Wild, luxurious and absurd is also a killer (clown) description of Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One, a novel in which Arnett’s craft and her comedy are on full and feral display.
What Arnett does best, besides set up scenes so cinematic the book is practically begging for adaptation, is ground Cherry in emotional reality ... It is clear Arnett has nothing to worry about: She loves Cherry very much, and by the end of Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One, readers will love Cherry too.
A timely, tender exploration of the subterranean joys and growing challenges of queer life in the South today ... Written in a wry, lively first person, each book involves characters pursuing passions that are decidedly not for everyone ... Cherry makes a connection between clowning and queerness at the beginning of this book that’s a little overstated, and that, characteristically, she probably didn’t need to spell out quite so explicitly...But the general point stands as a principle governing this novel: Both queerness and art require a kind of boldness.
What is truly remarkable about Arnett’s work here is the way she weaves in reflections on the artistic value of comedy, the uses of sorrow when it comes to constructing jokes, and what it feels like for a performer to be fully engaged with their audience and the work they’re doing ... Poignant ... By the end of the novel, there is no denying that Arnett fully engulfs us in Cherry’s ongoing considerations about the art of clowning without losing the emotional core of the story.
Isn’t all kooky, irreverent fun; it contains tender meditations on grief, following your dreams and being queer—in Florida, of all places ... Arnett’s latest will have you hooked from its hilariously disastrous opening pages.
An expert blending of laugh-out-loud scenes with sincere raw emotion. This work delivers a great narrative about a loveable, messy character who compels readers to consider questions about art and love.
As Cherry struggles to be a true artist and find love, Arnett’s prose perfectly blends the tragedy and humor of life, leaving readers alternately gut-punched with grief and bursting with laughter.
Irresistible ... Despite, or perhaps due to, its absurdity and bittersweet undertones, Cherry’s story makes a powerful case for pursuing one’s art authentically and fearlessly. It’s a riot.
