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In the Language of Love
In this astonishingly inventive novel, Diane Schoemperlen uses the 100 stimulus words from the Standard Word Association Test as a narrative framework for exploring her heroine's growing understanding of the meaning of love. A tour de force of wit and wordplay, In the Language of Love is a wise and compassionate collage of one woman's coming of emotional age.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 1996
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192 people want to read
About the author
Diane Schoemperlen
67 books68 followersDiane Schoemperlen, short-story writer, novelist, teacher, editor (b at Thunder Bay, Ont 9 July 1954). Diane Schoemperlen grew up in Thunder Bay, Ont, and attended Lakehead University. After graduating in 1976, she spent a summer studying at the Banff Centre, under such writers as W.O. MITCHELL and Alice MUNRO. Since 1986, she has focused on her writing career and has taught creative writing at schools such as St Lawrence College and the Kingston School of Writing. She currently lives in Kingston, Ontario.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 11, 2007
Simply put: If you do not recognize the quiet and powerful beauty of this novel, then I do not care to know you.
I'm not sure how I ended up with this book, where it came from, why I picked it up. I know of no other work by the author and am not normally attracted to this sort of subject matter. But I will say that the novelist is a force to be reckoned with and that this book is one of the most inventive and original books I have ever read.
The protagonist is Joanna. She's a reasonably successful collage artist. She is also a wife, a mother, and beginning to fear that, as she gets older, she's turning into Esther, her own mother, who Joanna seems to recall as being perpetually angry. That's about it. I can't tell you more than that because there isn't more to tell. This is not a novel about plot. It's about character, one woman's emotional coming of age.
What makes this novel so unique is its execution. Schoemperlen uses the 100 stimulus words from the Standard Word Association Test as a narrative framework. The first chapter is called "Table" and it's a recollection of dreadful dinners spent with her parents as a child. Another chapter, entitled, "River" is a memory of almost-sexual indiscretion with a man whose name Joanna cannot recall. A third ("Light") is a proud recalling of her son's first words. Obviously, we learn a few things about Joanna along the way (she once carried on an affair with a married man, she's deathly afraid of the dark, she stole a pair of black panties once from a department store), but, again, this novel is not about plot. It's a character study.
It's also highly recommended.
I'm not sure how I ended up with this book, where it came from, why I picked it up. I know of no other work by the author and am not normally attracted to this sort of subject matter. But I will say that the novelist is a force to be reckoned with and that this book is one of the most inventive and original books I have ever read.
The protagonist is Joanna. She's a reasonably successful collage artist. She is also a wife, a mother, and beginning to fear that, as she gets older, she's turning into Esther, her own mother, who Joanna seems to recall as being perpetually angry. That's about it. I can't tell you more than that because there isn't more to tell. This is not a novel about plot. It's about character, one woman's emotional coming of age.
What makes this novel so unique is its execution. Schoemperlen uses the 100 stimulus words from the Standard Word Association Test as a narrative framework. The first chapter is called "Table" and it's a recollection of dreadful dinners spent with her parents as a child. Another chapter, entitled, "River" is a memory of almost-sexual indiscretion with a man whose name Joanna cannot recall. A third ("Light") is a proud recalling of her son's first words. Obviously, we learn a few things about Joanna along the way (she once carried on an affair with a married man, she's deathly afraid of the dark, she stole a pair of black panties once from a department store), but, again, this novel is not about plot. It's a character study.
It's also highly recommended.
March 7, 2016
Don't be afraid of 100 chapters. They are short and brilliant. The concept of this book and the writing are utterly brilliant.
This is writing at its most perfect. I loved it.
This is writing at its most perfect. I loved it.
July 17, 2011
One of the chapter headings of Diane Schoemperlen's In the Language of Love is lamp. She uses the word to describe family photos and sees each photo as a lamp lighting up a particular moment of family history. In that same way she uses the 100 words of the Kent-Rosanoff Word Association Test as chapter headings, each word shedding light on different moments in the life of Joanne, whose story this is. That's the life of the book. Life, and love, is what the novel's about. It's not the prose that excites; it's more or less conventional, pedestrian. What excites is the way Schoemperlen tells Joanne's story through the use of the 100 standard words, forming 100 slices of life and narrative which, when put together, form her life and, more specifically, her language of love. Joanne herself, through her creator, recognizes she has only language to work with. She knows that the past, present, and future of all lives are structured by the use of words. What Schoemperlen does is use a word--like mountain, citizen, head, for instance--woven into the chapter it heads to describe what that particular word has meant to Joanne at different periods of her life and how it relates to the person she was as well as to lovers and family around her. It's a love story. It's a catalog of the different kinds of love Joanne experiences as she progresses from childhood to the mother of a young son. In that sense she's an everywoman. Maybe that's why she doesn't fail. Her fulfillment is beautiful.
