Super Sad True Love Story

 

A political satire that reflects the future of the American society is captured in Gary Shteyngrat’s Super Sad True Love Story.  The story is built around the diaries of the main character, Lenny Abramov, a 39 year-old single Caucasian of Russian Jewish heritage and his love interest, Eunice Park, a 23 year old Korean woman, whose family emigrated from Korea and is financially secure.  The author uses the diary writings of Lenny and the on-line posts of Eunice as a way to capture the relationship of the two characters.  Lenny is an out of shape, middle class man who leaves the US to escape to find more to life by going to Rome.  Lenny falls in love instantly with Eunice and invites her to come back to the US by offering her a place to live, which she eventually accepts, even though at first she is “grossed out” by him.  Eunice over time begins to fall in love with Lenny, and over time introduces him to her family, who don’t see the match!   It is a strange match for sure, as she is interested in making Lenny fit her mold.  He will do anything for her.  As the relationship evolves so does the grim political situation where America is in fiscal disarray falling to their arch-rivals the Chinese, who have the US financial clout and are holding them hostage in an economic way.  The US government is trying to discourage unrest and promote consumerism.  The diaries of Lenny and the emails of Eunice serve as a reminder of capturing the moment and later serve as a reminder of how life is now being presented in the mainstream through social media, where “everyone knows one’s inner life story.”  Things get worse as the economy bottoms out, Lenny introduces Eunice to his 75 year old “youthful” boss who is a big-wig in a health related business to keep people looking and feeling young, and war seemingly has broken out in the New York City area (and both Lenny and Eunice’s family can’t be found).  Will Lenny and Eunice’s love withstand the trials and tribulations?   Will the US fall to China?  Can people keep their youthfulness?  There are some laugh out loud (LOL) moments in this one.  Lenny and Eunice’s relationship is quite non-traditional and demonstrates the lengths someone will go for staying young, getting the means they need to live their life, and trying to find out what love really is…  It is an acquired sense of humor and you will like it or not.   Kept me turning the page, so I enjoyed it.   A big departure from the recent reads I have had.