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A review by ratgrrrl
This Is Not Your Fault by Courtney Maum
5.0
Heartrending and Heartwarming
CW: Covid (Referenced in passing), Divorce
I am not sure what to say about this short story other than the fact I really enjoyed it. I have struggled with works that reference Covid as my partner and I are in the at risk category due to our chronic conditions and essentially forced to continue the lockdown life forever (The phenomenal Louise Erdrich's The Sentence was a gut punch, but incredible nonetheless), and I have had mixed experiences with epistolaries, but this was genuinely brilliant. The Covid of it all, while strangely a lynch pin of the narrative, is only referenced in passing and is more about the Zoom era than anything else, and the epistolaries being documents and emails regarding the divorce proceedings are handled really well -- short and punchy, filled with personality and driving the story.
This is a story about compatibility, needs, and communication, as well as the expected course of events. Witnessing the potential break up of two decent people (as decent as someone in real estate and wealthy enough to have employees shelter in place with them can be) who have no animosity towards each other is somehow equally, if not more, emotional than if there was mutual hatred or a one-sided feeling. There's something devastating about the niceness of it all.
I've seen some reviews talk about the ending being abrupt or not wrapped up, which it somewhat is...but that is entirely purposeful. Short stories often end suddenly and/ or with an ambiguity that is the point, which is very much the case of this one. We are left with things changing and an uncertain potential. That's great. There are some short stories on here that I do think end without purpose or effectiveness, but this isn't among them.
There has definitely been some variance in quality and some I haven't enjoyed, but I'm genuinely blown away by just how great and varied so many of the Audible Original stories included in the library have been. Will definitely be reading more of the author.
CW: Covid (Referenced in passing), Divorce
I am not sure what to say about this short story other than the fact I really enjoyed it. I have struggled with works that reference Covid as my partner and I are in the at risk category due to our chronic conditions and essentially forced to continue the lockdown life forever (The phenomenal Louise Erdrich's The Sentence was a gut punch, but incredible nonetheless), and I have had mixed experiences with epistolaries, but this was genuinely brilliant. The Covid of it all, while strangely a lynch pin of the narrative, is only referenced in passing and is more about the Zoom era than anything else, and the epistolaries being documents and emails regarding the divorce proceedings are handled really well -- short and punchy, filled with personality and driving the story.
This is a story about compatibility, needs, and communication, as well as the expected course of events. Witnessing the potential break up of two decent people (as decent as someone in real estate and wealthy enough to have employees shelter in place with them can be) who have no animosity towards each other is somehow equally, if not more, emotional than if there was mutual hatred or a one-sided feeling. There's something devastating about the niceness of it all.
I've seen some reviews talk about the ending being abrupt or not wrapped up, which it somewhat is...but that is entirely purposeful. Short stories often end suddenly and/ or with an ambiguity that is the point, which is very much the case of this one. We are left with things changing and an uncertain potential. That's great. There are some short stories on here that I do think end without purpose or effectiveness, but this isn't among them.
There has definitely been some variance in quality and some I haven't enjoyed, but I'm genuinely blown away by just how great and varied so many of the Audible Original stories included in the library have been. Will definitely be reading more of the author.