Reflection's Edge

Book Review: It's Only Temporary, by Eric Shapiro

Reviewer: Romie Stott

Sean is a recent college graduate, full of hope and plans for the future. But there isn't a future waiting for him, or anyone else - an unstoppable meteor is headed toward Earth, where it will likely destroy all human life. On the last day before impact, Sean realizes there's somewhere he needs to be, and someone he needs to apologize to. During what may be Earth's last road trip, Sean witnesses countless reactions to The End - some tragic, some dangerous, and some hopeful. In the process, he comes to terms with his own impending death.

End-of-the-world stories can be divided into two categories: spectacle and introspection. It's Only Temporary falls neatly into the second: no railing against the gods, no desperate fights to save the planet or get to safety - just a thoughtful examination of a society's reaction to death. Author Eric Shapiro takes an even-handed, encompassing look at humanity, freely acknowledging individual flaws and strengths. Some people continue their lives as though nothing's changed; others spend all their remaining time bonding with their families. Many commit suicide rather than wait for death.

Much of the excitement of the book - and much of its color - comes from the few people who let themselves indulge violent fantasies now that long-term consequences have been removed. Among these is a lion tamer who releases his pride so they may feast on human flesh, and a duo who kidnap and abuse single women. These portrayals never become cartoonish; instead they are horrifying and realistically weird steps on a journey, more O Brother, Where Art Thou than Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.

This is helped by It's Only Temporary's well-chosen narrator. Sean is a likeable everyman who it's easy to root for and identify with. He strikes a comfortable balance between bravery and impotence as he weighs the desire to help those in danger against a time clock and miles traveled. Throughout, he never devolves into angst or dithering, nor is he a saint. He's just a regular guy, trying to come to grips with something we all eventually face. Sean's age is also fitting; his physical and emotional journey mirror the transition from the safety of school and parents into a larger world.

It's Only Temporary's only misstep is an exasperating "Sean is actually crazy and the end of the world is all in his head!" dream sequence which does not fit with the honesty of the rest of the book. Had this segment been longer than it was, it might have destroyed the trust necessary for the book's emotional impact. At six pages, it still feels too long, but is at least somewhat humorous, and ends definitively instead of stringing us along with an unreliable narrator for the rest of the book.

Overall, It's Only Temporary is a solid novella. The prose, while not particularly eloquent or stylish, is believable and unintrusive. The book has no overt agenda, and is willing to present hopeful, triumphant moments next to bleak situations, without feeling manipulative. Throughout, Shapiro is empathetic and considerate, seeming to nonjudgmentally ask the reader "what would you do?" This makes It's Only Temporary a fitting - if surprising - follow up to Shapiro's 2002 short story collection, Short of a Picnic, which tried to humanize and explain mental illness from a first-person perspective.

To buy a copy of It's Only Temporary, click here.

If you liked this book, you may also enjoy:

Last Night, directed by Don McKellar (DVD)

On The Beach, by Nevil Shute

When Worlds Collide, by Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer



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