After so many enthusiastic recommendations to read this book - I finally picked up a copy. It took me nearly 2 years to just sit down and read it. As a former languages major - I'm accustomed to reading books with an open mind, and always finish books even if I don't like them very well.
While the content of AHWOSG is neither heartbreaking, nor genius - there are definitely some funny laugh-out-loud moments. Mostly I felt like I was looking into the inner workings of a bipolar adolescent. I've had bipolar friends describe "racing thoughts" as one of their symptoms - after reading this book, I suspect that this is what they mean.
I've read some articles by Eggers - they were funny. This book definitely falls within the bounds of "experimental literature." The techniques employed include: extreme stream-of-consciousness, interweaving stories from different events/places every other paragraph, Q&A interview, characters in the book going "out of character" and addressing the author's character as an author instead of a character, and way way too much information about minutiae inside and outside the author's head.
Other authors have done this sort of thing - better - but Eggers is capturing a specific circumstance as well as a time and place. Honestly - working in San Francisco's South of Market during the first dot-com boom - he was part of the "cool kids" group - the self-appointed digital elite. Those guys were annoying, arrogant and pretentious enough in person 15 years ago. Reading this makes me wonder if they all shouldn't have been on Ritalin.
The specific stories: sibling relationships, being with his mom through the end of her illness & her death, disposing of her remains, pursuing his dad's friend to learn more about his dad (as well as revelations about his dad's alcoholism), his obsession with sex (seriously? do we have to know?), his tremendous love for his little brother, his relationship with a substance abusing friend... all these are valid, worthwhile and interesting stories.
However - his technique gets in the way of his stories. Even his panic or paranoia can be funny - he describes these internal dialogues about how people watch him and his brother play games and think they are awesome, or "us vs them" sort of dialogues - but a little bit goes a long way. "Crime & Punishment" does neurotic/obsessive internal dialogues way better (and over a century before Eggers!).
Unless you're a HUGE fan of Eggers, or a total experimental literature geek - skip this one. It's not nearly so touching, heartbreaking or genius as many would have you think.
No comments:
Post a Comment