Six degrees of Nervous Laughter

Bridget McNulty’s novel is a funny and sweet ride through love tribulations in Durban, South Africa

By Melissa Silvestri
Published: June 11th, 2009 | 12:00am

Strange Nervous Laughter, written by Bridget McNulty, is a novel about romance, sex, and self-discovery among six unusual inhabitants of Durban, South Africa. Some of the characters' insecurities and neuroses may hit close to home for readers, but their reconciliations with past mistakes and seeing anew would prove inspiring for anyone confused by love in a mixed-up world.

The characters range from Beth, who presents herself as a doormat for men, gets too excited about new dating prospects, and is looked upon as a mousy type, to Aisha, an introvert who prefers to live in her dreams and outside of real life. Pravesh is an immature man-child with unresolved parental issues, and Harry is determined to get into the Guinness Book of World Records by eating only green food. Meryl wants to spite her lover in the worst way, and Mdu feels too much for this world, on the painful side of sensitivity.

McNulty paints a great portrait of Durban as an ethnically diverse city, split between poor and middle-class; the city vibrates like a main character, influencing everyone's minds and moods with a touch of magical realism. She gives so much lyrical heart to the characters that you feel bad whenever you have to put it down. It's a great recommendation to explore Durban via McNulty's words with six quirky, memorable characters.

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ABOUT THE BOOK
Strange Nervous Laughter (Thomas Dunne Books)
By: Bridget McNulty
256 pages, $23.95