[book review]
The First Hurt
Stories by Rachel Sherman
10 stories; 148 pages; average story length: 14 pages
Published in 2006 by Open City Books
$13.00
Reviewed by Brittany Siler
The First Hurt is stark, frank, and smart. Consisting of ten short, blunted stories, this read might only take you an afternoon by the beach or a few hours at the Laundromat to finish. Containing abrupt endings and the lack of character development, the collection may initially come off as a little dry. But…on the other hand, sometimes less is more. I rather enjoyed reading something by an author who was not so pompous as to try to sound like a literary genius, embellishing with prodigious words that you only see in equally turgid writings…but never hear spoken in a conversation.
My personal favorites were the seemingly autobiographical chapters: the self-titled “First Hurt”, depicting a teenage girl with chronic skin problems who pines dully for a popular lacrosse player…who in turn is dating somebody prettier and cooler. The “Neutered Bulldog”, where only some parts are left to the imagination when describing a high school girl who vies with a male student for the intimate attention of their female teacher. “Keeping Time” discusses a somewhat inappropriate relationship between a young camp counselor and her charges, who inquire with zeal about her sex life, and are rewarded.
Sherman bravely goes to places that most authors are too squeamish to describe, like the sexuality of children—something everyone has dealt with in their own youth, but is reluctant to discuss. Ugliness, both physical and internal, is touched upon in several of the stories. Not afraid of the unattractive, Sherman is able to aptly convey the less than pretty aspects of life—describing greasy hair, yellowed armpit stains, skin picked raw, and the smell of gasoline.
Together, the stories read like snippets of a quilt with great big pieces missing. Some may be related, and some use the same characters, although at different periods in their lives. When you’re finished, you’ll probably note that several stories relate to some part of your life. We can remember being a conscientious teenager, abundantly aware of something that makes us different or ugly, or a time when someone creepy made us feel uncomfortable but we went along with the scenario anyway. Every story presents a picture of an individual or a family or a group of people, and through a small aperture, you are permitted to spy on a small, short part of their lives. The feeling is somewhat voyeuristic, and for that reason, I recommend this book.
BS