By Lori Hahnel
A Way to be Happy: Stories
by Caroline Adderson
Biblioasis (2024)
The title of Caroline Adderson’s latest story collection derives from its epigraph, a passage from Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. As Chekov’s characters search for a way to be happy, so too do Adderson’s, in often surprising and sometimes roundabout ways, much the same as in real life. Her confident, capable, clever prose sweeps the reader through the stories with remarkable ease, and her deft rendering of complicated characters is impressive.
In “All Our Auld Acquaintances Are Gone”, a contemporary New Year’s Eve twist on O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi”, two homeless addicts drift uninvited from fancy party to fancy party, on a quest to finance their own rehab. Two unsuspecting guests make small talk with the pair on an elevator:
“I love your shoes,” Michelle said. “Are they Fluevogs?”
The elevator pinged and opened. Raj stepped out first. “See, I would find that an inappropriate question. What if she got them at Walmart?”
Michelle shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“What if I stole them?” she said, and they all laughed.
Ketman, the vaguely unlikeable protagonist of “The Procedure”, struggles with the profound grief he feels at the death of his mother, while increasingly avoiding meaningful contact with the actual living people in his life. His upcoming common medical procedure provides him with the means to completely close off the outer world, at least temporarily, and gives new meaning to the term ‘inner journey’.
The hilarious and often poignant “Obscure Objects” gives the reader a first-hand look at the world of a group of teachers / writers. The all-too-familiar carefully monitored supply cupboard and cantankerous and temperamental department photocopier make their appearances. Adderson’s metafictional touches here are a delight:
I never called myself a writer or really thought of myself as one yet. I certainly never imagined that one day I too would pull out of my hat that scabied, half-dead rabbit, the writer-protagonist.
Ultimately the story develops from wry observations on the teaching life into the touching chronicle of a friendship with all too short a lease.
Closing out the collection is “From the Archives of the Hospital for the Insane”. While this historical story is the longest in the book, verging on novella length, the moving and tragic tale of Margaret C. (#1506) is captivating and thought-provoking, and the wealth of historical detail makes this story a standout.
The eight stories in A Way to Be Happy cover a wide range of situations, characters and settings, from contemporary to mid-nineteenth century. Adderson’s complex characters struggle, each in their own fashion, and each of them are rendered with humour, and sharply observed detail. As the author of many books of fiction and non-fiction, the breadth of Adderson’s writing experience is evident in her craft. This clever and meticulously crafted collection from a writer who has mastered her art is a pleasure to read.
Lori Hahnel is the author of After You’ve Gone (a novel), Nothing Sacred (a short story collection), which was shortlisted for the Alberta Literary Award for fiction and Love Minus Zero (a novel). Her work has appeared in over forty journals in North America, Australia and the United Kingdom. She holds a BA in English from the University of Calgary. Hahnel lives in Calgary where she teaches creative writing.