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Panorama City
With its blend of fool’s wisdom and deeply felt humanity, Panorama City is heir to Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead and Steve Martin’s The Jerk.
From his deathbed*, 28-year-old Oppen Porter—an open-hearted, bicycle-riding, binocular-toting, self-described "slow absorber"—unspools into a cassette recorder a tale of self-determination, from "village idiot" to "man of the world," for the benefit of his unborn son.
Written in an astonishingly charming and wise voice, Oppen’s account traces forty days and nights navigating the fast food joints, storefront churches, and home-office psychologists of the San Fernando Valley. Ping-ponging between his watchful and sharp-tongued aunt and an outlaw philosopher with the face "of a newly hatched crocodile," Oppen finds himself constantly in the sights of people who believe that their way is the only way for him.
Oppen Porter is "an American original" (Stewart O'Nan) for whom finding one's own way is both a delightful art and a painstaking science. Disarmingly funny and surreptitiously moving, Panorama City makes us see the world, and our place in it, with new eyes.
* Not really
From his deathbed*, 28-year-old Oppen Porter—an open-hearted, bicycle-riding, binocular-toting, self-described "slow absorber"—unspools into a cassette recorder a tale of self-determination, from "village idiot" to "man of the world," for the benefit of his unborn son.
Written in an astonishingly charming and wise voice, Oppen’s account traces forty days and nights navigating the fast food joints, storefront churches, and home-office psychologists of the San Fernando Valley. Ping-ponging between his watchful and sharp-tongued aunt and an outlaw philosopher with the face "of a newly hatched crocodile," Oppen finds himself constantly in the sights of people who believe that their way is the only way for him.
Oppen Porter is "an American original" (Stewart O'Nan) for whom finding one's own way is both a delightful art and a painstaking science. Disarmingly funny and surreptitiously moving, Panorama City makes us see the world, and our place in it, with new eyes.
* Not really
292 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
47 people are currently reading
1150 people want to read
About the author
Antoine Wilson
16 books243 followersAntoine Wilson is the author of the novel Mouth to Mouth from Avid Reader Press (Simon & Schuster), and the novels The Interloper and Panorama City, from Other Press and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, respectively.
He is a contributing editor of the literary journal A Public Space as well as the Los Angeles Review of Books. His fiction and essays have appeared in The Paris Review, StoryQuarterly, Quarterly West, and Best New American Voices, among other publications.
He was winner of the San Fernando Valley Award for Fiction, and has been a finalist for The National Magazine Award, the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association Book of the Year Award, and the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Award.
He was recipient of the Carol Houck Smith Fiction Fellowship at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing, and has taught writing at the University of Iowa, the University of Wisconsin, the University of California San Diego, the University of California Extension Writers’ Program, and the Otis School of Art and Design.
Born in Montreal and raised in Central and Southern California as well as Saudi Arabia, he now lives with his family in Los Angeles. He can be found on twitter at @antoinewilson and Instagram at @theantoinewilson
He is a contributing editor of the literary journal A Public Space as well as the Los Angeles Review of Books. His fiction and essays have appeared in The Paris Review, StoryQuarterly, Quarterly West, and Best New American Voices, among other publications.
He was winner of the San Fernando Valley Award for Fiction, and has been a finalist for The National Magazine Award, the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association Book of the Year Award, and the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Award.
He was recipient of the Carol Houck Smith Fiction Fellowship at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing, and has taught writing at the University of Iowa, the University of Wisconsin, the University of California San Diego, the University of California Extension Writers’ Program, and the Otis School of Art and Design.
Born in Montreal and raised in Central and Southern California as well as Saudi Arabia, he now lives with his family in Los Angeles. He can be found on twitter at @antoinewilson and Instagram at @theantoinewilson
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
October 9, 2012
I have been meaning to write a long review of this book, because I think there's a lot in it to pull out and examine, but I am a busy man, and it doesn't look like that's going to happen. So in lieu of something more meaningful, let me just say that I defy you not to like this book. Oppen Porter, the narrator of Panorama City, is so endearing, so charming that by page five, you'll be completely engrossed. I always have a thing about "likeability" with regards fictional characters. The short version of the story is that I don't need it to enjoy a book. I can read a book about an asshole and love it just as much as something with "people to root for" or whatever. But Oppen is the kind of character even I couldn't help but love.
One of the best books of the year, and a triumph of first-person narration. Read it!
