ducks.
This novel, her debut, is so radically different as to be almost from a different author.
This is, as I understand it, a semi-autobiographical story. Well, the entire bio we get from her on the back of the book is “born in Illinois and moved to England, somewhat unwillingly, at the age of thirteen.” In the novel, the main character is Suzy Schwarz, an American girl who is moved to England when her mother dies.
The book is short (150 pages) and each chapter is roughly three or four pages. It opens with Suzy as yet unborn and her older sister Franny as the center of attention. Suzy was sickly when she was born and Franny rather doted on her–although Franny was always clearly the one in charge.
Every chapter has excerpts from other things quoted in it–often without context. One chapter about the young girls has a recipe for for cooking eels.
The story jumps back and forth between England and America. In England, when the women are older, they have sex a lot (Ellmann does not hold back on the explicitness, she loves sex and wants women to have lots of orgasms).
There is a lot about food in the book because Fran develops a weight problem (Ellmann talks a lot about women with weight problems). Later Suzy buys Colossus magazine (a porn about large women) and admires the personal ads: Huge Sue (84-70-73) Where did she fine Size 73 knickers?.
Back in America, Suzy steals Franny’s exes, or maybe gets set up with boys whom Franny knows. She spends a lot of time with Chris. They tried to have sex before she left for England, but his penis was not convinced — I flew to England a virgin.
In England, both women pursued the study of Art. Franny was more successful in academia. Although Suzy was more successful in romance. Well sort of. She found a man, but he was a dud. They barely had sex, and when she finally convinced him to, she became pregnant. But Jeremy is terrible and they soon separate.
Suzy goes on some trips writing articles for various magazines (all with the same initials D,K Magazine (Detailed Knowledge, or Dependable Kerchief) [parts of this book reminded me of William Gaddis’ JR] and is then sent back to New York to check out the art scene. She meets one particular artist and has a wild affair with him. She even brings him to Vermont to meet Franny (and to help Franny move her stuff).
The story ends with Franny and Suzy mad at each other, but surely another family tragedy can bring them together.
The story is quite odd. It feels real, but also hyperreal. Nonchalant, but pointedly specific Absurd and truthful. It was very well received when it was written. I feel like it probably deserved more attention that I gave it, but I didn’t feel like reading it a second time. Maybe someday.
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