May 16, 2011
There are many things in life that are difficult but the right choices you make determines a happier person. Joanne is a artist that lives a complicated life, while dealing with her stubborn mother Esther and trying to remain stable in different relationships. In addition her father Clarence lives as a shadow for Joanne, and she seeks his approval. Her son Samuel is the one one that puts her at ease with his questions about life and why are things such, but even he is a burden for Joanne. Things go from great to turmoil when her boyfriend Lewis dumps her because he cannot make a commitment with her, considering that he is married to Wanda. If that is not enough to send Joanna up the wall, she struggles to remain sane while Gordon is just a substitute for the man,she really wants which is Lewis.
This book is not only remarkable but it teaches you valuable lessons about life, and it is humorous while poignant. Needless to say, this has become another favorite of mine. It is highly contemplative and recommended for both genders and regardless of the genre you prefer.
This book is not only remarkable but it teaches you valuable lessons about life, and it is humorous while poignant. Needless to say, this has become another favorite of mine. It is highly contemplative and recommended for both genders and regardless of the genre you prefer.
July 17, 2013
Schoemperlen is one of the few constant innovators and risk-takers with the form of Canadian fiction. As this title suggests you are presented with a serving of one hundred slices in this narrative. Take your time. Chew well. Listen for echoes between the chapters. Hushing is better than rushing. After all, it is about love. Take your time. You do not want to arrive at the end of love too soon.
July 17, 2012
Diane Schoemperlen is a Canadian writer, living in Kingston, Ontario; although she has occasionally taught a workshop, she makes her living as a writer and I admire that about her. She also worked as the Writer-in-Residence at Queens University in the Winter 2012 Term. Don’t worry ... I am not her stalker; I recently read one of her short stories (“Red Plaid Shirt”) for a Canadian Short Fiction class I took. In fact, I did a one-hour presentation about Schoemperlen and her work, and in the process, I learned as much about her as I could ... which is how I stumbled upon "In the Language of Love" (1994).
Joanna “is both character in and omniscient narrator of this moment” (342), which is to say that "In the Language of Love" is the story of Joanna. She struggles in her most important relationships: the ones with men, the one with her mother and in the one as a mother.
For me, the most intriguing thing about this story is the manner in which it is told. Its structure comes from the 100 words of the Kent-Rosanoff Word Association Test, which originally appeared in their article in the "American Journal of Insanity" (1910). Essentially, the subject rates each in a series of one hundred words as positive, negative or neutral ... then the doctor proclaims the subject to be crazy or not-crazy. I’m oversimplifying, but the idea that this novel took its shape from a word association test that determines one’s level of sanity is fascinating because one of the themes running throughout the story is whether Joanna is “normal”. She is often “wondering” and replaying things from her past and thinking about their significance in her life, imagining herself to be “happy” and “good”, a “real mother after all” (325). Joanna is embarrassingly honest; and it’s funny ... probably because most of the things Joanna admits to or refers to, I can relate to. “The baby is crying. The baby is hungry. The baby is eating. The baby is full. The baby is crying. The baby has gas. The baby is crying. The baby is hungry. The baby is eating. The baby is full. The baby is crying. The baby has a dirty diaper. The baby is crying. The mommy is crying. The baby is hungry again. The mommy is losing her mind” (240). Come on – if you have had a baby, you can relate to this. And if you had your baby a few years ago, you can laugh at yourself now, right? There is more to this passage, and it’s funny ... “The daddy is useless because he has no milk in his breasts.” Ha!
Each chapter is titled with a word, and each word sparks a memory or a thought or a worry; the above passage is taken from the chapter, “Hungry”. Many chapters use a single word to detail a common thread through Joanna’s life, from her childhood to motherhood; in the chapter, “Religion,” Joanna’s childhood experiences with religion and her mother’s religious uncertainty are recalled, followed by her two (most important) lovers’ religious beliefs, and finally her current feelings on the matter ... “She finds herself praying a lot more than she used to. Her prayers now are about warding off loss” (269).
