Forms of Devotion

Stories and pictures
Author: Diane Schoemperlen
Subject: fiction, Canadian literature
My rating: 3*


About the book:
I never heard of this Canadian author, and stumbled upon the book after reading some reviews on LT. It's a collection of 11 stories (or essays?), accompanied by old wood and line drawings. The pictures are either the foundation of the story, or the story was written first and then the pictures were added. The pictures definitely make this book more interesting- in a way I was more fascinated by the images rather than the text. Some stories are quite strange; however the language is beautiful, delicious and poetic, like a cold watermelon slice on a hot summer day (here, Diane, I've done it!). It is a very strange book if I can say that; it needs an acquired reading taste in order to enjoy it.

From the book:
'Mostly Helen's "secret" was whatever enabled her to not need a man (or them, for that matter), to live alone for all those years without having to compromise, capitulate, or provide nutritional meals, clean clothes, and satisfying sex on demand.'

'[...]lie down in a quiet darkened room and free your mind from the prison of everyday thinking. Forget about the dishes that need doing, the dog that needs walking, the lawn that needs mowing, and your family that needs feeding again and again. Concentrate. Push away the obvious choices, the easy answers. Dispense of the ideas which are as old as the hills. Instead, train your mind to float away to a higher plane where all thoughts are made new again.'

'Avoid the temptations of envy, pride, fast food, and daytime TV talk shows. Succumbing to the temptation of envy will turn you into a bitter and twisted person who is unable to share in the happy love affairs and dazzling career triumphs of your friends.'