Rating: 
Summary: A lovely debut
Review: ...so, I come to Amazon to write a review of a charming and funny first novel - a novel that I gobbled up in a single day - and find a sloppy, peevish diatribe from Publishers Weekly, so spiteful it made me wonder if author stole the reviewer's boyfriend back in junior high. Is there a prozac shortage I'm unaware of?Obviously, I greatly enjoyed this novel. As readable as it is intelligent, SPILLING CLARENCE begins with an intriguing premise and builds into a thought-provoking examination of the nature and power of our memories. Anne Ursu's prose style and concerns are more akin to Don Delillo's WHITE NOISE than Alice Hoffman's work, and she has a sharp wit reminiscent of Lorrie Moore. But it is Ursu's richly drawn characters that delight and surprise (especially Sophie, whom I just adored.) They stayed with me long after I finished reading the book. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: well written, but........
Review: I bought this book with hopeful thoughts. The premise seemed promising. Are memories a drug, since they can be both painful and pleasurable? What would be like if our memory bank suddenly lost its filter? Unfortunately, this well written book doesn't answer the questions. Anne Ursu is a wonderful writer, her phrasing is absolutely beautiful and her use of metaphors is superb. She writes "Your mind is a lot like your closet. Your try to hang up your clothes well and line up your shoes like little soldiers and keep your toys from tipping over, but sometimes you just can't keep it all organized". Sadly though, the story is lacking desperately in plot. I am on page 205 of this 277 page book and I keep waiting for the story to begin. Normally I would just toss this type of a book in the garbage but the writing is so good, I'm going to finish.
Rating:
Summary: Smart, beautiful.
Review: I discovered this book after I read The Disapparation of James; what a gift to find Ursu had another book, but what a tragedy to have consumed it so quickly. Now I'll just have to wait for the next one.
This book is about the fine line we walk between a desire to remember everything in life with clarity and our need to forget to stay sane. Ursu suggests memory can be a kind of crutch for some. A balance between progress in life and the aid that can sometimes be found in the past must be struck.
Her writing is beautiful--quick, witty, but never cynical. Do yourself a favor and buy it now.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing find!!!
Review: I just finished this novel yesterday and had to hop on here and applaud a work well done! I found the book thought provoking and enthralling. Ursu took me on the same head trip that her characters experienced. It was only after finishing that I realized I had felt disjointed and slightly uncomfortable in the places where the characters felt the same and experienced the relief and catharsis that the characters felt at the end. I really felt as if I understood what was happening in their heads, and what happened was well worth experiencing and understanding. Ursu set the stage and played it all out in a manner that was (I hate to use the cliche) but witty and charming. She did not take herself too seriously, she was very matter of fact, not remotely preachy but did put out a lot of food for thought. I am sold. I will buy and read the next book she publishes :)
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Premise
Review: I liked this book more at the beginning than I did at the end. The premise is very interesting and it led to several discussions amoung friends and family. Somehow,however, I seemed to lose track of the characters, except for Sophie who was a child and easy to spot. I think I was looking for more discussion from Todd of just how memory works. This book speaks to the power of love, especially when Bennie's mother was talking to him about the first time she saw him with Elizabeth,"The two of you were magic to each other. You both swelled over with life. You were radiant together. I will never forget it. I have tried to write about it and cannot find the words. Your love was ancient, literary. It was the way it was supposed to work. You never believe such a thing is possible until you see it in real life.
And I see it, that love, every time I look at Sophie. She is a remarkable child. And she would have to be, coming from such a blessed union." The book also however, spoke to the loneliness of people and the barriers that make connecting so hard. Most of the characters were able to knock down those barriers but somehow there was still a sadness about them. I had mixed feelings about this book but still would recommend it for an interesting read.
Rating:
Summary: Most intriguing read
Review: It's been awhile since I've read a book that has a theme to it ~~ and makes you stop and think about certain points the author is making through her characters. Don't get me wrong, this is not a heavy tome ~~ not at all. It's a very personal book. It's an intimate book ~~ one that draws the reader into the minds of the characters as they relive certain events in their lives. And it makes you think and ponder about your life. A chemical leak from a local psychopharmaceutical factory in Clarence spews out over the town. As a result, people starts to remember everything in their lives. This book, however, focuses on just a few characters, Madeline, a writer and mother who lives in a retirement home. Bennie, her son, is a professor at the local college ~~ ironically in the psychology studies ~~ is also a single dad to Sophie, his 9-year-old daughter. There is Susannah who moved to Clarence to join her finace, Todd, who is working on his studies at the local college too. The book revolves around these central characters and their lives and their memories. They all did serious soul-searching through remembering their past and present. It is an interesting theory ~~ do you want to remember every single thing that has ever happened to you? Or do you prefer to forget some things? Are your memories 100% yours? Or was it fabricated throughout the years? The questions are endless and it does make you stop and wonder. I really enjoyed this book in spite of its unusual writing style ~~ it did take me a few chapters to get into but once I got into the swing of the book, I was able to kick back and read it. However, it is not a fluffy book nor is it a happy book ~~ this book is somber and it does make you remember your past. You will find yourself relating to certain events in these characters' lives. Ursu has a way of drawing the reader into her world ~~ she brings back a lot of nostaglia and pride ~~ and if you're a Midwesterner like me, a lot of these memories are the same as yours as a kid. Each of the characters somehow manage to get connected to one another indirectly ~~ and leaves an impact on others' lives. This is one of the most interesting reads I've read this year. It is a book I'd definitely pass onto others ~~ and Ursu is an author I'd be interested in reading more of. 4-2-03
Rating:
Summary: Touching
Review: Ms. Ursu has an incredible ability to capture the simplicity of a child's thought, without in any way condescending. The relationship between James and his sister is the reason to read this book--I loved it.
