The Full Catastrophe A Novel by David Carkeet

Author:David Carkeet
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Humorous, LAN009000, FIC000000, Fiction
ISBN: 9780671643195
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 1990-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Cook laughed lightly. They had both been standing, and he sat down on the couch. “What happened at work?” he asked.

Dan had moved as if intending to sit down as well, but he suddenly converted his motion into a mere pace, with an awkward hitch at the moment of shift. “Just a little problem that needed some attention.”

“Ah,” said Cook. “That roots it firmly for me. I know exactly what you mean.”

Dan gave him a quizzical look. A silence fell.

Beth came back into the room. As she sat down, Cook said to her, “I’m experiencing topic failure.”

“Sounds bad,” said Beth.

“I was asking Dan about his work—”

“‘Topic failure’?” Dan interrupted. “Is that a standard term, or did you make it up?”

“You’re just changing the subject,” Cook said.

“I’m changing the subject,” Dan admitted. “But I’m not just changing the subject. I’m interested.”

Cook hesitated, then decided to go along, for the moment. “It’s standard. It’s what happens when someone raises a topic and it gets a minimal response—or none at all.” He looked at Beth. “It happens to women a lot.”

“I know,” she said.

Dan said, “You mean, like out in the world? At parties? That sort of thing?”

“No,” said Cook. “In the marriage.”

Dan looked pained by the idea.

“Women work hard at conversation,” Cook went on. “They’re always putting forward topics for discussion, a lot more than their husbands do, and the topics fail more often. They just die. You read transcripts and you get the impression of big brutes just mumbling while their wives work like the devil at making a conversation.”

“Tell me about it,” Beth said sarcastically.

Dan pursed his lips. “Maybe the women’s topics aren’t as interesting as the men’s.”

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