Lacking any Quality of Mercy

An Unfortunate Woman: A Journey 

by Richard Brautigan

"It is around noon and the heat is oppressing and the sun shines down lacking any quality of mercy."   - Richard Brautigan, An Unfortunate Woman: A Journey

The book is structured as a semi-autobiographical journal, chronicling the travels of its narrator, who is closely modeled after Brautigan himself. Brautigan's narrative style reflects his characteristic wit, irony, and poetic prose. The journey is not just geographical but also an introspective one, marked by digressions and reflections rather than a linear plot. The episodic nature of the entries, spanning from January to June 1982, captures the whimsy and randomness of life, yet they cover themes of mortality, depression, and solitude.

Central to the book's thematic exploration is the shadow of death. Brautigan's protagonist navigates through the aftermath of the suicide of a woman he knew, whose home he temporarily occupies, and the death of a friend from cancer. These events cast a melancholic tone over the narrative, mirroring Brautigan's own struggles with depression, alcoholism, and his contemplation of mortality. This personal connection makes the book an eerie foreshadowing of the author's own suicide in 1984.

Despite its dark themes, "An Unfortunate Woman" retains Brautigan's signature humor and irony. His ability to find the absurd in the mundane, like describing a chicken in Hawaii or a courtroom scene for forgetting when one last wrote, provides a counterbalance to the narrative's inherent sadness. This juxtaposition of humor against despair showcases Brautigan's complex engagement with the human condition.

The novel serves as a personal document, offering glimpses into Brautigan's life during his final years. It's a raw, sometimes painful look at a man grappling with his identity, his past, and his imminent end. For Brautigan's fans, this book is a treasure, providing not just entertainment but a deeper understanding of the man behind the literary persona. His daughter, Ianthe Brautigan, found and later advocated for its publication, recognizing its value as a piece of her father's best work.