Review: Dear Committee Members

Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dear Committee Members is a relatively short read. It is simple, honest, effortless and, at times, touching. It achieves all of this within all facets of its storytelling. The plot, the prose, the characters, they are all suitably strong.

The format, a book written entirely through letters of recommendations, adds to the draw of the book. The letters are short and sardonic, they keep the pace moving. The plot is thin, but it is human. It is interesting enough to make you want to read on. The emotional beats are soft and subtle, but they are enough to make this enjoyable. It ends well. The strength of the book isn't its surprises and twists (though there are some unexpected moments), its strength is in the crystalline poignancy of the main character. He is honest, rambly, sometimes dislike-able but still very human. Like the plot, interesting and makes you want to read on.

Amidst all of these perfectly adequate pieces, I think what makes the book shine is its prose. The prose shines. It is not complex or particularly beautiful. Rather, it shines because of its simplicity and style. The simplicity makes it lucid and powerful, while still being interesting and avoiding blandness. The author uses language that is easy to understand because of the context while still imitating the complexity of rambly letters penned by an English professor. That's where the style hits. The letters are full of personality. The writing is full of personality. I do not recall another book that had so much personality in such simple language. In that vein, I do not recall another book that was so readable and engaging, while still presenting interesting characters characterized entirely through their words.

I would love to read it again for the first time.

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