Sunday, December 23, 2007

Inspiration?

Danielle Ganek's Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him was one of those books that I'd been noticing in bookstores for a while now. It came home with me from my last trip to the library, and I don't really know what to say about it.

Readers of this blog will know that's unusual for me. After spending a few days with a book, I can usually form some kind of opinion. Generally, they'll make me laugh, or make me think differently about something. Sometimes, they'll make me wonder what the point was, and on one memorable occasion, they'll be so bloody awful that even nine months after I finished it, I still blog about it once a month (Citizen Girl anyone?). I can usually at least say that I considered the book either a fun way to pass some time or a colossal waste of time and paper.

Lulu, however, didn't really spark any of these feelings in me. I've put off writing about it for a while because of that. I can't even really say that it was boring or unmemorable. I remember it, all right: narrated by "gallerina" and aspiring artist Mia McMurray, it is the tale of how the attempt to acquire a painting (the title of the book) by an artist who was hit by a car and killed the night of his opening affects all of those involved. The niece of the deceased painter and several well-known collectors all attempt to stake their claim. In the midst of all this are pretentious gallery owners (like Mia's boss), Mia's snotty fellow gallerinas, a sexy art dealer, and a sexy but rough Irish artist. Mia speaks as your guide through this universe, a docent perhaps, encouraging you to notice this and observe that. The chapter headings are clever, generally phrased as invitations ("Please Come For March Book Club at the home of Mrs. Martin Better"). And Mia herself is likeable enough.

So what's missing? I still don't know. I'm not even sure if it's missing from the book, or missing from me. But even after a week's worth of thought, I can still state definitively that I have no opinion about Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him. I can't even peg it as typical chick lit, because it's really not. So if anyone out there has read it and has any thoughts, I hope you post them. I'd be interested to hear them. I can't conjure up a one.