Book Review: Penny Pinching Tips for the Morally Bankrupt
Penny Pinching Tips for the Morally Bankrupt. Libby Marshall, Atomic Vortex Press, January 5, 2021, E-Book, 254 pages.
Review byTerrell Isselhard.
“Would you rather have a head the size of a grapefruit or a grapefruit the size of a head?” Short story author, Libby Marshall, asks the reader this in her hilarious and inventive new collection, Penny Pinching Tips for the Morally Bankrupt. This question is pulled from a short piece called “Very Easy Would You Rathers” and is one of a myriad of lines in the book that show Marshall’s brilliance, humor, and zeal. This is a funny short story collection. It’s also a collection that surprises, delights, and as is the case with the best comedic writing, pushes the reader past mere laughs to moments of self-reflection and genuine life-changing insight.
Marshall tackles a wide range of forms and themes to hilarious effect. Pithy humorous gems pepper the book. Each story is unique, revealing a variety that makes the collection intriguing. Two standout pieces are, “Very Easy Would You Rathers” and “Millennial Gravestones.”
I found myself giggling over laugh-out-loud lines throughout the book, but “Very Easy Would You Rathers” had me in stitches. I opened this review with one of my favorite quotes from the story, but this second quote from the same story sent me over the edge, “Would you rather get murdered by a serial killer or be married to one, but he’s a nice family man and of course you’re horrified when you find out what he’s done, but no one suspects you had anything to do with it and Florence Pugh plays you in the movie version?”
This book is not just a snappy laugh-fest, as “90 Day Fiancé: Dracula” is a remarkable experience. In this story, Marshall dives into the epistolary form with an onslaught of texts and emails, as well as a modern representation of Dracula’s often-told story. Despite a fair amount of competition, Marshall’s version of Dracula holds its own and even manages to be quite funny. Not making an epistolary story tedious is challenging, but making it funny? That is brilliant. Marshall also packs in a “Choose Your Own Adventure” type story. There is a piece called “RSVP Poems,” which (you guessed it) are poems. Proving comedic talents and a careful writer's eye, Marshall makes each story of this collection a delight to read.
The pleasure of reading a collection of stories often comes from particular stories resonating with the reader long after the book is completed. For me, “Garden Hermit” and “Make-Out Point” were those kinds of stories. “Garden Hermit” is a story about a billionaire’s wife who decides to resurrect the 18th-century trend of hiring a man to live on their property as an ornamental garden hermit. It is a strangely contemplative piece. “Make-Out Point” is a wonderfully weird and imaginative story about a “pay-to-play” make-out spot. This type of thing is a common thread running throughout Marshall's longer pieces: taking a theme or idea and pushing it to its furthest reaches. The result is stories that are more than just quirky or commercial, they’re disquieting, challenging, and make for good reading.
Marshall is funny, insightful, and is a huge talent with a wonderful book. Recommended for anyone looking for a laugh, penny pinchers, and fans of short fiction. Penny Pinching Tips for the Morally Bankrupt is a laugh-out-loud delight. This is a book that can be consumed in a rush or read over time and enjoyed story by story. Don’t miss out, order yourself a copy today.