When the Messenger is Hot: Stories,
by Elizabeth Crane
Little, Brown and Company, 2003
I never really expected to find myself reading, much less enjoying, a book that could potentially be categorized as "chick lit." While not technically ranked up with the likes of Candace Bushnell, Elizabeth Crane is definitely a contender with her short story collection When the Messenger is Hot.
Crane's collection of fast-talking heroines rivals the cast of any Woody Allen film for exotic neurosis. These are women with relationship problems, family woes and work troubles. In one story, a woman catalogues the string of guys she's dated all with the name Dave. In another story, a woman befriends a ghost-baby named Christina.
The latter story mentioned is actually my favorite as it has psychological metaphoric value -- intended or not. The young heroine discovers and mothers her inner child before she can successfully open up to her boyfriend.
The only problem I had with this collection is the homogeneity of voice. While each character is a different person in a wildly different situation, you cannot really distinguish one heroine from another. They're all fast-talking neurotics with a penchant for verbal monologue.
This is unfortunate for Crane, who is talented at devising interesting plots, and equally skilled at driving narrative. If she can just provide a better differentiation of characters, developing distinct, unique voices for each, she can become a literary force in urban contemporary fiction.
