'Personal Velocity,' filmmaker Rebecca Miller's first foray into the literary world, is a noble collection of short stories, each focusing on the life of a different female protagonist.
The book crosses class, age and geographical lines as it moves from story to story. Each segment of the book touches on a different emotion as it follows its characters through the ups and downs of daily life.
In 'Greta,' a promotion leads a cookbook editor to the realization that her marriage is dead. A promiscuous painter struggles with the pit her relationships inevitably fall into in 'Louisa.' 'Nancy' tells the story of a 9-year-old girl clamoring for attention in a horrible way.
Miller's writing is incredibly simplistic in its descriptions, but no less vivid because of it. Each character (and the world she lives in) jumps off the page. Miller's characters are multifaceted and dramatically written, but each is deeply disturbing. Each woman is dealing with past and present demons that are brought to life just as vividly as the women themselves. There is a great deal of disturbing imagery in the book, which is guaranteed to keep it out of Oprah's book club.
The book also reflects Miller's history as a filmmaker and actress. The events seem staged for the screen, and the dialogue is incredibly realistic.
'Personal Velocity' might not be wholesome or uplifting, but it is a fine piece of work by a very talented writer.
