Biblioracle: Hannah Pittard's novel ‘If You Love It, Let It Kill You' lives on its own terms
In 2023, Pittard published 'We Are Too Many,' an unconventional memoir jumping off from the moment Pittard found out her husband was having an affair (and leaving her) to be with her closest friend. I named 'We Are Too Many' the best book of 2023.
In 2024, Pittard's ex-husband, Andrew Ewell, published a novel, 'Set for Life,' about a creative writing professor married to another professor who has an affair with one of his wife's closest friends, and sees the affair as a way to escape his dead-end job and the shadow of his much more successful novelist wife.
Enter 'If You Love It, Let It Kill You' in which 'Hanna,' a writer and creative writing professor now cohabitating with Bruce and his 11-year-old daughter in the college town where her mother, father and sister have all moved, ostensibly to be near each other, even though this nearness is not always a good thing. Hanna finds out that her ex-husband is publishing a novel about the dissolution of their marriage which sounds a lot like 'Set for Life.'
I mean this in the clearest possible terms. Possessing this knowledge does not, in any way, enhance one's enjoyment of 'If You Love It, Let It Kill You.' This is a novel that lives on its own terms, independent of the real-life circumstances of its author, Hannah Pittard. It is funny, searching, anarchic and ultimately somewhat unexpectedly and satisfyingly open-hearted, given that one of Hanna's chief problems is coming to grips with the power of her own emotions.
The novel is structured through a series of titled sections, the opening of which introduces us to Hanna and her domestic situation, Bruce (the boyfriend and co-owner of the house they live in), the 11-year-old, and Hanna's various family members. Hanna's father is, on the one hand, a hoot, a charming eccentric who drops by for drinks on the porch and is frequently the source of some laugh-out-loud punchlines. On the other hand, he's obviously unreliable and a depressive who threatens to drag those in his vicinity down with him.
We also have Hanna's students in her creative writing course who occasionally serve as a kind of Greek chorus commenting on Hanna's life or challenging her Gen X views of the world. One chapter is structured as a dialogue between Hanna and the student collective that is wonderfully reminiscent of Donald Barthelme's classic short story, 'The School.' This deadpan wit and social commentary shine throughout Hanna's story.
The publisher's material is calling this autofiction, but it's more like a deconstruction of autofiction. Another chapter is a scene between Hanna and an injured cat she has rescued from her garage and refused to return to the original owner who has been looking for it. Somehow an imaginary conversation with a wounded, yet very perceptive cat becomes a turning point in the story.
Hanna, like all of us, carries some wounds. She does not trust herself very much, so it is very hard to trust others. Bruce could not be a steadier hand, and yet Hanna may sabotage this clearly good thing because, well … because she's human. She has very purposefully decided not to give birth to a child and yet finds herself something very much like a mother to the 11-year-old.
As Hanna retreats to and returns from a writer's colony, the novel comes to a satisfying resolution, but we shouldn't mistake resolution with conclusion.
There is no conclusion to life, except the obvious one that eventually comes for us all.
John Warner is the author of books including 'More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI.' You can find him at biblioracle.com.
Book recommendations from the Biblioracle
John Warner tells you what to read based on the last five books you've read.
1. 'The Constitution of the United States: A Primer for the People' by David P. Currie
2. 'Franklin Pierce' by Michael F. Holt
3. 'John F. Kennedy' by Alan Brinkley
4. 'Dodsworth' by Sinclair Lewis
5. 'N or M?' by Agatha ChristieI'm going to lean into Robert's obvious fondness for history, but also recommend a different bit of history than what's in this list, 'If Then: How the Simulmatics Corporation Invented the Future' by Jill Lepore
1. 'The End of Drum-Time' by Hanna Pylväinen
2. 'On Division' by Goldie Goldbloom
3. 'Hidden Valley Road' by Robert Kolker
4. 'City of Thieves' by David Benioff
5. 'Demon Copperhead' by Barbara KingsolverFor Judy, I'm recommending an interesting bit of speculative historical fiction, 'High Dive' by Jonathan Lee.
1. 'War and Peace' by Leo Tolstoy
2. 'Wise Blood' by Flannery O'Connor
3. 'The Life of Chuck' by Stephen King
4. 'My Friends' by Fredrik Backman
5. 'James' by Percival Everett'Godwin' by Joseph O'Neil braids together two storylines into a story that sneaks up on you with its emotional power.
Get a reading from the Biblioracle
Send a list of the last five books you've read and your hometown to biblioracle@gmail.com.