One of the best books of the year, and a triumph of first-person narration. Read it!
December 15, 2012
This is a brilliant novel. The protagonist, Oppen Porter, is fully realized and we are quickly pulled into his way of seeing the world. This is a seductive novel in that we know things about Oppen that he doesn't know about himself and still, he is easy to believe and to like and to love. On a craft level, there are these gorgeous, long, LONG sentences, so perfectly crafted, I kept thinking, "May these sentences never end." That is much how I felt about the novel.
I absolutely loved this and am re-reading it again, after just finishing.
I absolutely loved this and am re-reading it again, after just finishing.
unable-to-finish
August 31, 2023dnf at page 100. I like the author but I'm not in the mood for this one.
November 4, 2012
This is a *must* read. I believe it would cause even the most jaded cynic to shed a little of her thick skin. I was sad to say goodbye to Oppen Porter when I closed the book. You'll want to keep seeing the world through his eyes long after you've finished reading Panorama City. Bravo to Antoine Wilson for creating such an endearing, believable character!
April 24, 2019
Από τα καλύτερα βιβλία που διάβασα μέχρι στιγμής το 2019 με πολύ ωραίο χιούμορ. Θα γράψω και τη σχετική κριτική εν καιρώ.
October 22, 2012
In the beginning, I found it a tad difficult to follow. I was a little confused by the rhythm and the many commas, but after a while I got the hang of it and I truly enjoyed the read. It got to the point where I'd wake up and first thing I did was start reading, cuddled up with my blanket. I really came to admire the main character and narrator, Oppen. He was intelligent, a great thinker, but also very humble with a hint of naive. I liked being inside his mind and I loved following his journey. I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. (Thanks so much!) LOVED it all in all! Also, this book got me in the habit of walking with my hands behind my back :)
June 5, 2013
I am so excited that Antoine Wilson has another book out! Loved, loved, loved The Interloper and now a new novel. Review coming soon--reading the book first will help the review immensely.
Updated 5/24/13 I actually started to write a full review of this book some time back and to my utter horror and frustration--okay, just frustration--my computer ate the review; or I pushed the wrong button. "Pushing the wrong button" puts the onus on me, though,which is not acceptable, is it? Anyway, let's not point fingers. Let's get to the review and hope things don't go awry this time.
Panorama City is the story of Oppen Porter, who lives a very comfortable life riding his bicycle around his small town where he is known as "the Mayor," a nickname Oppen loves and which the reader suspects is more insult than Oppen understands. Oppen is different in a way the book never outright identifies, probably because the book is from his first person POV. Is Oppen "slow"? Most people would think so. He views the world differently than many do, certainly quite differently than his aunt does. Oppen's aunt, a straight-laced, buttoned-down, no-nonsense (and really, no fun) middle-aged woman, shouldn't be in charge of Owen's life but she tries to take over after Oppen's father dies.
Oppen's entire life changes when his father dies in the house, especially since Oppen, following his father's wishes, buries him in the yard next to the hound dogs. Oppen happens to mention the unusual burial arrangements and the authorities get involved. Then the aunt steps in and arranges for Oppen to live with her. Things might go poorly for Oppen at this point but luckily for him on the bus ride to his new life, Oppen meets an intriguing stranger, a man who looks like a crocodile, who introduces Oppen to the notion of becoming "a man of the world." See, he and Oppen are thinkers, and the rest of the world will always try to smash the thinkers. Oppen is hooked. From this moment on, his aunt's best attempts to give Oppen a normal "productive" life are in vain. Sure, Oppen rises up to become employee of the month at the fast food joint where he is supposed to make an honest wage. But Oppen and his friend are determined to pursue their lives as thinkers, and this means behaving in a way counter-intuitive to the best intentions of people like Oppen's aunt--with hilarious results.
I absolutely loved Panorama City, which did not surprise me. I absolutely loved The Interloper too. Now, there is always the small fear that an author's second book won't be as enjoyable or thought-provoking as the first. Not so, thank goodness. Now I am left waiting for the next novel Antoine Wilson has to offer. In the meantime, I can highly recommend his first two.
Updated 5/24/13 I actually started to write a full review of this book some time back and to my utter horror and frustration--okay, just frustration--my computer ate the review; or I pushed the wrong button. "Pushing the wrong button" puts the onus on me, though,which is not acceptable, is it? Anyway, let's not point fingers. Let's get to the review and hope things don't go awry this time.
