Alex and Zee

Lynne Perras teaches communication arts in the Faculty of General
Studies at the University of Calgary.

Cordelia Strube’s first novel paints an extremely bleak picture of
modern romance through the story of its two main characters: Alex, a
fortyish lawyer, and Zee, a social worker. Though billed on the dust
jacket as a “comic love story,” Alex and Zee offers precious few
laughs.

Most of the characters, including the two protagonists, lead lives
filled with ennui, despair, and cynicism. Various diseases and
afflictions (mostly terminal) are visited upon the main characters, as
well as on their families, friends, and acquaintances. If they don’t
miscarry beforehand, women give birth to deformed or dead babies. No one
seems particularly affected by any of these tragedies, and all remain
steadfastly self-absorbed.

Strube has a strong ear for dialogue, and her novel is generally
fast-paced. Unfortunately, its unrelenting doom and gloom makes for a
depressing read.