Robyn
asked:
Did anyone else notice the discrepancies with the protagonist's age? She says at the beginning of the novel that she was 24 in 2000 and turned 25 in August of that year. Yet, at other points in the novel she talks about having been out of college for around 5 years and she also mentions her birth is is 1973. Was there a reason for this?
To answer questions about
My Year of Rest and Relaxation,
please sign up.
Erica M.
I'm answering this over two years late but I believe I have an answer and can hopefully clarify things for anyone who comes across this in the future with similar confusion: it's an actual error and not purposefully done. I'm reading the book now, and noticed that in some reviews people mentioned that the narrator's age is 24, when my copy of the book mentions that she is 26, and later turning 27. Her birthday is still August 1973, so it all makes sense in my copy. It seems that in newer printings of the books, the age has been corrected! So her "real" age is 26 going on 27, the 24 going on 25 in previous editions must have been an oversight.
Caitlin
Yes, I just came here to find out if anyone else noticed this. It's really bothering me! She says on page 48 that she was born in August 1973, but on page 78 says she turned 25 on August 20, 2000. On page 3 she tells us she was 24 in mid-June of 2000.
It's small, but it really bothers me, lol.
It's small, but it really bothers me, lol.
Erin
I’m reading this right now and noticed this right away. It bothers me so much! Glad someone else noticed. Maybe it’s done on purpose because she’s high all the time, and is an unreliable narrator/ she’s in denial about the passage of time, but there’s no resolution later on to indicate that. If anything, the novel is super aware of time and dates as it leads up to 9/11. If this was truly a mistake unnoticed by editing, I find that really annoying.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more