Panorama City is the story of Oppen Porter, who lives a very comfortable life riding his bicycle around his small town where he is known as "the Mayor," a nickname Oppen loves and which the reader suspects is more insult than Oppen understands. Oppen is different in a way the book never outright identifies, probably because the book is from his first person POV. Is Oppen "slow"? Most people would think so. He views the world differently than many do, certainly quite differently than his aunt does. Oppen's aunt, a straight-laced, buttoned-down, no-nonsense (and really, no fun) middle-aged woman, shouldn't be in charge of Owen's life but she tries to take over after Oppen's father dies.
Oppen's entire life changes when his father dies in the house, especially since Oppen, following his father's wishes, buries him in the yard next to the hound dogs. Oppen happens to mention the unusual burial arrangements and the authorities get involved. Then the aunt steps in and arranges for Oppen to live with her. Things might go poorly for Oppen at this point but luckily for him on the bus ride to his new life, Oppen meets an intriguing stranger, a man who looks like a crocodile, who introduces Oppen to the notion of becoming "a man of the world." See, he and Oppen are thinkers, and the rest of the world will always try to smash the thinkers. Oppen is hooked. From this moment on, his aunt's best attempts to give Oppen a normal "productive" life are in vain. Sure, Oppen rises up to become employee of the month at the fast food joint where he is supposed to make an honest wage. But Oppen and his friend are determined to pursue their lives as thinkers, and this means behaving in a way counter-intuitive to the best intentions of people like Oppen's aunt--with hilarious results.
I absolutely loved Panorama City, which did not surprise me. I absolutely loved The Interloper too. Now, there is always the small fear that an author's second book won't be as enjoyable or thought-provoking as the first. Not so, thank goodness. Now I am left waiting for the next novel Antoine Wilson has to offer. In the meantime, I can highly recommend his first two.
August 26, 2012
Upon the death of his father, Oppen Porter finds himself uprooted from his childhood home where his innocence has been accepted. In a voice that resembles that of Forrest Gump, Oppen is narrating his story to his unborn son into a tape cassette, relating how he finds himself in Southern California in a life he has to navigate without much help from his aunt. The story is more about how the world looks to new eyes than anything else. His acceptance of 21st Century life refreshes it for a reader patient enough to accept the style and sometimes cliched handling of material. I liked, but didn't love, it.
November 1, 2012
You have to give credit to an author whose narrator can shamelessly manipulate the reader, even when the reader knows it’s happening. Here, the device is quite similar to Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night; the narrator makes it clear he’s mentally challenged, but makes astute and humorous observations that clearly point the reader in certain ways, while using words, phrases, and lines of thought that realistically would be beyond his scope, even if he attributes many of them to others. (Using precocious child narrators is another way of doing it, and I’ve been a willing sucker for some of them, although others have clearly overdone it (you can read my reviews)).
Of course, some of the observations and conclusions may come easier to a “slow absorber” than to most people, as he can cut away a lot of the extraneous clutter that interferes with our view of life. I spent several enjoyable hours with this interesting man, smiling and chuckling while he observed the people around him, many resembling people we come across on a regular basis. The narrator comes across as genuinely sweet, and wryly observant, leaving the obvious satire to the perception of the reader. And there had to be at least one memorable sentence every few pages. All in all, just plain fun to read.
Of course, some of the observations and conclusions may come easier to a “slow absorber” than to most people, as he can cut away a lot of the extraneous clutter that interferes with our view of life. I spent several enjoyable hours with this interesting man, smiling and chuckling while he observed the people around him, many resembling people we come across on a regular basis. The narrator comes across as genuinely sweet, and wryly observant, leaving the obvious satire to the perception of the reader. And there had to be at least one memorable sentence every few pages. All in all, just plain fun to read.
November 14, 2012
I was really intrigued by this book because for about two years of my life (while in high school), I rode on a bus through Panorama City. It is the main character, Oppen, though, that really sucked me in. I had no idea where this mixed up adventure was heading, even though the summary in the jacket flap gave a few things away. One thing I can tell you for sure, is that I will never look at thumbtacks the same way again.
Much of the book is Oppen's thought process about the 40 days he spent in Panorama City, which he dictates into a tape recorder for his yet to be born son because Oppen believes he is going to die before his son arrives. Oppen admits time and time again that he is "a slow absorber". As a result, he often gets things wrong, or misses the meaning of things, and it causes all sorts of problems. It does make you think about how often each of us often gets wrong the thought process of those around us, even though we wouldn't consider ourselves like Oppen.
