Book Recommendation: The Fortress of Solitude
This is, admittedly, a really weird book. This is coming from a guy (me) who goes bonkers for weird, sure, but the particular brand of weirdness that one encounters when reading The Fortress of Solitude is weirder than your average weird.
I’ll back up.
If you haven’t read anything by (Jonathan) Lethem, this may not be the place to start. The absolutely excellent Motherless Brooklyn, is indeed his Animal Farm. (Actually, to put it better, it’s his Kavalier & Klay. One thing you’ll notice when reading Lethem reviews and/or criticism is that he’s definitely in the same class of modern literature as Chabon. Which of course works for me, as I am a fan of that latter man and his work. Regardless, MB is the clear entry point for this particular author.) However, if you’re only going to read one of the two, you should give this one a try, as it not only capitalizes on Lethem’s ‘genre-bending’ tendencies in strange ways, it’s got a youthful perspective that I think most readers of the Bloglin can appreciate.
I’ve been very careful up to this point to make sure that this was a book recommendation and nothing so much as a book review, so I won’t get hung up on plot summary so much as to just tell you why I like it and why I think you will. To wit:
It’s fucking weird and beautiful and strange. The story focuses on and is set in 1970-80s Brooklyn. I have never been there, and yet, this book has The Power to draw me in and make me feel like it’s where I grew up. Certain chapters will absolutely make you feel like you’re lying on the floor in a strange-but-familiar old apartment, reading comic books through a ray of bright, dusty sunlight. There are copious amounts of drugs, comics, ghetto games, and graffiti throughout. There is also a hint of the supernatural that makes one wonder if the author is speaking figuratively, literally, or just introducing more weirdness. As if there wasn’t enough.
Of the weirdness. This is a fantastic book.
- Hateball
September 9th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
yes, rad reading indeed.
September 10th, 2009 at 12:09 am
A good follow up is his collection of essays ‘The Disappointment Artist’ which lets you in on a lot of the experiences from his life that got channeled into this book. He gets deep into how his pop culture obsessions, collecting stuff and being from Brooklyn shaped his personality and work. It would be a hit with anyone who relates to this blog. I’ve read it several times and will read it again.
September 10th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Thanks a bunch for the hear-hears, you guys. Vidiot, I’ll definitely check out that collection…I love autobio shit like that.
September 10th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Best NYC book since Basketball Diaries and nothing like Jim Caroll’s NYC tale. Jonathan the writer is my childhood friend’s big bro and a lot of the people in the book are amalgamations of kids John and his brother Blake grew up with. Blake is AKA Keo a famous graf writer who himself did a few bids in his youth.
This book perfectly captures NYC in the mid to late 80′s when crack, graf,punk rock and street life all collided. I love this book and everything it encompasses. A true NYC story with a bit of Sci Fi thrown in for good measure. It’s kind of like a mix of Jim Carroll meeting Ray Bradbury. Letham and Paul Beatty are the 2 best NYC writers working today for proof go read Bully or White Boy Shuffle by Mr. Beatty
September 10th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
This is an incredible book that makes you feel you are a part of the world Lethem created. Though, I felt there was something anti-climatic about the extensive section at the end based around Mingus since him and Dylan parted ways. Maybe because it’s a downer. I haven’t read it in awhile, maybe if I did I’d feel differently. All in all though, highly recommended. Motherless Brooklyn is genius also.