(Reviewed by JD Jung)
“Was it better to be sad in a world that made sense or happy in a world that did not.”
When forty-six-year-old Wilbur came home from work one day, his grumpy, over-bearing wife Sarah informed him that he received a heavy crate, of which the delivery men brought down to the basement. He was sure it was a mistake, as he wasn’t expecting a delivery. However, there was no addressee listed on the box, and no bill of lading. He couldn’t return it, as there was not even a record of a sender.
As our stereotypical timid 1950’s protagonist (his name is Wilbur after all) tries to figure out what to do with this delivery, events snowball and his life begins to unravel. That’s where the reader’s fun begins.
But wait, this is not the ‘50’s. There’s the internet, even though Wilber thinks that it is just a “work thing” and has no purpose at home. He even tries to look up “internet” in the yellow pages.
We accompany Wilbur in his pursuit of answers as he discovers that the crate contains a 172-megaton nuclear bomb. Was it delivered to the wrong person, or was it meant for him? Was there a war going on that he didn’t hear about? If so, wouldn’t he have read it in the newspaper?
We are privy to Wilbur’s thoughts, and he overthinks everything. His thought-process is odd and unassuming, which makes for a hysterical read. You can’t help but feel sorry for him in his naivete and innocence, even though you’re still laughing at him. He seems happy in his cold marriage and the fact that he only has one friend. At least his life makes sense.
With the gravity of the pandemic and today’s events, The Delivery is a welcome diversion, packed into a short read.
