Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory: Stories

Raphael Bob-Waksberg

Jun 2019 · Sold by Vintage

About this ebook

A fabulously off-beat collection of short stories about love—the best and worst thing in the universe—written by the creator of BoJack Horseman with his hallmark scathing dark humor

“Transcendent tragicomedy.... Prepare to be devastated and made whole again.” —The A.V. Club

Featuring:
 
• A young engaged couple forced to deal with interfering relatives dictating the appropriate number of ritual goat sacrifices for their wedding.
 
• A pair of lonely commuters who ride the subway in silence, forever, eternally failing to make that longed-for contact.
 
• A struggling employee at a theme park of U.S. presidents who discovers that love can’t be genetically modified.
 
And fifteen more tales of humor, romance, whimsy, cultural commentary, and crushing emotional vulnerability.

Ratings and reviews

I left Dogwood Cove as a child eighteen Now I’m back and he’s so much more. Gone is the boy I played hide and seek with, and in his place is the seriously hot, plaid-wearing, scruff-bearing, mayor of the small town we grew up in. I’ve got trust issues that can’t be fixed easily and I didn’t come back here looking for love, but Ethan is determined to prove that coming home could be the start of the life I’ve always dreamed of. Could he be the man to put my damaged heart back together for good? Always and Forever is perfect for fans of steamy small town romance, found family friend groups, cinnamon roll heroes, plenty of swoon, light hearted banter, quirky small town vibes, low angst and high heat love stories with a guaranteed HEA. It is a standalone, and the first full length novel in the Dogwood Cove series. This series is for fans of Melanie Harlow, Adriana Locke, Claire Kingsley, Lucy Score, Laura Pavlov, Tia Louise, Jami Albright, Kandi Steiner and more.

In the acknowledgments, Bob-Waksberg refers to early readers (friends and collaborators) who helped him steer clear of his worst impulses during the editing process. If I had to guess, I'd say his worst impulses involve too often undermining the sincerity in his writing (of which there is a fair amount) with distractjng attempts at clever verbal posturing. I get it, too - I have the same impulse toward balancing humor and heartache, toward taking just enough piss out of pathos. Sometimes that balance gets struck here, and when it does, it's alternately amusing and genuinely moving. But there are a few too many instances where the cleverness feels forced and self-conscious instead of driven by organic purpose -- where the seams of the cleverness stick out like a thumb saying, "Look at me, I'm a talking thumb, how delightful is that?" That being said, overall I enjoyed it, am glad I read it, and look forward to checking out any future writing from Bob-Waksberg.

I loved it. The absurd, hilarious and weird stories were nicely written and definitely worth my time. I don't think all stories were great, but I enjoyed most. Can't wait to see what's next, now that Bojack Horseman is finished.

About the author

Raphael Bob-Waksberg is the creator and executive producer of the Netflix series BoJack Horseman. This is his first book.