A Gay/campy chronicling of daily life in NYC,with individual kernels of human truth. copyright 2011 by The Raving Queen
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
I Don't Understand All The Fuss, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
People have told me that "The Incendiaries" is their Book Of The Year. Some reviewers compared it to Donna Tartt's "The Secret History," and while I can see structural similarities, it lacks the sweeping dramatics of the Tartt classic.
Actually, the story is pretty ordinary. At a college, somewhere in New England, two kids, Will and Phoebe, fall in love. Will is a disgruntled Christian, having transferred from a Bible college--good for him--while Phoebe is torn by her Seoul origins and her American life style.
But as soon as a character named John Leal enters the story I said--cult, Cult, CULT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And thus begins the tale of Leal's manipulations versus Will's efforts to get Phoebe out of his clutches. But things take an uncertain turn, and not everything is resolved, though I have my ideas.
I thought of Roth's "American Pastoral" when I read some of this brief, but well written novel. It just tells an all too familiar story.
And, good a writer as she is, there is nothing that innovative about the way R.O. Kwon tells it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Better luck next time, dear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I think you hit the nail on the head. There is so much out there, a book needs to be More than just well-written.
Victoria,
Exactly! This book did not
offer anything ground breaking,
or substantial.
Post a Comment