moimoi
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Post by moimoi on Dec 28, 2022 20:37:24 GMT -5
Update 18: I have completed Gun, With Occasional Music by Jonathan Letham for "Night Time"
Yeah, this was not very good. Letham's tribute to Chandler has some fun turns of phrase, but the plot was formulaic, with way too many ill-conceived sci-fi gimmicks thrown in ostensibly for laffs (talking animals, baby creatures, anti-gravity pens, widespread use of drugs to regulate emotions, a karma points system, cryogenics, musical objects, unusual surgical procedures, memory apps--but no cell phones...). Who Framed Roger Rabbit? did it better--without bestiality and copious violence against women.
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: Letham's works always sounded interesting so I figured I'd start here. Fits the theme to a T, but I can't say it was a fave.
How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? I enjoy detective fiction, so I imagine I would have read it at some point.
What's Next? I'm really looking forward to a change of pace in the form of Andre Leon Talley's memoir The Chiffon Trenches for "Seconds of Pleasure"
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moimoi
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Posts: 5,090
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Post by moimoi on Jan 4, 2023 21:33:17 GMT -5
Update 19: I have completed The House Without a Key by Earl D. Biggers for "Really Mystified" This is old school: the novel that introduced Charlie Chan. The de riguer picturesque setting is Hawaii and the casual racism is minimal, all things considered (the portrait of Hawaii's Japanese population is not at all flattering, but understandable for the time period). It hits pretty much all the classic pulp mystery beats, with lots of clues, action, romance, and a somewhat telegraphed solution. The characters were fun and it was a breezy read. How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: As I said: old school mystery. It was a nice breather after the unpleasantness of Letham's po-mo nonsense. How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? It's part of the huge 20s crime fiction anthology I bought for Red Harvest, so in theory I would have read it at some point... AND Update 20: I have completed The Pooh Perplex by Frederick C. Crews for "I Turn Around" This was HEE-LAR-EE-OUS and I plan to keep it in my collection. It's basically a parody of literary criticism casebook done in a number of styles, including Marxist (natch), Freudian, Christian theologian, etc. The essay done in the style of The University of Chicago is SPOT ON. That was one of my favorites, along with the petty contrarian obsessed with D.H. Lawrence (I'm thinking this is a parody of someone specific, but I don't know who) How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: One of my friends picked this up at a used bookshop down the street from her place and it intrigued me, so I borrowed it. I didn't realize Frederick Crews was a serious academic and not a humorist until Lord Lucan pointed it out to me. How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? It's small, so I think I would have taken it on the train. What's Next? After I finish The Chiffon Trenches it's on to Native Son. Challenge nearly complete! |
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moimoi
AV Clubber
Posts: 5,090
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Post by moimoi on Jan 30, 2023 16:02:49 GMT -5
Update 21: It appears that I have neglected to report that have completed The Chiffon Trenches by Andre Leon Talley for "Seconds of Pleasure"
In truth, I don't have much to say about this one. Talley was a fascinating figure, but despite his candor about surviving sexual abuse and struggles with depression, it still doesn't feel like he revealed much in this second memoir. There's tons of gossip about Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Wintour, Yves Saint Laurent, and their acolytes, but not much of a through-line about what drove him to keep going in the catty, image conscious, and superficial environment he portrays.
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: I like fashion and I enjoyed Simon Doonan's memoir, so I figured I'd enjoy this as well. Overall, I did enjoy it, but the worship of Diana Vreeland, certain European socialites, Beyonce, and Naomi Campbell probably didn't need a whole volume devoted to it.
How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? Train reading, for sure.
What's Next? I'll finish Native Son soon - lots to say about that one - and then hopefully knock out Slaves of New York to finish by Valentines Day :-)
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moimoi
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Posts: 5,090
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Post by moimoi on Feb 11, 2023 12:12:56 GMT -5
Update 22: I have completed Native Son by Richard Wright for "The Stamping Ground"
DAMN. This book grabs you by the guts and then by the throat. The story of Bigger Thomas's "Fear", "Flight", and "Fate" is a violent, lurid, and complex allegory of pre-Civil Rights race relations in America set in the most American of cities, Chicago. Wright's effectiveness as a storyteller is up there with Kafka and Dostoyevsky. His effectiveness as a provocateur rivals Camus and Brett Easton Ellis. And while the last third of the book slows down considerably from the the taut rush of the first two thirds, it doesn't tie things up into any neat conclusion or easy answer. It's queasy and unsettling, but absolutely essential reading.
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: Not only does it take place in my hometown, but during the time of year that I read it and in locations very close to where I was commuting as I read it. I can visualize specific locations in this book, though one imagines they've changed considerably over time.
How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? I'm somewhat surprised I never came across this in college, since I could see it popping up in any American lit, sociology, or law class. I'm glad the challenge gave me the opportunity to fill a critical gap in my reading list.
What's Next? I'm in no hurry, but I'll wrap up the challenge with Tama Janowicz's more lighthearted short story collection Slaves of New York.
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moimoi
AV Clubber
Posts: 5,090
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Post by moimoi on Mar 11, 2023 15:07:42 GMT -5
Update 22: I have completed Slaves of New York by Tama Janowitz for "Imperial Bedroom" and thus completed The Imperial Bedroom Reading Challenge!
This is a sharp collection of short stories about the 1980s NYC demimonde. Some stories are funny, some are surreal and a bit disturbing. The recurring vignettes focusing on a couple key characters form the basis for Janowitz's botched screenplay for the film adaptation. I feel like this could get, and probably deserves, a reboot into a TV show, since housing instability, relationships, and nihilism are still very current themes.
How Well Did It Fit the Theme of the Challenge/Why I Picked This: Fits the theme without having to read Brett Easton Ellis. Plus I was always intrigued by the cool fashion and music featured in the film version (see my other thread).
How likely would you have been to read the book without the challenge? I would have just watched the movie, which was so bad I'd have skipped the book. The book is definitely better.
What's Next? My reading challenge for 2023 is based on the Blur album Modern Life is Rubbish :-) Since it's only 14 tracks, that gives me some flexibility to get my TBR inventory under control.
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