Yet to Come by Cris Mazza

Abstract

Reviewed by: Yet to Come by Cris Mazza Matthew Roberson (bio) yet to come Cris Mazza BlazeVOX [books] https://wp.blazevox.org/product/yet-to-come-by-cris-mazza/ In Yet to Come, Cris Mazza puts into play the kind of innovation that's long been a hallmark of her fiction. There might be one overarching narrative in this novel, the story of mid-thirties jazz musician slash music store owner Cal, bearing up under what can only be described as the domestic abuse of his wife, Virginia—but the book unfolds a variety of sub- or supporting narratives throughout, all rendered via distinctive, surprising methods that make the delivery of this book, in some ways, its primary success. What sorts of formal experiments are we talking about here? Most evident are the postcards that tell the story of Lexie, the woman Cal knew and loved when they were both younger, uncertain, and unable to commit to one another. Sent to Cal on a roughly annual basis, and appearing as periodic markers in the larger narrative, these short missives keep Cal—and the reader—up to date on the progression of Lexie's life, as well as the continued longing that both characters feel for one another. But Lexie's story also arrives in other moments, through other means; we see Lexie directly in scenes set in the past; we see Lexie rendered in Cal's ongoing imaginings of her; we additionally get brief narrative interludes that turn the novel toward immediate narrations of Lexie's experiences. All of these different views of Lexie are set off formally, in literal renderings of postcards on the page or through shifts in typographical expression. Other contributing narratives—the tale of Trinity, Cal's stepdaughter, for example—have their own space in the book. Trinity, who also struggles under the oppression of the book's dysfunctional home, with the added challenge of being a dependent teen for most of the time we see here, is given [End Page 192] space to tell her story immediately, in pages of journal entries with a unique, engaging voice and also marked by their own typographic personality. Of course, the actual story conveyed in Yet to Come has compelling, unsettling strengths. The novel develops the ugliness of an unhappy relationship and dysfunctional family with great intimacy and an unwavering view of its main characters' weaknesses, failings, and relentlessly bad behavior. Virginia is the book's chief "problem," to put it one way, but Cal, the main character, suffers equally from almost infuriating passivity and lack of direction—and it's not just his own interests he's failing but also, or maybe especially, those of his misguided and misdirected stepdaughter. There's something quite remarkable, in a way, about Mazza's achievement in staring so directly at this unfortunate story about such ugly characters; although there's not a single character to actually like in this book—or even feel any kind of deep sympathy for—it's also difficult to tear one's gaze away (though it's often unfortunate that the book also seems to so fundamentally dislike its own characters that they fall flat or even, in the case of Virginia, border on caricature). The misery in Yet to Come never falters, either. Narrative turn after narrative turn moves only ever in the direction of the next problem faced by our main characters, whether it be self-inflicted, in the case of Virginia literally buying into her next get-rich scheme or simply buying more than the "family" here can possibly afford, or more insidious and even odious—as when Cal's stepchildren steal from him, endangering his business and the family's well-being. One of the few seeming pleasures in the book, food, is unfortunately and consistently ruined by arguments, a thrown pan, hot grease on the rug. Though we get only snapshots (through postcards) of Lexie's similar suffering, lifelong, the pathos there feels consistently akin by way of disappointing careers, a loveless marriage, and an unending feeling—which is the general "feel" of the entire book—of unfulfilled hopes, dreams, desires. It's impressive how Mazza manages to have these...