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An Unfortunate Woman

richard brautigan

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Richard Brautigan's last novel, published in the U.S. for the first time

Richard Brautigan was an original--brilliant and wickedly funny, his books resonated with the sixties, making him an overnight counterculture hero. Taken in its entirety, his body of work reveals an artistry that outreaches the literary fads that so quickly swept him up.

Dark, funny, and exquisitely haunting, his final book-length fiction explores the fragile, mysterious shadowland surrounding death. Told with classic Brautigan wit, poetic style, and mordant irony, An Unfortunate Woman assumes the form of a peripatetic journal chronicling the protagonist's travels and oblique ruminations on the suicide of one woman, and a close friend's death from cancer.

After Richard Brautigan committed suicide, his only child, Ianthe Brautigan, found among his possessions the manuscript of An Unfortunate Woman. It had been completed over a year earlier, but was still unpublished at the time of his death. Finding it was too painful to face her father's presence page after page, she put the manuscript aside.

Years later, having completed a memoir about her father's life and death, Ianthe Brautigan reread An Unfortunate Woman, and finally, clear-eyed, she saw that it was her father's work at its best and had to be published.

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1994

This edition

Format
132 pages, Paperback
Published
July 10, 2001 by St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN
9780312277109
ASIN
0312277105
Language
English

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About the author

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richard brautigan

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Richard Brautigan was an American novelist, poet, and short-story writer. Born in Tacoma, Washington, he moved to San Francisco in the 1950s and began publishing poetry in 1957. He started writing novels in 1961 and is probably best known for his early work Trout Fishing in America. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1984.

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Community Reviews

Rating(4.2 / 5.0, 99 votes)
5 stars
38(38%)
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38(38%)
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23(23%)
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99 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Jolly_is_here
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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I've spent the past nine months completely immersed in Brautigan's literary works. Each and every book within his catalogue offers its own distinct and wonderful pleasures.

"An Unfortunate Woman" is like a "calendar map" that chronicles the year 1982 of Brautigan's life. It is filled with a sense of longing and reflection as it delves into the themes of time, age, sickness, and death. Yet, it also contains that classic Brautigan humor that I find simply irresistibly delightful.

I have a deep affection for Brautigan as a narrator. His voice has a certain quality that lodges firmly in your mind, to the point where suddenly your own inner monologue is usurped by his. I feel truly fortunate to have had the opportunity to take a brief glimpse into his mind, regardless of whether it is filled with flights of fancy or a more melancholy tone.

It has been an enriching and captivating journey exploring the world of Brautigan's literature, and I look forward to continuing to discover more of his unique perspectives and stories.
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Profile Image for Kimberly .
existentialist
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Besides the jokes, escapes, and the overall style of this book - which is interesting in its own right - for me, one of the fascinating things about thinking about this style of writing was the perspective behind this kind of writing and autobiography. And how the reader can, through analyzing this work, gain an understanding of their own situation in the diverse modern world.


I wanted to understand the entirety of this book, as well as many of its details.


The author's unique way of presenting his life experiences and thoughts makes the book not only an entertaining read but also a thought-provoking one. It allows the reader to step into the author's shoes and see the world from his perspective.


Moreover, the book's structure and narrative flow are well-crafted, keeping the reader engaged from start to finish. The use of vivid descriptions and interesting anecdotes adds to the overall charm of the book.


In conclusion, this book is not just a simple autobiography but a work that offers valuable insights into the human condition and the modern world.

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Leozin7
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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A Poor Woman is something similar to the autobiography of the author (lacking in details about a certain period of her life), with the difference that the author does not carry out this work in the usual way and perhaps according to her own words, a travelogue-map would be a more appropriate title for this subject.

She is a woman who has experienced many hardships and challenges in her life. Her story is one of struggle and perseverance, but also of hope and love.

Although her life may not have been easy, she has managed to find meaning and purpose in the simplest of things. She has learned to appreciate the beauty in the world around her and to find joy in the smallest of moments.

Through her writing, she hopes to share her story with others and inspire them to keep going, no matter what difficulties they may face. She believes that everyone has a story to tell and that by sharing our experiences, we can help each other to grow and learn.