Some of the book is downright hilarious, although there is something truly sad about the entire thing if you think about it. It is a brilliant cast of characters. As unreal as some of them seem, they come across as genuine. I think it would make for great book group discussions.
Much of the book is Oppen's thought process about the 40 days he spent in Panorama City, which he dictates into a tape recorder for his yet to be born son because Oppen believes he is going to die before his son arrives. Oppen admits time and time again that he is "a slow absorber". As a result, he often gets things wrong, or misses the meaning of things, and it causes all sorts of problems. It does make you think about how often each of us often gets wrong the thought process of those around us, even though we wouldn't consider ourselves like Oppen.
Some of the book is downright hilarious, although there is something truly sad about the entire thing if you think about it. It is a brilliant cast of characters. As unreal as some of them seem, they come across as genuine. I think it would make for great book group discussions.
September 25, 2012
As 28-year-old Oppen Porter lays "dying" on his hospital bed, he tape records his version of the events leading to his anticipated premature demise, so his unborn son would know what happened.
I liked the unique premise of this story and I found Oppen's "voice" original and endearing, but unfortunately the book was just so-so for me. It was easy to put it down and it never really called to be picked up again--though I did finish the book. The story was enjoyable and the writing was good--it just wasn't terribly compelling. For those who really enjoy character-study type books, this would be for you.
I liked the unique premise of this story and I found Oppen's "voice" original and endearing, but unfortunately the book was just so-so for me. It was easy to put it down and it never really called to be picked up again--though I did finish the book. The story was enjoyable and the writing was good--it just wasn't terribly compelling. For those who really enjoy character-study type books, this would be for you.
October 22, 2012
If a review could be only one word, the word for this book review is: "Endearing." I fell in love with the main character quickly. In the first few pages as he describes Officer Mary's slumped shoulders in an array of similes. I love this novel, and this quote from it: "Life is long, even when it's short."
October 9, 2012
This book was a 4.65 star rating for me, but I am rounding up because--because, why not? Antoine and I are friends, and this book was so delightful and surprising, and sneaky-wise. One of the best first person narrators to emerge in the last 10 years: you will love Oppen Porter!
November 8, 2017
4.5 stars
"With great freedom comes great responsibility, someone said once, well, it doesn't work the other way around."
When I read this, it reminded me of Mitch Albom's books. The vibe was there. Realistic and filled with life lessons. The story of Oppen Porter, who seemed sure that he wouldn't live through the night to see the morning sun, so he recorded his life story into several tapes for his unborn son. His life basically met a turning point when his father died and he had to live with his aunt in Panorama City where he embarked on his first adulthood life. He's a slow absorber, as he put it. It's somehow sort of poetic the way he described everything that happened to him. It was honest and funny in a way. Beautifully written, I must say.
It's neither fast nor slow paced, imo. It just keeps going until you reach the ending. At some point I got a little bored with details but it's not bad, I'm just not good with lengthy details. Overall, a great book. If you get the chance to pick it up, please do.
"With great freedom comes great responsibility, someone said once, well, it doesn't work the other way around."
When I read this, it reminded me of Mitch Albom's books. The vibe was there. Realistic and filled with life lessons. The story of Oppen Porter, who seemed sure that he wouldn't live through the night to see the morning sun, so he recorded his life story into several tapes for his unborn son. His life basically met a turning point when his father died and he had to live with his aunt in Panorama City where he embarked on his first adulthood life. He's a slow absorber, as he put it. It's somehow sort of poetic the way he described everything that happened to him. It was honest and funny in a way. Beautifully written, I must say.
It's neither fast nor slow paced, imo. It just keeps going until you reach the ending. At some point I got a little bored with details but it's not bad, I'm just not good with lengthy details. Overall, a great book. If you get the chance to pick it up, please do.
September 1, 2013
Becoming a man of the world: A Review of "Panorama City"
Oppen Porter is the irresistible narrator of Antoine Wilson's funny and winning second novel Panorama City, which takes the form of the life story Oppen records on tape for his unborn son.
Until Oppen was 27, he lived with his father, rode his "blue-flake three-speed Schwinn" everywhere, worked the occasional construction job, and everyone in the town of Madera, Calif. referred to him as "Mayor," even the actual mayor. Oppen, a "slow absorber," was born with some unnamed developmental condition that leaves him guileless and nearly illiterate ("my gift has always been gab").
