December is traditionally a slow month for new book releases. So I tend to treat it as a backlist bonanza — spending these few precious weeks catching up on titles I overlooked or just didn’t have time to read earlier in the year. There are always a few treasures in that bunch. One of them is John Kenney’s touching novel, I See You’ve Called in Dead.
The story centers on professional obituary writer Bud Stanley. He’s more resigned than bitter about his recent divorce, but he’s utterly uninspired by his work and his life in general. One night after an epic fail of a blind date, Bud drinks himself into a stupor and writes his own obituary.
“Bud Stanley, the first man to perform open heart surgery on himself, died today in a hot air balloon accident. He was 44,” the account begins. “His wife, Miss France, has confirmed the death...”
He completes the fantastical obit and then accidentally publishes it through his company’s system. That puts him into a sort of professional limbo: He can’t be fired, because he’s dead in the system, and they can’t fire a dead person. So he’s given a paid leave of absence, and that’s when the 40-something obituary writer comes face-to-face with his own dead-end life. During his suspension, Bud has lunch with a longtime editor and mentor, who takes Bud by the shoulders and tries to rouse him from his emotional purgatory: “You are an obituary writer who does not understand the first thing about life,” the editor tells him. “Wake up.”
Bud uses his newfound freedom to reconnect with Tim, a friend and neighbor who is paraplegic. At a memorial service for Bud’s mother-in-law, they meet Clara, a young woman who likes to attend strangers’ funerals just to contemplate her own mortality. The three set out on a funeral tour of sorts, meeting interesting characters along the way and gathering regularly at Tim’s place to drink wine and chat about the meaning of life.
Kenney’s writing is sharp and sarcastic, and many scenes are laugh-out-loud hilarious. But beneath the humor lies a tender story that shines with emotional honesty. In the style of Richard Russo, Kenney develops each character by revealing details of how they came to be where they are. He illustrates how everyone deals with their own personal struggles. And if they’re lucky they find someone — or a whole network of people — to help ease the burden.
“You and me and a billion others,” Clara tells him, “we walk around with these deep wounds that alter how we think and what we say, the relationships we have, who we trust, the decisions we make. That keeps us from really living.”
As Bud contemplates his purpose on the planet, we are reminded that life’s meaning comes from spending time with people you love. The novel celebrates life and encourages living it to the fullest, and Kenney manages to do all that without being either saccharine or preachy. I See You’ve Called in Dead is a surprising little treat of a novel to cherish and share with others.
