In no particular order, here are a couple books I’ve been enjoying this July.
1. RAISED IN CAPTIVITY by Chuck Klosterman
With the release of this book, I’ve seen some negative comments about his work lately on Twitter. (And less importantly, Klosterman as a person). Say what you will about Klosterman’s style of writing, you cannot deny he’s doing something right. Certain things are popular for a reason. It’s like superhero movies: I fucking hate them, but I cannot deny they satisfy people.
That being said: as a fan I have read all of his work over the years, and I absolutely adore this book. I feel like he has evolved a little as a writer in a way that isn’t absurd, and RAISED IN CAPTIVITY is perfect for this era we’re living in. The book consists of these short stories that never really take off: they just sort of start, and fizzle out within a couple pages. That sounds AWFUL on paper, but when you get used to the rhythm of the book it becomes a really fun read. It’s a great collection of stories that never allow you to really get bored or distracted by. When I say “perfect for this era,” that’s what I mean: in an Instagram-dominated world, books are struggling to compete. People take pictures of books they probably don’t even read to look smart; life is now less about the books people have read, and more about the books they want people to THINK they’ve read.
Klosterman has successfully found a way to incorporate his brand of authorship into this strange landscape, or as the book’s description fittingly announces, “microdosing.”
2. THE TICKLE by G.W.I.
Okay, this one has some ‘splainin to do: I was walking around a mall one day last summer, and I noticed this book in a Sunrise. I could tell immediately that it was a self-published book; books that are not backed by massive publishing houses often look very similar. And I’ve published a couple myself, so I immediately felt a strong kinship with this author I’ve never met and most likely never will.There was also a sticker on the book somewhere that said “LOCAL AUTHOR,” and I immediately fell in love. I opened this thing, and I found myself laughing almost within seconds. It’s just written in such a classically hilarious way that made me feel like I was friends with the author or grew up with this person. If I went to high school with this person I had the feeling we would be best buds.
Anyway, I’m a starving artist who is perpetually broke, so I left the store without buying the book. Which, by the way, is how independent art dies. Don’t do what I did.
That was last summer. Fast forward to now: I was aimlessly wandering around the same mall. I went back to the Sunrise to see if this magical book was still in the store. Sure enough, it was, but this time even way further in the back. As a guy who has self-published books that have gone nowhere, I felt really bad for this author. I have a very special place in my heart for artists that are unsuccessful or under appreciated in some way, because it’s a tough life.
But I’m still broke AF, so I didn’t buy the book. I came home and bought it for the Kindle due to it being much cheaper. I started reading at home, and the book did not disappoint. Don’t get me wrong: there are a bunch of errors and the novel is not perfect by A LONG SHOT. But to me, that adds to its charm. The characters and way the fucking thing is written is too enjoyable to not tell others about. Side note: it’s rife with all these references to Canadian places that add to the hilarity if you’re familiar with any of them.
3. HOUSE OF LEAVES by Danielewski
I finally finished reading House of Leaves by Danielewski after years of hearing about it. I think it’s a masterpiece. Here are a few notes & thoughts I’m having about it, and why I think it’s so great.
-Pushing the form: the novel was first published almost 2 decades ago. At that point, the form of the novel was more or less the same way it had always been. Danielewski’s work here is unique; it’s tough to think of a similar work by another author you could call close to this one. This thing is fantastic in a groundbreaking way. It pushes what the novel is capable of, and toys with your perception of what a novel is.
-Interactivity: This is probably the most interactive book I’ve ever read. The way it’s presented to the reader at times forces you to take an active role in the book; you can’t just hold it and read it. At certain points you have to turn it upside down, etc. I tried to play around with the form a little in my second novel, and I do things like upside down text as well. But that is nowhere near the level of consistency and experimentation Danielewski has demonstrated in this book: it’s a real feat. The man worked his ASS off.
-Ahead of its time: I’m a bit surprised that this was published a short lifetime ago, and it’s still so great. Sure, there are references to people like Letterman and Leno (and even a pre-MeToo Harvey Weinstein), that immediately date the book. However, the effect of the story has not been diminished by time whatsoever.
4. THE GREAT NORTH AMERICAN NOVEL - Dilair Singh
I would be a total fool not to take the opportunity to champion my own work. So here it is. I will totally be Kanye West-y about this and proudly announce I love this book. It does what I was aiming for: it plays with the form, it has darkly serious moments, it has silly comedy, it’s experimental. Cool beans!