Book review: You Must Be This Happy to Enter by Elizabeth Crane

February 19, 9:49 PMSeattle Books ExaminerDanielle Dreger-Babbitt

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I am a huge Elizabeth Crane fan.  I discovered her maybe five years ago when I can across her first book of short stories, When the Messenger is Hot at a Borders.  I started reading a story and was instantly hooked.  Her voice reminded me of Lorrie Moore, who I also adore as a writer.  Her book Self Help is probably my favorite collection of short stories.

I was ecstatic to come across Crane's third collection of stories You Must Be This Happy to Enter.  I had been looking forward to the book's release for some time.  I had read her second collection of stories All This Heavenly Glory a few years ago and was unimpressed with them.  Fortunately her third collection is on par with When the Messenger is Hot.

Most of the stories in You Must Be This Happy to Enter take place in the Midwest near Chicago where Crane is from.  The story "Clearview" is about a town that suddenly becomes clear and loses all color.  The people of the town function by wearing cardboard as clothing.  In "Variations of Loudness in Chicago," the narrator observes her loud neighbors and their annoying habits. 

It is evident from many of the stories that Crane is intrigued by celebrity and reality TV shows.  In My Life is Awesome!  And Great!  the narrator tries to escape her dull life by auditioning for every reality show on television.  Betty the Zombie is probably my favorite of all of the stories.  In the story, Betty is an average, childless woman from Middle America who is bitten by a zombie at JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts.  In order to save her marriage and to keep from eating neighborhood children (and her husband), Betty goes on a reality show Relight the Fire in You to cope with her zombie issues and work with therapists and life coaches.  Betty soons become a star of the show even though she tries to attack and feed on the other women.  In Emmanuel a couple's infant son turns into Ethan Hawke overnight and they must learn to cope with having a child who is also a famous actor.

All of Crane's stories are full of dry wit and her characters are sarcastic and self aware.  Every single one of the characters deserves their own television show or night of stand up.  I couldn't stop laughing aloud and several times I poked my husband and said, "Listen to this."  This collection would make a good gift for anyone and is perfect to read on the work commute or during lunch breaks or even the bathtub.  I'm not a fan of audio books, but I'd be willing to listen to this on my drive to work.  The stories are short and quick and end sooner than you'll want them to.  You Must Be This Happy to Enter may turn out to be one of the best books I'll wind up reading in 2009.  It certainly is the best I've read thus far.  I hope Crane is working on new material so I can get my fix.