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent and Highly Original
Review: Ms. Ursu's stimulating debut novel, about memories recovered in a highly original way, belongs on the same shelf as Alan Lightman's "Einstein's Dreams" and Charles Baxter's "Feast of Love". Book discussion groups will eat it up.
Rating: 
Summary: Tantalizing first novel, with rich but not sating narrative
Review: Spilling Clarence, what an interesting yet ambiguous book title. Only when I picked it up and riffled it did I realize the premise of the book was way more interesting than the title might have suggested. Clarence was the name of the town where Anne Ursu's story unravels. The town is home of a pharmaceutical company which prides itself with the memory retrieval pill Deletrium. An explosion of the company's manufacturing plant not only disturbed the hush of the town but sent an immeasurable waft of memory-provoking gas throughout town. While the plant assured the chemical spill of Deletrium was not toxic; the medical substance did trigger brain receptors and unleash memories that were repressed in the brain. The inevitable outcome was a retrieval of memories, pleasant and painful, caught up with townspeople who had been exposed to the vapor. Bennie, a psychology professor, was among those who in the least appreciated the chemical as it brought back painful memories of his deceased wife Lizzie. Bennie is a single-father who raised 9-years-old Sophie. Bennie's mother, Madeline, who lived in a retirement home, recounted her stricken years as a mother and widow. Susannah, an aide at the retirement home and took care of Madeline, also got her share of grieving reminiscence about her mother who suffered from mental illness. Her fiance Todd was a student at a local college working toward his degree. While the book mainly focused on the three aforementioned characters, Ursu's rich but not sating narrative touched on many other townspeople and their pasts. Even the paltry characters were etched. The book deals with grievances of the pasts and how diligently people tried to put behind the painful loss. As intriguing as it may be, the book also brought to surface the nature of loneliness. It seemed to me that the troubled past, the bitterness, the sadness had imposed such formidable hurdle in the characters that they couldn't break away from their loneliness. I want to remind fellow readers that this book is quite promising as Anne Ursu's debut novel. While Ursu doesn't play around with winding skeins of words that unspool and render elegantly like some of the most acclaimed prose stylists of our time; her writing is taut, crisp, and clear. She bears the tour de force to take her readers back and forth in time to make reference to reminiscence and to weave together various incidences in the lives of her characters. This is done somehow seamlessly and not obscurely. Spilling Clarence is a relatively short book. It would be a perfect choice for a summer read though parts of it (the reminiscence) can be very depressing. I read it out of the curiosity for its unique and tantalizing premise and slipped it in between my arduous reading projects for a breath of fresh air. 3.8 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Moving and memorable...
Review: The main reason that prompted my buying of this book was the interesting premise. I thought the idea behind this book was something very original and unique, and I was definitely excited about reading it. And while Spilling Clarence did provide me with something out of the ordinary, I believe the novel was more depressing that I anticipated. Spilling Clarence tells the story about a small town, Clarence, and the chemical leak that changed everything. An explosion at the town's psychopharmaceutical plant has sent mind-altering vapors into the air. At first, authorities weren't actually sure what to make of the incident, but soon they got their answers. These vapors, a chemical called Deletrium, unlocks the brain's hidden and repressed memories, encouraging patients (or in this case, town residents) to remember things they had forgotten. At first it doesn't sound so bad -- who doesn't like a trip down memory lane every once in a while? But soon, most of the town starts to unravel -- not everyone's memories bring smiles and joy. While the story talks about many of Clarence's citizens, most of the detail is reserved for three main characters: Bennie, a college psychology professor, whose memories bring his deceased wife, Lizzie, back to life; Madeline, Bennie's mother, who resides at the Sunny Shadows retirement home, remembers the life she led as a wife and as a widow; and Susannah, an aide at the retirement home, who has her own troubled past, mostly in the form of a mentally ill mother. All of these characters are portrayed in rich detail, and author Anne Ursu leaves no rock overturned. Spilling Clarence is an insightful, moving story about memories and the mind's natural process of storing them away. The writing is exquisite and thoughtful, yet simple and easy to understand when the author flits back and forth between past and present. The tone is more depressing than I expected -- there is a lot of "falling down into a crumpled, shaking heap" in this book! -- but then again, that is life and a lot memories we repress mostly relate to an unhappy time. Spilling Clarence is an honest piece of work, and I applaud Anne Ursu for writing it.
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