April 23, 2007

Little Stalker by Jennifer Belle: Review

I finished Jennifer Belle's Little Stalker and I have a toddler-- I think that is quite an endorsement in itself. I will be reading High Maintenance soon. When I was in high school I love Banana Yoshimoto's Kitchen this has a similar feel - except put broken mirrors all over it and make it absolutely heartbreakingly hilarious then you will get Little Stalker.


We meet Rebekah Kettle in her 33rd year of life in which she explores her interior and her exterior world. She is a successful first time novelist, but she is procrastinating writing the follow-up novel. Rebekah becomes obsessed with many things in her 33rd year including her time line. The time line already includes a trip to Disney world where she looses her virginity, a trip to the doctor for an abortion, many counseling sessions, failed relationships with self absorbed men, and her parents divorcing. She decides it is important to improve her time line. The character of Rebekah is juxtaposed to her favorite writer and director Arthur Weeman. He inspires intense admiration from Rebekah which increases as she feels her world shift. She collects objects from his movie sets for her undecorated flat including a gondola as well as used tissues. She watches his movie and cries at the perfection of the writing. After she meets an eccentric old lady that has an apartment with a great view into the great author Mr. Weeman's kitchen R. starts writing him letters as if she is a 13 year old girl. Mr. Weeman has a preference for very young girls. The book explores the dynamic between the Humbert Humbert type characters and the Lolitas in the world. I felt very uncomfortable watching her probe and entice a perv into action. I was a voyeur right along with R.K. and I could not look away. Through the book I never stopped caring for Rebekah even though her actions made me intensely uncomfortable. Jennifer Belle takes the reader through taboo subjects to come out in the end feeling that we are all human and in our voyeuristic society a little H.H. probably resides in most of us just like we have some Lolita in our psyche.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Is it so amazingly fantastic that it should be added to one's already way too long reading list? Or a great but wait until later type of great? ;)

bellemanda said...

I suppose that depends on the length of your waiting list -- nudge nudge wink wink know what i mean?

Anonymous said...

Little Stalker was my favorite book of this year. It's a must read. Just found your blog by googling the book.

Melissa Lion
www.melissalion.com

Anonymous said...

High Maintenance is my favorite of hers, and the first I read. Then I read Going Down, but it was still High Maintenance I identified with and turned me into a Jenniferolist. Snort! :)
I just started Little Stalker so I didn't read your review, but I'll come back. It's surprising how many things that happen in her stories actually happen to her. Maybe that's what makes me love her writing so much.

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!