Schoemperlen likes to mess around with form and structure; her most recent piece of fiction, "At a Loss for Words", is written as a series of e-mails exchanged between lovers. And she is now working on a book of literary collages.
This is most certainly not the last book I’ll read by Schoemperlen.
Joanna “is both character in and omniscient narrator of this moment” (342), which is to say that "In the Language of Love" is the story of Joanna. She struggles in her most important relationships: the ones with men, the one with her mother and in the one as a mother.
For me, the most intriguing thing about this story is the manner in which it is told. Its structure comes from the 100 words of the Kent-Rosanoff Word Association Test, which originally appeared in their article in the "American Journal of Insanity" (1910). Essentially, the subject rates each in a series of one hundred words as positive, negative or neutral ... then the doctor proclaims the subject to be crazy or not-crazy. I’m oversimplifying, but the idea that this novel took its shape from a word association test that determines one’s level of sanity is fascinating because one of the themes running throughout the story is whether Joanna is “normal”. She is often “wondering” and replaying things from her past and thinking about their significance in her life, imagining herself to be “happy” and “good”, a “real mother after all” (325). Joanna is embarrassingly honest; and it’s funny ... probably because most of the things Joanna admits to or refers to, I can relate to. “The baby is crying. The baby is hungry. The baby is eating. The baby is full. The baby is crying. The baby has gas. The baby is crying. The baby is hungry. The baby is eating. The baby is full. The baby is crying. The baby has a dirty diaper. The baby is crying. The mommy is crying. The baby is hungry again. The mommy is losing her mind” (240). Come on – if you have had a baby, you can relate to this. And if you had your baby a few years ago, you can laugh at yourself now, right? There is more to this passage, and it’s funny ... “The daddy is useless because he has no milk in his breasts.” Ha!
Each chapter is titled with a word, and each word sparks a memory or a thought or a worry; the above passage is taken from the chapter, “Hungry”. Many chapters use a single word to detail a common thread through Joanna’s life, from her childhood to motherhood; in the chapter, “Religion,” Joanna’s childhood experiences with religion and her mother’s religious uncertainty are recalled, followed by her two (most important) lovers’ religious beliefs, and finally her current feelings on the matter ... “She finds herself praying a lot more than she used to. Her prayers now are about warding off loss” (269).
Schoemperlen likes to mess around with form and structure; her most recent piece of fiction, "At a Loss for Words", is written as a series of e-mails exchanged between lovers. And she is now working on a book of literary collages.
This is most certainly not the last book I’ll read by Schoemperlen.
May 29, 2021
Synopsis from amazon.com:
'Joanna is a collage artist, an appropriate calling for the protagonist of one of the finest montages of language to head south from Canada since Margaret Atwood's Surfacing. In her first novel, Schoemperlen (author of The Man of My Dreams, 1990, and three other story collections) has taken 100 words from the 1910 Kent-Rosanoff Word Association Test and used each as a chapter title. The result is an elegant pastiche of forms that conveys-in non-chronological free-association-the story of Joanna's everywoman life.'
This book is still on my shelf, a sign that I appreciate the beauty of the writing and will read it again one day. It's a great tale-- a very inventive way to tell the simple story of a woman's life. I liked it very much.
'Joanna is a collage artist, an appropriate calling for the protagonist of one of the finest montages of language to head south from Canada since Margaret Atwood's Surfacing. In her first novel, Schoemperlen (author of The Man of My Dreams, 1990, and three other story collections) has taken 100 words from the 1910 Kent-Rosanoff Word Association Test and used each as a chapter title. The result is an elegant pastiche of forms that conveys-in non-chronological free-association-the story of Joanna's everywoman life.'
This book is still on my shelf, a sign that I appreciate the beauty of the writing and will read it again one day. It's a great tale-- a very inventive way to tell the simple story of a woman's life. I liked it very much.
November 16, 2012
The artistry of this book cannot be denied, it is almost like looking through someone's scrap book or photo album. I realized that my feelings about this book matched my mood- when I was feeling sort of neurotic and self-absorbed I loved it. When I was feeling like I did not want to be involved with this woman's reflections, I nearly abandoned it.
