Madeleine is Sleeping

Sarah Shun-Lein Bynum's first novel Madeleine is Sleeping has been sitting on my shelf for quite a while. It garnered several stellar reviews when it came out in 2004, and I have to agree: it was quite an inventive novel with a charming story. As you can probably infer from the title, Madeleine, the main character, is sleeping. The novel follows her in her dream world, and it is told in short, dream-like flashes. The beginning is a little tough to get into--the very short (less than a page) chapters are almost prose-poems, introducing each of the fanciful characters: an obese woman who sprouts wings, a musician's wife whose body turns into a cello, an obese man who performs fart concerts. You can hear these passages being read aloud in that too-serious, too-slow, too-deliberate voice that poets use at readings. But as the characters' lives become intertwined and the story picks up, it becomes quite engrossing.

The story itself is something akin to Chocolat or Audrey Niffenegger's Three Incestuous Sisters--it is set in a provincial French town in the early nineteenth century (at least from what I can tell) and there is a definite element of magic to the story. Which works, given that this is basically an extended dream sequence. At times a little earthy, it is almost like Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups. It is also a quick read, which helps on a project like mine. Of the 257 pages, I'd say fewer than half have words on the full page.

So, I'm 7 books down with 52 to go. Is it indicative of my gluttony that I'm thinking about starting a list of books to read after this is over? Near the top would be Bynum's new novel published last year: Ms. Hempel Chronicles.