I first selected this book because of the title.  With so many to choose from, it’s probably just as good a reason as any. then there is the fact that it’s published by McSweeney’s.  If you are unfamiliar with McSweeney’s, it’s run by Dave Eggers and publishes authors with a rather quirky, unique styles.  It’s a nice departure sometimes.

It was slow going at first for me with All My Puny Sorrows (AMPS), but once I made it through the first quarter of the book I was hooked.  It’s heartbreaking, quick-paced and intelligent. The style has a cadence that takes a little getting used to.  Author Miriam Toews doesn’t use quotation marks and has dialogue flow through paragraphs - unusual, but easy enough.  It seems to suit her characters and their emotional states.