The First Cut Is The Deepest

Claudia Sternbach’s Reading Lips: A Memoir of Kisses made me want to go back to the fifth grade. And I never want to go back to the fifth grade. Between the “carrot top” jokes, the constant best friend break-ups and C’est L’Hallowen sing-alongs I’m pretty sure that I'm happy to stay where I am, thanks.

But Sternbach’s book reminds you of your first crush. How terribly you wanted to kiss him. If even just to beat your best friend to the punch. (Okay, that didn’t go so well for me either. My then bff felt bad about being first to kiss David Torchetti so she locked us in a room and forced our heads together. It hurt.)

In Reading Lips, Sternbach revisits her first kiss – or rather, the not-so-perfect circumstances that stopped it from happening as planned.  Every instance of a kiss, kiss missed, kiss unexpected or kiss uninvited is symbolic of change.

In Sternbach’s story, “kisses, even the ones that don’t happen, can be the trace of what’s constant when life changes”. This premise intrigued me from the get go. I hardy ever judge a book by the (back) cover but after reading that, I was in.

I’m a sucker for symbols in a novel and wanted to see all of the connections play out. But to be honest, I didn’t feel like each kiss was that symbolic. I didn’t feel like they connected to each other in any substantial way. I didn’t feel much but nostalgia. I wanted more.

I suppose I felt like every situation was skimmed over, almost as though it was the trailer of someone’s life rather than the main feature. Regardless of all that kissing, I just didn’t feel as intimately connected to the speaker as I wanted to feel.

That’s not to stay I didn’t enjoy visiting the many stages of Sternbach’s life, because I did. However, there seemed to be a few missing links and I felt lost when she wasn’t describing her grade-school days. It felt as though many key moments were short-lived. Kisses included.

I realize that each kiss (or lack thereof) marks a change in the speaker’s life, but I’m not sure how she feels about it. I’m not sure how each kiss is connected. I’m not sure what the speaker is trying to say about all of this change.

I guess it’s my fault. I went into reading this memoir expecting a brilliant explanation – the connection between kisses and changing. I wanted to be blown away. Reading Lips: A Memoir of Kisses was a swift read, much too brief and not quite what I expected it to be - somewhat like a first kiss. But hey, don’t take my word for it. See for yourself – Reading Lips: A Memoir of Kisses will be available April 2011 from Unbridled books.

Hayley Brehl
		About the author:
		Hayley Brehl obtained her BA in English and Creative Writing at Concordia University in Montreal. Living there she met designer, Andy The-Anh and assisted him on her days off from poetry class.  That’s when everything changed. She moved back to Toronto and began pursuing a career in fashion. Her favorite things are wedge heels, Indian take-out and her Persian kitten, Moe.
	Read More >>