One day Oppen finds his father dead, builds him a coffin and digs a grave on their land next to the graves of his dad's favorite dogs, as he wished. There are "general practices outlined in the law," Madera's sympathetic police tell Oppen, as they disinter his father and contact his Aunt Liz, who decides he must move in with her in Panorama City near Los Angeles to escape this life of the "village idiot."
Brassy Aunt Liz, whose dictates for Oppen's life he hilariously reports, sets him up with a job at a fast food restaurant, a standing appointment with an unskilled psychologist, and friends at the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship.
Obliging Oppen goes along with Liz's plans during what he considers a one-month "clinical trial," while secretly focusing on his mission to "become a man of the world," regain his freedom and make his way back to Carmen, a Madera prostitute whom he loves and recently lost his virginity to after he told some friends he'd "reached twenty-seven without having experience in sexual matters."
Oppen's observations on life (school is "an accountability cult"), religion (the testing of Job was a "clinical trial [God] wanted to run"), and work ("promotions don't come from hard work or honest effort but because a crack has opened up and must be filled") are wise, fresh, and funny.
Panorama City is a delightful journey of philosophical inquiry with a singular narrator who sees past the modern world's scams and deceptions and embraces the less-prosperous people of the San Fernando Valley—minimum-wage workers, homeless, and assorted losers—with an open heart.
Oppen Porter is the irresistible narrator of Antoine Wilson's funny and winning second novel Panorama City, which takes the form of the life story Oppen records on tape for his unborn son.
Until Oppen was 27, he lived with his father, rode his "blue-flake three-speed Schwinn" everywhere, worked the occasional construction job, and everyone in the town of Madera, Calif. referred to him as "Mayor," even the actual mayor. Oppen, a "slow absorber," was born with some unnamed developmental condition that leaves him guileless and nearly illiterate ("my gift has always been gab").
One day Oppen finds his father dead, builds him a coffin and digs a grave on their land next to the graves of his dad's favorite dogs, as he wished. There are "general practices outlined in the law," Madera's sympathetic police tell Oppen, as they disinter his father and contact his Aunt Liz, who decides he must move in with her in Panorama City near Los Angeles to escape this life of the "village idiot."
Brassy Aunt Liz, whose dictates for Oppen's life he hilariously reports, sets him up with a job at a fast food restaurant, a standing appointment with an unskilled psychologist, and friends at the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship.
Obliging Oppen goes along with Liz's plans during what he considers a one-month "clinical trial," while secretly focusing on his mission to "become a man of the world," regain his freedom and make his way back to Carmen, a Madera prostitute whom he loves and recently lost his virginity to after he told some friends he'd "reached twenty-seven without having experience in sexual matters."
Oppen's observations on life (school is "an accountability cult"), religion (the testing of Job was a "clinical trial [God] wanted to run"), and work ("promotions don't come from hard work or honest effort but because a crack has opened up and must be filled") are wise, fresh, and funny.
Panorama City is a delightful journey of philosophical inquiry with a singular narrator who sees past the modern world's scams and deceptions and embraces the less-prosperous people of the San Fernando Valley—minimum-wage workers, homeless, and assorted losers—with an open heart.
December 21, 2013
I have talked before about how the head gets filled with other people's words, how in sleep we transform those words and make them our own. The measure of a man's thinking is in how those words are transformed, the measure of a man's thinking is what he does with other people's words, they must penetrate him to the core, they must filter through his piled-up experiences and opinions, and they must return transformed. I didn't have this philosophy straight while at the Lighthouse Fellowship, it came later, I knew only that JB had repeated Scott Valdez's phrases without transforming them at all. What came out was what had gone in. Which meant that the phrases hadn't even grazed JB's core, they'd only bounced off a series of mirrors inside JB.
December 4, 2012
Quirky, brilliant story. Complex characters & interesting narrative voice...looking for more by this author.,
February 13, 2013
An almost picaresque tale told with great humor. Drole and funny in a way that evoked a much grimmer tale for me, Kafka's "The Trial."
June 8, 2019
3,5 stars
May 1, 2013
The Short of It:
Oppen Porter is probably one of my favorite protagonists since Owen Meany. In fact, you could say he’s a cross between Owen Meany and Forrest Gump. Witty, funny, brutally honest yet likable.
