Ways of Telling

Memoirist and former literary agent Bingley (Bertie, May and Mrs. Fish) finds profundity in the mundane in this lively collection of 26 autobiographical essays that employ a wide range of prose styles. “Down the Lane,” about Bingley’s late mother, opens with a breathless, paragraph-long sentence. By contrast, “No One Knows How Important I Am” utilizes staccato phrases and loose stream of consciousness to highlight Bingley’s fears, insecurities, and ambivalence about a lover (“My man isn’t cruel at work. Or maybe he is. I’m sure he isn’t. And anyway aren’t there laws to restrain cruelty in money manoeuvres”). The standout entry, “Princess Diana’s Funeral,” takes the fragmentation further: in it, Bingley recalls a series of conversations she overheard while waiting in line in various public places the evening before Diana’s funeral. The snippets of dialogue range from commonplace (“You still wanting to go to the toilet,” “Oh-oh this is my favourite song Jon Bon Jovi”) to bottled expressions of grief (“D’you really feel she’s gone”), and they come together to form an oddly moving mosaic of public mourning. With an evident love for language and the subtle textures of daily life, Bingley provides a dazzling trip inside her mind that rewards close attention. It’s a gem. (Apr.)