A few weeks ago I told you about the satisfying reading jag I'd been on. Now I will tell you about a less stellar set of books recently read by yours truly. Tom Perotta, author of Little Children adn Election, loves to write books about smart, self-possessed people doing incredibly stupid and self-destructive things. I don't think he cares for the direction American society is going for these days. I think his books are satire. There. I said it. I'm sure nine million others have said it before but now I'm saying it too. Which is rare because half the time books are supposed to be satire (Brideshead Revisted for example) I still take the story and characters seriously. Not so with The Abstinence Teacher. Though, at least, in this book instead of having to witness the characters do a lot of stupid stuff you get to see them do a little stupid stuff...and then the ending just lets you know that more stupid stuff is going to come...probably. I don't know what I'm talking about.
This is, by definition, chick lit. Was it compelling? Eh. What was the story? Oh, you know, a 30 year old named Courtney in our modern times wakes up one day in someone else's body in, wait for it, Jane Austen era England! Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. And yes I read the whole thing. Ugh.
There are two kinds of science fiction books (actually there are far more than that but for this purpose humor me) the kind where the fantasy elements are complemented by wonderful character development and witty insights into our current society and the kind where---you know what there are more than two, even for my purpose. Postsingular is a little flat. As are most of its characters. Interesting ideas going on and whatnot but if you don't give a shit about the people in the story what's the point? (Think Mary Doria Russel's The Sparrow).
Nick Hornby's first person narrators seem to get younger and younger. Maybe this was actually supposed to be a young adult book. British skater kid gets girlfriend pregnant at 16. Tony Hawk poster zooms him into the future. A lesson is learned about how things turn out versus what you'd like or expect. Typical.
This is, by definition, chick lit. Was it compelling? Eh. What was the story? Oh, you know, a 30 year old named Courtney in our modern times wakes up one day in someone else's body in, wait for it, Jane Austen era England! Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. And yes I read the whole thing. Ugh.
There are two kinds of science fiction books (actually there are far more than that but for this purpose humor me) the kind where the fantasy elements are complemented by wonderful character development and witty insights into our current society and the kind where---you know what there are more than two, even for my purpose. Postsingular is a little flat. As are most of its characters. Interesting ideas going on and whatnot but if you don't give a shit about the people in the story what's the point? (Think Mary Doria Russel's The Sparrow).
Nick Hornby's first person narrators seem to get younger and younger. Maybe this was actually supposed to be a young adult book. British skater kid gets girlfriend pregnant at 16. Tony Hawk poster zooms him into the future. A lesson is learned about how things turn out versus what you'd like or expect. Typical.
2 comments:
I really liked The Sparrow, not so much the sequel, the name of which I can't remember.
I just liked the mental image of the ravaged hands.
is that wrong?
Well it is good to get reviews of things I won't rush out to read in addition to the ones I would.
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