Word: clea
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Ideally, an emblematic passage would provide the unambiguous evidence of awfulness. Alther's opening three words ("An ivory BMW") and her initial description of her middle-aged, open-married Manhattan heroine ("Clea Shawn was a sophisticated woman . . . she'd been in love so often that her heart felt like a sponge mop") are certainly warning signs. So is Alther's early summary of the passions that bind two women "Elke felt like a pile of nails being pulled to pieces by a magnet residing inside Clea." But such maladroit introductory passages could be dismissed as the ironic setup...
Dack is short for Dacron. His brothers are Rayon and Orlon. They are among the neighbors Clea finds when she moves to a Vermont village and discovers that this seemingly idyllic countryside is filled with -- gasp! -- polyester. Down at Casa Loretta, they feature Spam burritos and Hawaiian pizza. The local postmistress steams open love letters, the Avon lady writes bad romance novels, and the sheriff makes pronouncements like "If you're not normal in this country, you get put in jail." Such rural New England cliches make Newhart seem like subtle satire, but Alther recycles them with such a tone...