The Dangers of Proximate Alphabets (Kathleen Alcott)

         I was taught that if I couldn't say something nice then not to say anything at all. I'm kidding. I was never taught that- but have heard it so I can just ignore it.  This book was something that I had heard of and took what I heard and the summary and painted this picture of what to expect.  I thought I would immediately relate to it having grown up with a couple boys that I was really close to. I thought it would be a childhood tale of what it means to be friends or lovers or whatever. It was kind of that. And it kind of wasn't. What it was was a very poetically written account of a girl Ida and two brothers Jackson and James. They are very close and Ida and Jackson are together and you get little tidbits of things you might be able to understand, concrete things like living together, having sex and making art. What always frustrates me is the all the stuff that I don't get, vast lacy descriptions of things that I'm sure are very Literature-like and important but come across to this reader as just fancy speak.  It was okay. I'm glad I read it. But I'm afraid I can only liken it to a really good meditation teacher. Someone who has a very soothing voice that can lull you to another state but you forget it as soon as it's over. But that's just my opinion of course.