The Rest of It:
What a wonderful book. Where do I even start? You know it’s good when I can’t even formulate my thoughts.
After a mysterious accident, Oppen finds himself in a Madera hospital, in traction and on the verge of dying. Well, to HIM, the end is near which is why he is recording a letter to his unborn son, Juan George. The events of his 28-years are unremarkable in one sense, and spectacular in another. At 6’6″, he is a grown man and intelligent in his own way, but his simple curiosity allows him to befriend all sorts of strange characters. Riding everywhere on his bicycle, with a pair of binoculars around his neck, Oppen exists by asking the questions that no one else wants to ask. He’s blunt, far from innocent yet gullible, but even when people set out to take advantage of him, his goodness seems to rub off on them just a tiny bit. Enough to make you wonder if there is good in everyone.
From his hospital bed, Oppen tells his story.
When his father dies at home, Oppen takes it upon himself to fulfill his father’s wish, which is to be buried at home in his own backyard. This seems perfectly logical. Why would anyone have a problem with it? When the authorities catch wind of it, the body is exhumed and buried to code. Frustrated that he is unable to do the one thing his father requested, he suddenly finds himself living with his Aunt Liz in Panorama City, California. If you’ve ever visited the San Fernando Valley, you know how dry and boring Panorama City can be. It’s “strip mall” city, crowded, and eternally stuck in the 70′s (if you ask me).
Aunt Liz believes that what Oppen needs is a job to fix him right up, so she gets him a job at a local fast food joint. There, he is forced to interact and consider, those around him. Both customers and coworkers become objects for analysis. Oppen’s desire to please the customer could mean giving them the chosen fry, the one that’s a bit longer than the others just to see if they are paying attention but what it usually does is get him in trouble with whoever he’s trying to analyze at the time. But his fill-in-the-blank personality saves him, in that no one ever thinks he’s trying to be annoying on purpose; quite the opposite actually.
As Oppen moves through life in Panorama City, his time there becomes an Odyssey which lasts 40 days and 40 nights. He finds Christ through the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship, learns about fleeting youth from his freethinking friend, Paul Renfro and although many attempt to take advantage of him, in the end, Oppen seems to always come out on top.
This is a charming read in many ways but what I found most charming, was Oppen himself and yes I’ll admit it, even Panorama City was a lot more interesting with Oppen in it. His ability to take it all in, distill whatever it is right down to its essence, and then regurgitate it back up for his unborn son’s benefit… priceless. To me, this book reminded me so, so much of A Prayer for Owen Meany, which is a book that I hold dear. So for me to even compare this one to Meany means that this one is pretty special.
I wanted to include some gems from the book but there are far too many to mention. I suggest you pick-up a copy and just read it for yourself. I, for one will be reading Wilson’s other book, The Interloper as soon as I can get my hands on it.
Audio Note: I listened to a portion of this on audio and it was just as fabulous on audio.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
Oppen Porter is probably one of my favorite protagonists since Owen Meany. In fact, you could say he’s a cross between Owen Meany and Forrest Gump. Witty, funny, brutally honest yet likable.
The Rest of It:
What a wonderful book. Where do I even start? You know it’s good when I can’t even formulate my thoughts.
After a mysterious accident, Oppen finds himself in a Madera hospital, in traction and on the verge of dying. Well, to HIM, the end is near which is why he is recording a letter to his unborn son, Juan George. The events of his 28-years are unremarkable in one sense, and spectacular in another. At 6’6″, he is a grown man and intelligent in his own way, but his simple curiosity allows him to befriend all sorts of strange characters. Riding everywhere on his bicycle, with a pair of binoculars around his neck, Oppen exists by asking the questions that no one else wants to ask. He’s blunt, far from innocent yet gullible, but even when people set out to take advantage of him, his goodness seems to rub off on them just a tiny bit. Enough to make you wonder if there is good in everyone.
From his hospital bed, Oppen tells his story.
When his father dies at home, Oppen takes it upon himself to fulfill his father’s wish, which is to be buried at home in his own backyard. This seems perfectly logical. Why would anyone have a problem with it? When the authorities catch wind of it, the body is exhumed and buried to code. Frustrated that he is unable to do the one thing his father requested, he suddenly finds himself living with his Aunt Liz in Panorama City, California. If you’ve ever visited the San Fernando Valley, you know how dry and boring Panorama City can be. It’s “strip mall” city, crowded, and eternally stuck in the 70′s (if you ask me).
