Author : Rachel Khong
Genre : Contemporary
Publisher : Henry Holt & Co.
Pages: 208
Rating : 3.5/5
Goodbye Vitamin is a novel about Ruth, a 30 year old woman, who has moved back home for about an year, after her father has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Ruth has recently broken up with fiancé Joel, so this seems to be an opportune time to sidle back into the comforting family fold. Only the fold isn’t as comforting; her parents are at odds with each other, and her brother Linus, who doesn’t live at home tells Ruth things about her father she doesn’t want to believe.
This is a heartbreaking book. There are no action-packed events here, this is Ruth’s story of her time at home, spending time with her parents, cooking, reminiscing, despairing, weeping. Ruth meets up with her friend Bonnie, becomes friends with her father’s well-wishers from the University he used to teach at as a history professor. They take it a day at a time. Some days are good, when her father is almost normal. Some days are bad, when he flies into rages, and forgets words, and the people around him.
There is no big beginning or ending, no tumultuous events, except of course the one that begins this novel – Ruth’s move back home. The book is told in diary format – Ruth’s diary. It is an irregular format – some entries are large, some are small, some have dates and some don’t. Some entries are banal and some are so very astute. It’s a very stream-of-consciousness style narration, where we get to hear Ruth’s innermost thoughts.
The interesting thing is that with even this patchwork-style way of telling this story, “Goodbye, Vitamin” works. Through Ruth’s descriptions, Khong builds up the characters of this book very well; I can almost see them in my mind’s eye. Khong manages to tell us about family, about the ties that bind and remain strong, despite all the straining, the push-and-pull of everyday life.
“Goodbye Vitamin” is marketed as a “funny” book – and I don’t agree with that at all – this book is more depressing than anything else. Poignant and tender too, but depressing. I’m guessing the “funny” comes from some of Ruth’s observations :-). Here’s one I found particularly hilarious:
I’ve bookmarked a recipe I want to try: patati con agnello scappato, potatoes with escaped lamb. There is no lamb. From now on I’m going to make macaroni and cheese “with escaped beef” and rice pilaf “with escaped pig”.
