The road not taken, the idea of an alternate life, what-if has always fascinated the writers for years and some stories and movies with this theme have been seen around. Some things in life are on chance; the people we meet, what event comes by and what opportunities we get but in parts it is also a matter of choice, what do we make of these events and opportunities.
The Post-Birthday World is a story about the alternate life; a what-if. The story of Irina McGoven, who is an American children’s book illustrator living in London with her love of a decade, Lawrence Trainer. The couple is friends with a professional snooker player, Ramsey Acton, and they celebrate his birthday every year. This year Lawrence is away for a business trip and Irina celebrates alone with Ramsey.
Lawrence is an intellectual, steady but dull and unexciting lover. Irina is a reserved woman of moderate mind. Over the years, the couple’s life has settled into a familiar routine. Irina at times finds their predictable life soothing, almost no extra effort, or at times, very suffocating.
Ramsey is the opposite of Lawrence's personality; he’s active, nervy, and passionate. Irina is attracted to Ramsey and ruminates sharing a kiss with him but this simple attraction turns into a complex matter; the one harder to push aside. The author does a good job at laying out the circumstances and the details of the relationship which lead to the incident of Irina falling for Ramsey. Ramsey might lack the intellectual mind of Lawrence but Irina finds his sexual pull irresistible and faces a moment of temptation.
At this is the point where she has to make a choice between her serious and boring partner, and their mutual friend Ramsey who is charming and self-absorbed. The writer interestingly carries forward the story with alternate chapters on how Irina’s life is like after going with Ramsey and what would it be like if resists the temptation and stays with Lawrence.
In one story line, after succumbing to the temptation writer describes how Irina rejects her best friend’s warning and thinks, when people advice that one doesn’t care to take the voices go tiny and fainting as if coming from far a place.
Irina feels an emotional connection with Ramsey other than passionate sex. She also noticed Ramsey actually listens to what she has to say and yet the two have almost nothing in common as Ramsey cares little about anything other than snooker. Moreover, he doesn’t understand Irina’s references from books, movies and politics.
The interesting thing story was that in both storylines the “power” in relationships lied with the person who was not as committed to the relationship, while, the other person was always looking for attention and love. Also, both storylines were pretty realistic; there’s never a perfect life but just different sort of pleasures and drawbacks. Irina had a secure relationship with Lawrence but no assurance of happiness as their relationship was stagnant now. On the other hand, Ramsey was passionate that came with a volatile temper, hence, a risk.