Aunt Liz believes that what Oppen needs is a job to fix him right up, so she gets him a job at a local fast food joint. There, he is forced to interact and consider, those around him. Both customers and coworkers become objects for analysis. Oppen’s desire to please the customer could mean giving them the chosen fry, the one that’s a bit longer than the others just to see if they are paying attention but what it usually does is get him in trouble with whoever he’s trying to analyze at the time. But his fill-in-the-blank personality saves him, in that no one ever thinks he’s trying to be annoying on purpose; quite the opposite actually.
As Oppen moves through life in Panorama City, his time there becomes an Odyssey which lasts 40 days and 40 nights. He finds Christ through the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship, learns about fleeting youth from his freethinking friend, Paul Renfro and although many attempt to take advantage of him, in the end, Oppen seems to always come out on top.
"I don’t run, because when you run people chase you. People and animals. Always better to extend your stride."
This is a charming read in many ways but what I found most charming, was Oppen himself and yes I’ll admit it, even Panorama City was a lot more interesting with Oppen in it. His ability to take it all in, distill whatever it is right down to its essence, and then regurgitate it back up for his unborn son’s benefit… priceless. To me, this book reminded me so, so much of A Prayer for Owen Meany, which is a book that I hold dear. So for me to even compare this one to Meany means that this one is pretty special.
I wanted to include some gems from the book but there are far too many to mention. I suggest you pick-up a copy and just read it for yourself. I, for one will be reading Wilson’s other book, The Interloper as soon as I can get my hands on it.
Audio Note: I listened to a portion of this on audio and it was just as fabulous on audio.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
September 22, 2019
Oppen Porter, the main character of “Panorama City” has a very unique voice. He sees first his world, and then the larger world with a different view than most. His is not exactly a simplistic view, but one that disregards many of the subtleties and nuances that most of us find so important (and that much of the time, have much less meaning than we think) – and unveils core truths.
Oppen’s world changes forever upon the death of his father, and with the beginning of a forty day stay with his aunt in Panorama City. Here, he believes, he will become a “man of the world”…but in a way, this stay gives him a glimpse of a world he decides not to accept. In this novel, he shares his view of the world with his unborn son, Juan-George.
“Aunt Liz had her own philosophy about freedom, which was that freedom wasn’t free. She said it repeatedly, I could not wrap my head around it.” “…I couldn’t understand why freedom shouldn’t be free. Free was right there in the word freedom. It was the most preposterous philosophy in Aunt Liz’s arsenal of small ideas, Paul’s later words. What Aunt Liz was offering, I came to understand, was the opposite of freedom, she would release me only once I began behaving like a prisoner. There are invisible lines, Juan-George, and then there are invisible fences.”
Oppen, unlike most of us, is able to see those fences, and chooses not to live behind them.
“There is a world of paperwork, Juan-George, an alternate universe, Paul Renfro might have called it, where nothing can be done without the right documents, where every human moment is assigned a piece of paper, paper that exists only so that what is evident to everyone involved can become clear to someone who is not.”
He likes what he likes and loves whom he loves without drawing lines or distinctions. He is open to experiences, but when things don’t turn out positively, is able to move on with few lingering doubts.
“It was a low moment. But low moments are more valuable than high moments, because when you reach a high moment you just want it to go on forever, which is impossible, whereas when you reach a low moment you look everywhere for a way out, so things present themselves that you might not have noticed otherwise.”
Oppen’s vision is clear of much of the intellectual and emotional distractions that affect most of the rest of us. “I couldn’t continue the charade, I needed something else, I needed to do something different, something that I could be proud of if I saw a picture of me doing it.”
“Panorama City” gives the reader a short window of opportunity to put aside that static and consider a simpler way of looking at the world and our own lives.
Oppen’s world changes forever upon the death of his father, and with the beginning of a forty day stay with his aunt in Panorama City. Here, he believes, he will become a “man of the world”…but in a way, this stay gives him a glimpse of a world he decides not to accept. In this novel, he shares his view of the world with his unborn son, Juan-George.
