Milton's Elements — Cordelia Strube

Milton is having an unbelievable midlife crisis. He feels like a loser-a reasonable conclusion for a dyslexic adult from a dysfunctional family. When his daughter dies, Milton loses his job, his wife leaves him, and the family he hates-his abusive mother, his brother dying of AIDS, his drug-abusing prostitute sister, and his codependent sister and her two sons-all appear on his doorstep. Milton remains unmoved even when one sister shoots herself, his mother dies of a heart attack, and his brother goes into a coma, all in the same 48-hour period. Reading this novel is like beating your head against the proverbial brick wall-it feels so good when you stop. This unhappy story by a playwright/actress living in Toronto is not recommended for the faint of heart.-Joanna M. Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Coll. of Continuing Education Lib., Providence