The Long Haul (Amanda Stern)

The Long Haul—are you in for it? In other words, can you commit to a relationship for the good times and the bad, for better or for worse? In Amanda Stern’s (obviously first) book, she explores the character of a young woman of college age who commits to a relationship that is doomed from the beginning to be nothing but “worse.” Her committed partner is the needy, co-dependant, controlling and unstable character simply referred to as “the alcoholic.” In the main character’s defense, I will say that at least the alcoholic plays the guitar—musical talent and rock-star potential forgive so many other glaring errors in female eyes, right?

There are things I like about the book. I love the boyfriend’s moniker/alias, that we never know his true name. I like the structure of the book. It’s short, quick, flowing. In a way, it’s a series of related short stories more than a traditional novel and I like that. On the other hand, it seems a bit played out. Unoriginal and faded with all the experimentation with time and perspective that has characterized literary fiction in the last decade or so.

Sadly, Stern’s book is simply dated. Although it was only published in 2003, the form (as mentioned above) and also the subject matter seems to me to be pure adolescent 1990s. And as a child of the Cobain generation, I suppose I should know. The main character is all about her psychiatric troubles—even cutting is mentioned—dresses in baggy boyish digs and eventually succumbs to depression, not leaving her bed for days on end. It’s all very Prozac Nation, if you ask me. Self-involved, very drama-rama-dramatic—not necessarily bad traits but, again, very adolescent. This made the main character un-relatable in my eyes and the alcoholic purely pathetic. I mean, couldn’t you make me actually feel something for the bastard?

The kicker that dates this piece is the musical repetition at one point of a Jane’s Addiction song (Jane Says) last released in 1990:

Jane says / I’m done with Sergio / He treats me like a rag doll…

Jane says / I’m done with Sergio / He treats me like a rag doll…

Jane says / I’m done with Sergio / He treats me like a rag doll…

Well, Gnomey says, I’m done with the Long Haul. It treated me like it was 1995. I’m sure as an adolescent myself, I would have appreciated the dark, brooding nature of this book. But now, it only seems interesting and promising but flat and unoriginal. Dated before it was even released. Sorry, Amanda. Nothing personal, darling.