Alex & Zee

by Cordelia Strube

...a bitterly funny, dark romance...flawless structure perfectly tuned dialogue and dozens of brilliant cameo appearances by a huge cast of supporting minor characters. -- Montreal Mirror...witty and pointedly observant in the face of pain and absurdity... -- Newsday...crisp, edgy, wincingly real. This is an exciting new talent. -- Books in CanadaStrubes...mordant punchlines and equally sharp assessments of urban life on the edge of normal make this familiar story a compulsive read. -- The Globe and MailStrubes's assured prose creates a teeming, ordinary world that is utterly fascinating. -- The Daily News (Halifax)Nominated for the 1995 Smithbooks/Books in Canada First Novel award and the recipient of widespread critical acclaim, Alex & Zee is the latest reissue of Cordelia Strube's wickedly astute novels on contemporary relationships.The story of Zee, an aimless ex-lawyer who has turned his inability to make a decision into a fine art, and his wife Alex, a practical and hard-working social worker who feels her biological clock ticking loudly, Alex & Zee reverberates with the emotional crises of the urban adult. An offbeat portrait of acute observation on city life and life forms, and grimly hilarious at every turn, this is a terrific debut novel from a writer with a fresh and funny perspective.

Genres: Canada

281 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Read an interview and an excerpt of Cordelia's new novel, On the Shores of Darkness, There Is Light, in Numéro Cinq Magazine: http://goo.gl/9KOheD

Watch a video of Cordelia interacting with students at York University's Canadian Writers in Person here: https://youtu.be/7548Yv5E5qI

Cordelia Strube is an accomplished playwright and the author of nine critically acclaimed novels, including Alex & Zee, Teaching Pigs to Sing, and Lemon. Winner of the CBC literary competition and a Toronto Arts Foundation Award, she has been nominated for the Governor General’s Award, the Trillium Book Award, the WH Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award, and the Prix Italia, and longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Strube is a two-time finalist for ACTRA’s Nellie Award celebrating excellence in Canadian broadcasting and a three-time nominee for the ReLit Award. She lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first Cordelia Strube book I read was 'On the Shores of Darkness, There is Light', and I was blown away by it. I became so immersed in the characters and absolutely loved the book. So I dove into 'Alex & Zee' with high expectations, and unfortunately they were not met. It was still great writing and a decent read overall, but I just never found myself attached to the characters.

[Magdelanye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex & Zee is at heart a contemporary romance but, considering the inclinations of the author and her characters, we do not get the hearts and flowers part but the gritty underside of passionate commitment and the ambivalence of love.

why doesnt she feel as if she wants to live? Why does she feel like a blob?
If she values her life, why doesnt she get off her ass and enjoy every moment of it?
p97

so its a bit of a mystery, as well

[Marshaferz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not brilliant, but very enjoyable to read. The end of a dysfunctional relationship and the aftermath and growth that taks place.