Mrs. Somebody Somebody
93. Tracy Winn, Mrs. Somebody Somebody
This book is a collection of interconnected short stories set in the town of Lowell, Massachusetts. The first story is set in 1947 and follows a group of women who are eking out a living in a hosiery mill. The second story deals with the mill owner’s son, the third story with the son’s wife, and so on - all the characters intertwine with one another throughout the course of the book, as the time line progresses from the 1940s to the present day. In all the stories, Winn evokes the feeling of small-town New England while exploring themes such as love (usually ending tragically), isolation, and unhappiness.
If I had to describe this book in one word, I’d say that it’s very literary, with all that that word implies. On the plus side, the stories are well written; Winn’s style is restrained and elegant without being pretentious. The stories all have a certain tone which, to my mind, fits perfectly with the type of person she is writing about. On the minus side, none of these stories have a happy ending, with the possible exception of the last. Although I personally prefer happy endings, I’m not asking for sunshine and rainbows all the time; but does every story have to be so bleak and depressing? This is my problem with most literary fiction - the unrelenting gloom and melancholy - and this book is no exception. I think Winn is a good writer, but these stories just aren’t my cup of tea.