GRIEF IS FOR PEOPLE

by Sloane Crosley

My co-editor and I sometimes struggle with naming a book Not My Cup of Tea.  Rarely do the books that end up here qualify as awful.  For me, it is usually more a case of opening said book with high expectations and then being let down in some way.

I became aware of Grief Is for People when hearing it praised in a podcast about must-read books.  I had never heard of Sloane Crosley, despite her reputation as witty and a “renowned observer of contemporary behavior.” (Book flap.) But, how could I not be intrigued by the prospect of a “witty” book about suicide?

In trying to articulate my objections to the book, I mostly feel like it falls flat.  First Crosley writes about how her New York City apartment was robbed and the feelings of violation that caused.  Then, her best friend kills himself one month later.  She links these two events and writes of her grief and insecurity.  That she is able to see any humor at all in her situation is probably a good thing.  But, to my ear, it all  feels like a bit of a stretch—maybe even disingenuous or forced. Crosley’s dual shocks of robbery and suicide were horrendous, for sure.  But reading about them in Grief Is for People, for me, was upsetting in a way the author hadn’t intended.  For that reason, I am choosing it as Not My Cup of Tea. (Liz)