Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish a novel by David Rakoff is a touching story written all in rhyming verse. I was curious how a novel could be told in a Seussical form. My only experience with long stories in rhyme are Dr. Seuss and snippets of Love, Dishonor that I had heard on This American Life.
I was concerned about me following the story if I just read the story so I committed myself to reading the novel aloud to myself. This proved to be just the ticket. There’s something about reading aloud, when you engage more of your senses, of yourself that leaves a deeper mark in your psyche.
Some rhymes are interesting: séance with crayons, hoping with open.
The story spans most of the 20th century in a series of short stories that are linked by characters moving through their lives in time. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The illustrations that accompany the story are evocative and show insight into the characters.
I am glad I read this rather than just listened to it – although I do have the audiobook on hold. I want to hear Rakoff read his own work. He finished the audiobook shortly before he died. Short but lovely experience.
