Well, girls, it is back to the Literary Brat Packers, and I did not have too good a time with Jill Eisenstadt's "Swell." Bret Easton Ellis writes a sequel to "Less Than Zero," so Jill has to go ride his coattails, and write a sequel to "Far Rockaway." Now, that book was no ground breaker either, but at least it had some kind of momentum. "Swell," for all its title promises, is permanently in stasis.
The novel is basically one big joke, revolving around the fact that Rose Imperioli will not vacate the house now lived in by the Glassmans, who were forced to vacate their Tribeca residence, due to 9/11. Rose steals the show every time she is on, and when she is, the book is lively. When she is not, forget it.
If this novel were optioned for the movies--but believe me, it will not be--I can see Olympia Dukakis as Rose, basically reprising her "Moonstruck" character, thirty years later. But, like I said, that won't happen.
Jill, hon, what the hell were you doing? Cramming Rose, the Glassmans, Tim Ray, from the first book, mixing in both the 9/11 and Flight 587 disasters, but to what purpose? The novel reads, Jill, like you had to fulfill some contractual obligation, and just wrote anything, not bothering to care, whether it interests the reader, or even yourself.
And yet, she is one of the Literary Brat Pack. In the case of Jill Eisenstadt, it has to be through association. "Far Rockaway" demonstrated some potential. "Swell" indicates that she does not really give a rat's fuck, one way or the other.
Well, neither do we, Jill. So stop writing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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