1,001 Novels: A Library of America
Ms. Hempel Chronicles (2008)
by Sarah Shun-lien Bynum
"Manhattan"
New York: 61/105
Manhattan: 17/34
Half-way through Manhattan but with another potential bottom 10 book, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum's dull set of interlinked short stories about Ms Hempel the "cool" teacher at a (private?) Manhattan middle school. I am well aware that editor Susan Straight has selected numerous books set at schools (not so many set at colleges so far) in her 1,001 Novels: A Library of America project. Certainly it makes sense- it is hard to get more bang for your portrait-of-a-community novel than one set in an urban grade/middle/high school- all the teachers, all the parents, all the kids. Why, if you are clever enough you can include a half dozen or more different individual perspectives among the cast of characters. On the other hand you have the fact that every novel set within a school involves characters who live boring lives unless they are sad lives. School teachers are boring people, sorry teachers. I'm glad they exist but I'm not a "teachers are heroes" type.
As far as the Manhattan location goes- I couldn't even tell this book was set in Manhattan. I actually double checked the master list to make sure I was reading the right book. You'd think, at least, they'd go a recognizable museum at some point. Ms. Hempel suffers no indignities from living in Manhattan on a teacher salary, which I believe to be literally impossible. It was all very "why am I reading this book?"
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