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There is a whole, real-world saga/story behind Hannah Pittard's deeply entertaining new novel, 'If You Love It, Let It Kill You.' In 2023, Pittard published 'We Are Too Many,' an unconventional memoir jumping off from the moment Pittard found out her husband was having an affair (and leaving her) to be with her closest friend. I named 'We Are Too Many' the best book of 2023. In 2024, Pittard's ex-husband, Andrew Ewell, published a novel, 'Set for Life,' about a creative writing professor married to another professor who has an affair with one of his wife's closest friends, and sees the affair as a way to escape his dead-end job and the shadow of his much more successful novelist wife. Enter 'If You Love It, Let It Kill You' in which 'Hanna,' a writer and creative writing professor now cohabitating with Bruce and his 11-year-old daughter in the college town where her mother, father and sister have all moved, ostensibly to be near each other, even though this nearness is not always a good thing. Hanna finds out that her ex-husband is publishing a novel about the dissolution of their marriage which sounds a lot like 'Set for Life.' I mean this in the clearest possible terms. Possessing this knowledge does not, in any way, enhance one's enjoyment of 'If You Love It, Let It Kill You.' This is a novel that lives on its own terms, independent of the real-life circumstances of its author, Hannah Pittard. It is funny, searching, anarchic and ultimately somewhat unexpectedly and satisfyingly open-hearted, given that one of Hanna's chief problems is coming to grips with the power of her own emotions. The novel is structured through a series of titled sections, the opening of which introduces us to Hanna and her domestic situation, Bruce (the boyfriend and co-owner of the house they live in), the 11-year-old, and Hanna's various family members. Hanna's father is, on the one hand, a hoot, a charming eccentric who drops by for drinks on the porch and is frequently the source of some laugh-out-loud punchlines. On the other hand, he's obviously unreliable and a depressive who threatens to drag those in his vicinity down with him. We also have Hanna's students in her creative writing course who occasionally serve as a kind of Greek chorus commenting on Hanna's life or challenging her Gen X views of the world. One chapter is structured as a dialogue between Hanna and the student collective that is wonderfully reminiscent of Donald Barthelme's classic short story, 'The School.' This deadpan wit and social commentary shine throughout Hanna's story. The publisher's material is calling this autofiction, but it's more like a deconstruction of autofiction. Another chapter is a scene between Hanna and an injured cat she has rescued from her garage and refused to return to the original owner who has been looking for it. Somehow an imaginary conversation with a wounded, yet very perceptive cat becomes a turning point in the story. Hanna, like all of us, carries some wounds. She does not trust herself very much, so it is very hard to trust others. Bruce could not be a steadier hand, and yet Hanna may sabotage this clearly good thing because, well … because she's human. She has very purposefully decided not to give birth to a child and yet finds herself something very much like a mother to the 11-year-old. As Hanna retreats to and returns from a writer's colony, the novel comes to a satisfying resolution, but we shouldn't mistake resolution with conclusion. There is no conclusion to life, except the obvious one that eventually comes for us all. John Warner is the author of books including 'More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI.' You can find him at Book recommendations from the Biblioracle John Warner tells you what to read based on the last five books you've read. 1. 'The Constitution of the United States: A Primer for the People' by David P. Currie 2. 'Franklin Pierce' by Michael F. Holt 3. 'John F. Kennedy' by Alan Brinkley 4. 'Dodsworth' by Sinclair Lewis 5. 'N or M?' by Agatha ChristieI'm going to lean into Robert's obvious fondness for history, but also recommend a different bit of history than what's in this list, 'If Then: How the Simulmatics Corporation Invented the Future' by Jill Lepore 1. 'The End of Drum-Time' by Hanna Pylväinen 2. 'On Division' by Goldie Goldbloom 3. 'Hidden Valley Road' by Robert Kolker 4. 'City of Thieves' by David Benioff 5. 'Demon Copperhead' by Barbara KingsolverFor Judy, I'm recommending an interesting bit of speculative historical fiction, 'High Dive' by Jonathan Lee. 1. 'War and Peace' by Leo Tolstoy 2. 'Wise Blood' by Flannery O'Connor 3. 'The Life of Chuck' by Stephen King 4. 'My Friends' by Fredrik Backman 5. 'James' by Percival Everett'Godwin' by Joseph O'Neil braids together two storylines into a story that sneaks up on you with its emotional power. Get a reading from the Biblioracle Send a list of the last five books you've read and your hometown to biblioracle@
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