A relatively quick read, and of course no real huge revelations about the status of women, but the author has taken a very cool approach. Interesting, if just for it's process. The content is a bit...predictable.
A relatively quick read, and of course no real huge revelations about the status of women, but the author has taken a very cool approach. Interesting, if just for it's process. The content is a bit...predictable.
May 24, 2016
Thought provoking, witty and tender and big fun, DS has provided an innovative structure that captures exceedingly well the jagged facets of love, life, and the passage of time in context. Bonus suggestions for different kinds of musical accompaniment for our daily sins.
The 100 chapter headings are those given in the Kent-Rosanoff Word Association test from the American Journal of Insanity, 1910
The 100 chapter headings are those given in the Kent-Rosanoff Word Association test from the American Journal of Insanity, 1910
May 18, 2011
I really liked this book, would have given it 4.5 if I could. I loved that she used 100 words as the headings of her chapters. Because the flow is jumbled, it almost felt like you were learning about someone in a sense through conversation, where different topics would trigger something else. Very creative.
March 8, 2018
One of my favourite books.
December 20, 2024
Joanna and I think a lot alike
September 10, 2016
I quite liked this. The language was pretty and the short-prose format was intriguing, and perfect for digesting on my bus rides to and from work.
The inconsistent time-frame of the story was actually something I enjoyed - almost a mystery, with bits and pieces being revealed later that had impact earlier. It was interesting.
The major qualm I had with the book was the ending - why end the book with that particular word, and prose. It didn't make sense to me.
The characterizations were good (and the little touches were quite nice - such as every reference to Toronto being followed by (that Evil City).), and the characters were mostly the sort one empathized with.
Thanks for introducing me to this title - I would never have gotten this on my own, Jenny-Lou-Who!
The inconsistent time-frame of the story was actually something I enjoyed - almost a mystery, with bits and pieces being revealed later that had impact earlier. It was interesting.
The major qualm I had with the book was the ending - why end the book with that particular word, and prose. It didn't make sense to me.
The characterizations were good (and the little touches were quite nice - such as every reference to Toronto being followed by (that Evil City).), and the characters were mostly the sort one empathized with.
Thanks for introducing me to this title - I would never have gotten this on my own, Jenny-Lou-Who!
June 13, 2007
This book was very difficult for me to get through but I kept on going. It is 100 short chapters and uses various words throughout the book to define the life of the main character Joanna. Unfortunately, I found it hard to see a flowing storyline which I prefer and I almost gave up 1/2 way through. I would not recommend it.
April 6, 2009
Well, this certainly was a different sort of book. Not one that I enjoyed by any stretch of the imagination. I found it wasn't really telling a story, but rather just words and how they related to this girl's life. Rather strange I thought, but at least I've experienced a new author and a new type of book.
June 6, 2014
A bit slow at times and I didn't always enjoy the jumping between time periods (I felt like I'd get into her current story only to have that be cut off for a childhood flashback). I found the chapters/portions about her romantic loves most compelling. Overall though, a realistic depiction of life with its moments of joy, regret, fear, love, etc.
December 28, 2012
This is an amazing read...all based on 100 words and a story the winds in between and sometimes over them. I am a fan of Diane Schoemperlen as her writing takes me to a different place and makes me think. All good.
September 27, 2016
How did I miss this one? Satisfyingly Canadian, feminist and literary. Complex characters I'm still thinking about and best of all, the main character is an artist who creates collages where she manipulates words and images with playful precision.
November 5, 2016
I loved this book, and honestly, I'm not sure why! I related to so much of this girl's life, living in Canada, where the novel takes place. It was a simple story, about a girl, her childhood, her lovers, her parents. Really liked it.
November 12, 2007
100 chapters; very little plot. Usually interesting, but sometimes tedious..
Read
June 16, 20082.5 stars. I love the premise of this book and the author can certainly write well, but I wanted to give up on this book fairly often. It's hard for me to read over 350 pages about a depressive.
December 2, 2014
very well written. such an interesting concept to create a story out of a list of seemingly unconnected words.
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September 2, 2013Nov 28, 2012
March 15, 2014
I found this book interesting, tedious, sad, intriguing, and random. Overall, glad I'm done it. (super helpful review eh?)
July 22, 2015
forced myself to read 2 chapters a day, so it took me 50 days. hated the main character. very "literary"
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews