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Alphabetique

26 Characteristic Fictions
ksoles
Dec 20, 2014ksoles rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Poet Molly Peacock gained renown for her ability to mix the literary with the visual when she published "The Paper Garden" (2010), a memoir of a woman who made impossibly intricate collages of plants and flowers. Now comes a second book that reads like an adult version of an ABC primer. "Alphabetique" creatively gives each letter of the English alphabet a "life story," a moral tale on a social situation. Though the concept sounds oblique, Peacock's tales prove charming, thought-provoking and linguistically brilliant. The letter “d,” a deer, grows up to be upper-case D who “always felt, somehow or other, double...He always saw both sides to everything.” He becomes a metaphor for gender uncertainty whereas "L," a has-been movie star with three ex-husbands, shows that the process of ageing deserves accommodation, not contempt. Each chapter opens with a flurry of alliteration, enhancing the reader's enjoyment: “A flute would flare – then fifteen-year-old F would flounce onstage, positively fetching in her French-fashioned gown.” Vancouver artist and designer Kara Kosaka's vibrant illustrations match Peacock's writing perfectly, enhancing the book's appeal and making "Alphabetique" a fantastic addition to any word-lover's shelf.