Curious Characters

As anyone who reads here regularly knows, I grew up in a rural area in a relatively small town. Actually, it’s a small city now but the atmosphere during my childhood was definitely small town. As my friend Ray used to say, we had a disproportionate share of village idiots.

Now, this is a good thing if you are a writer. Much of the popularity of Southern literature awes its appeal to the characters that populate those stories — whether good, bad or both — they are always unique and interesting. Curious characters are something that any writer does well to pay attention to and collect. Luckily Gloucester is another treasure trove of these. There is so much about them to love — the way they talk, their habits of dress and mannerisms, how they spend their time and, most importantly, how they interact — or don’t interact — with the rest of the world.

I have been thinking about this especially because I just gobbled up Ron Hansen’s delicious little book Isn’t It Romantic: An Entertainment. I love Ron Hansen. My love began years ago when I read Desperadoes and has continued through Atticus, Hitler’s Niece, and the exquisitely beautiful Mariette in Ecstasy which I have rhapsodized about before. Hansen watches people and mentally records every detail and they pour out in his books.

Isn’t It Romantic is quite a change of pace from his previous books but, oh, so delightful. The story, in short, is about a French couple, Natalie and Pierre, who wind up in a Seldom, Nebraska amid a cast of utterly hilarious characters intent on keeping them there fo a variety of reasons. Seldom was founded by a lost and cranky French trapper and so the town has an annual Revels to celebrate their founder and they decide this gift from Paris, a real French couple, should be their king and queen. And then there is the fact that Pierre is the heir to a French winery and the Seldom’s inept mechanic is an amateur vintner of surprising skill and a variety of romantic complications.

I have to tell you, I haven’t laughed out loud while reading a book in a long time. I was out at the beach last night reading and giggling to the point that two women came over to see what I was reading and wrote down the name of the book. Part of the humor is the hilarious attempts of Pierre to speak English and of the towns grande dame to speak French. But more than that it is the characters of the town. Let me tell you, any or all of them could have come from my home town. And, of course, there is the clash of cultures. My fingers hesitate as I type “cultures” because that is far removed from what this well-bred young French couple finds in Seldom. Nothing in their past has prepared them for the kind of guys who attend parties wearing beer can holder hats and teeshirts that read “Instant Idiot — Just Add Alcohol” and the kind of parties where the cuisine includes Cheez Whiz and Hostess Snowballs.

The thing about these characters is that you can’t help but love them — they are who they are — whatever the hell that is. As I was reading I couldn’t help but be reminded of a time many years ago when I accompanied a boyfriend to his family’s reunion held at a camping ground out in the woods near Moosehead Lake in Maine. That is not a thing any guy in his right mind would take a woman he is serious about to. If his intentions are serious, wait until after the knot is tied. It’s an instant relationship assassin, a weekend like that. Too much alcohol, Hamburger Helper and sugar. Not enough gray matter. But lots of characters!

And, speaking of characters: Peg, if you are reading this, I talked to Matt last night. He says “hi”!

Thanks for reading.