I'm liking Ron Charles more and more and more, and
this video review of Jonathan Franzen's Freedom makes just makes me giddy.
Over at Critical Mass, the blog for the NBCC, Wyatt Mason
writes about Roth's "tenth, short, and perfect novel, The Ghost Writer." I agree with Mason; this is one great novel, and a great place to start if you're looking to get to know Roth. Here is
my review. It wasn't my first Roth, but it is the book that made him one of my favorite writers of all time (if not my favorite).
This promises to get interesting. Anis Shivani of
The Huffington Post has posted his list of the
fifteen most overrated contemporary American authors. As usual, he makes some great points. Often when I see these, though, I think, "Okay, so they are bad. Now, tell me who is good -- and why the difference." Shivani promises to follow-up with the most
underrated contemporary American writers. Followed with similar lists for American writers of the past century, and going further to include lists for the global writers.
Patricia Zohn interviews Jennifer Egan at
The Huffington Post. I still think
A Visit from the Goon Squad is one of the best books of the year.
New York Magazine has a nice
look at independent bookstores in the City, which are rising "against all odds."
At Reading Matters, Kim has featured my blog on her
Triple Choice Tuesday. My choices?
The Ghost Writer,
So Long, See You Tomorrow, and
Butcher's Crossing. Pop on over and see my fresh, brief write-up of each title.
For Independence Day, the Huffington Post has a slide show of
fifteen great independent publishers, featuring a few of my favorites --
Open Letter,
Archipelago -- and a few I didn't know about.
New Directions is a model of perfection, and I agree. I have stacks and stacks of books from these three presses, and I'm anxious to see what the others have to offer.
Michiko Kakutani's
review of Jacob de Zoet is surprising in its lack of substance. It's mostly just a plot rehash (which I think gives away a bit too much). It's boring to read and insightless, where I usually enjoy her reviews even if I disagree (as I do here). I'm not saying my reviews are better, surely, but this is pretty poor for
The New York Times daily and from a Pulitzer-winning critic.
In the new issue of
The New Yorker, James Wood
takes a look at The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet: "This is to argue not that David Mitchell should be more like Tolstoy or Conrad or Beckett but, curiously, that he might be more Mitchellian—that the reader wants a kind of moral or metaphysical pressure that is absent, and that has ceded all the ground to pure storytelling."
The Paris Review blog has a
Q&A with Jennifer Egan, author of
The Goon Squad, a piece of which was published in
The New Yorker and discussed
here.
Click
here for the
Never Let Me Go trailer. I didn't like the book as much as I hoped I would, but the trailer makes the film look good.
____________________________
Click 
Comments are open for this week’s piece of New Yorker fiction.
In case you’re wondering, I did read this the day you posted it up. I just can’t think of anything to say about it!
Your comment says a lot, of course, Colette! I still haven’t gotten around to reading the piece yet, and I’m not sure when I’ll get a bit a of time (busy busy busy!), but hopefully it will be soon.
Very strange story — not one of my favorites by any means but I did get all the way to the end. I’d have to say the New Yorker is not off to a very good 2010 in fiction.
The situation had potential which the author did not realize. It wasn’t funny or interesting or anything really.
Quite right, Colette. Irish in a bar midst threatening weather — seems almost a cliche. Possibilities kept getting opened up, but none was developed. A disappointment more because of what could have been that what was published.
My thoughts, which are the same as Kevin’s and Colette’s, are up now. I too suffered from an inability to say anything about it — and it looks like with three relatively astute readers suffering from the same malady that it was the story’s fault.
Kevin, I seem to think that the fiction in 2009 didn’t get off to a very good start either. The first story I liked was George Saunders’ “Al Roosten,” which was followed by another favorite, Steven Milhauser’s “The Invasion from Outer Space.” Then things were alright but not great until a burst of energy in April and May. I hope that first great story comes along soon now or I’m afraid Colette might start an uprise against us for enticing her to joing us. I guess I did enjoy last week’s natural history lesson about the ants enjoyable — but not what I mean by great.
To others not commenting — whether because you’re not reading, because you haven’t liked the story, or for whatever reason — we’d love to get some more voices in here, even if they are just occasional.
Though I wouldn’t recommend you jumping to pick up this story.
I thought this story was sharply observed and hilarious- it captured in a humorous way so many features- the stultifying boredom of life in a small village, the repetitive circular pub conversations, the difficulties of minimum wage immigrant workers in those communities, the desperation and idealism of the blocked poet. And then the joyful coming together of this disparate community in response to a crisis. Definitely the best New Yorker story this year
Obviously from my comments above, radsroc, I don’t agree with you, but I appreciate your views here. When a team of editors at the premier short story publication choose a story, there certainly must be some merit, even if it doesn’t connect with everyone.
Still, I have to say, with stories like this I sometimes wonder. Then with your comment, I realize that it just didn’t appeal to me. I saw the elements you mention above, but nothing came together for me, even if the community came together in the face of a storm. I’m glad it did for you, and I hope you will continue to share your views :).