In conclusion, A Poor Woman is a powerful and moving account of one woman's life. It is a story that will touch your heart and leave you with a greater appreciation for the beauty and complexity of the human experience.
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Profile Image for Kimberly .
An0therW
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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It's truly heartless to rate this book in a hasty and thoughtless manner.

This book may have taken the author countless hours of hard work, research, and creativity to bring to life.

Each word, each sentence, and each chapter is carefully crafted to convey a message, tell a story, or share knowledge.

Ratings can have a significant impact on an author's career and the success of their work.

A low rating without proper consideration can discourage the author and prevent others from giving the book a chance.

Before rating a book, we should take the time to read it thoroughly, understand its context, and appreciate the effort that went into it.

We should also consider our own biases and preferences and try to be objective in our assessment.

By doing so, we can give a fair and accurate rating that reflects the true value of the book.

After all, every book has its own unique charm and deserves to be judged on its own merits.
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DexterAnodyne
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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I feel that this book is a thousand unfinished questions with incomplete answers attached to them.

I think he has introduced his book very well himself.

And this travelogue is definitely not an ordinary travelogue.

It's like a diary of the retired period of Barat!

This book seems to be filled with mysteries and uncertainties, making it all the more intriguing. The author's description makes me eager to explore the contents within.

It's as if each page holds a new adventure or a thought-provoking question.

I can't wait to delve deeper into this unique travelogue and discover what lies beneath its surface.

Maybe it will take me on a journey I never expected, filled with surprises and revelations.

I'm looking forward to uncovering the secrets and stories that this book has to offer.

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Profile Image for Kimberly .
FuyuChan1111
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Man,

I have spent a full 10 days reading this book.

It consists of 110 pages that are completely filled with words.

You finally managed to get to me.

As far as I am aware, Richard Brautigan did not desire for this book to be published during his lifetime.

He must have mentioned something about it to a friend at a time when he knew he would no longer be alive.

Perhaps he had his own reasons for keeping this work unpublished while he was still here on earth.

Maybe he wanted it to remain a secret or thought it was not yet ready for the public eye.

But now, it has come to light and I have had the opportunity to read it, experiencing the words and ideas that Brautigan put down on those pages.

It makes me wonder what his true intentions were and how he would have felt about its publication after his passing.

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SamIHellaAm
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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The book had no engaging ability. It might be due to improper translation (for example, translating "coffee" wrongly and so on) or the original writing was generally lacking in a story line and just plain text.

If for someone, the daily life and the ramblings of a big name, that is, Richard Brautigan, are not important, then what about this map-calendar?? Most likely it will not be exciting, educational or inspiring.

It was interesting that when I reached the end of the book, I saw my own handwriting under the last sentence that I had completed this book in Ordibehesht 90, which was 8 years ago.

It seems that Ordibehesht is Brautigan's month, or the month of an unlucky woman in my calendar.
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Tyraster
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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These ruins puzzle and haunt me. They are like mysterious specters that refuse to be tamed or understood. I stand here, surrounded by their silent presence, yet I haven’t the slightest idea how to catalog them. What museum will they end up in? Will they find a proper place to rest and be appreciated? And this dig, has it just begun or is it over? The uncertainty looms large, like a dark cloud over my thoughts.


I have decided not to use the last line. I’ll leave it to somebody else’s life. I hope they will make better use of it than I would have. But I did try.


Why am I out here alone?


Lyrical melancholy, punctuated with subtle humor, and utterly permeated by death, An Unfortunate Woman has a muted, haunting tone. Elegant Brautigan similes are here in these pages, but without his typical outrageousness. His humor is present, but bone dry - the kind that evokes a smile rather than a guffaw. There is a sense that all is presented in hushed, funereal tones.


The way Brautigan presented this small slice of his life that fit within the pages of one 165 page notebook feels as if a clockwork is winding down. A friend has died. Another friend is dying. He is living in a house where a woman (the unfortunate woman of the title) has recently hung herself. He is estranged from his daughter. He has broken his leg, and seems to be hobbling into an uncertain future. In so many of his works he hid a profound melancholy just below the surface. In this one it is the entire text, a poignant and powerful exploration of life's fragility and the inevitability of loss.
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