Something Drastic

Curran’s first novel, Something Drastic (1995), was a finalist for the first Prix Parizeau. Something Drastic is the tale of a woman’s life after she is deserted by her deadbeat boyfriend. At first devastated by the loss, Lenore Rutland gradually realizes that Fergie’s departure opens up a new world. In a series of letters written to Fergie over the span of a year, Lenore describes her encounters with a cast of Montreal characters, including a police officer who dreams of joining CSIS and a group of “angry” feminists who worship Sylvia Plath. She also befriends English professor Heidi Flynn, who introduces Lenore to literature while Lenore shows Heidi the wonders of daytime television. Unsophisticated and naïve, Lenore is nevertheless a shrewd observer of life’s absurdities.