“Aunt Liz had her own philosophy about freedom, which was that freedom wasn’t free. She said it repeatedly, I could not wrap my head around it.” “…I couldn’t understand why freedom shouldn’t be free. Free was right there in the word freedom. It was the most preposterous philosophy in Aunt Liz’s arsenal of small ideas, Paul’s later words. What Aunt Liz was offering, I came to understand, was the opposite of freedom, she would release me only once I began behaving like a prisoner. There are invisible lines, Juan-George, and then there are invisible fences.”
Oppen, unlike most of us, is able to see those fences, and chooses not to live behind them.
“There is a world of paperwork, Juan-George, an alternate universe, Paul Renfro might have called it, where nothing can be done without the right documents, where every human moment is assigned a piece of paper, paper that exists only so that what is evident to everyone involved can become clear to someone who is not.”
He likes what he likes and loves whom he loves without drawing lines or distinctions. He is open to experiences, but when things don’t turn out positively, is able to move on with few lingering doubts.
“It was a low moment. But low moments are more valuable than high moments, because when you reach a high moment you just want it to go on forever, which is impossible, whereas when you reach a low moment you look everywhere for a way out, so things present themselves that you might not have noticed otherwise.”
Oppen’s vision is clear of much of the intellectual and emotional distractions that affect most of the rest of us. “I couldn’t continue the charade, I needed something else, I needed to do something different, something that I could be proud of if I saw a picture of me doing it.”
“Panorama City” gives the reader a short window of opportunity to put aside that static and consider a simpler way of looking at the world and our own lives.
March 18, 2017
One of the freshest novels I discovered at the local library, Antoine Wilson’s “Panorama City” was a grand read of anti-realistic proportions. There’s REALISM!, Realism, and there’s all the points in between. Someplace in that mix lies concepts that happily defy the normal and, better yet, the un-para- and the un-normal. That’s when things get good like ‘em or not. The Shakespearean Era never meant to hold down an exclusive dynasty of literature; without leaving that acreage open, language would have easily died. Then where would we have been?
The book’s official description declares a “...blend of fool’s wisdom and deeply felt humanity...” (a statement I would have kicked the deeply and the felt from, but I can understand a review writer wanting to say that). It’s pretty on the poker table, win or lose, all bets considered. Oppen Porter is a strange character living in a modern America that has routinely disregarded suburban, middle class survival. A world where no one is really any wiser or dumber than the wise and dumb, no matter what seats they ride on their daily buses. Real estate development rose in the midst of orange groves and oil fields that became strip malls and fast food existence; no city for men or women, but for every aspect of men and women just the same.
Life would probably be just as dismal without Death as it is with it. Those who live, die, and expect to find some promise of what anything means… at all… at any time… are the arch fools of wisdom. Oppen Porter only wanted to bury his father in his own yard but sanity wouldn’t let him. Sanity thought it best to deliver him and his binoculars to his aunt in Panorama City. And sanity continually has a hard time understanding anyone’s need to breathe their own air.
The book’s official description declares a “...blend of fool’s wisdom and deeply felt humanity...” (a statement I would have kicked the deeply and the felt from, but I can understand a review writer wanting to say that). It’s pretty on the poker table, win or lose, all bets considered. Oppen Porter is a strange character living in a modern America that has routinely disregarded suburban, middle class survival. A world where no one is really any wiser or dumber than the wise and dumb, no matter what seats they ride on their daily buses. Real estate development rose in the midst of orange groves and oil fields that became strip malls and fast food existence; no city for men or women, but for every aspect of men and women just the same.
Life would probably be just as dismal without Death as it is with it. Those who live, die, and expect to find some promise of what anything means… at all… at any time… are the arch fools of wisdom. Oppen Porter only wanted to bury his father in his own yard but sanity wouldn’t let him. Sanity thought it best to deliver him and his binoculars to his aunt in Panorama City. And sanity continually has a hard time understanding anyone’s need to breathe their own air.
December 15, 2013
Without having read many reviews, it seems likely that an easy comparison for Oppen's character would be Forrest Gump - a curious, benevolent, simple man whose quest to become a 'man of the world' propels him through the lives of many different characters whose lives he changes in unexpected ways, and vice versa. But the more I read, the more I thought of Ignatius J. Reilly. Absent the harsh judgment of Reilly, but with an internal monologue of observation and reflection, adventures of both high and low comedy lead Oppen from one beautifully crafted setting to the next. For me, at least, Gump's travels through history became gimmicky and the point in and of themselves. With Oppen, we're limited to more or less 40 days, which leaves more time for Wilson to develop themes and enrich Oppen's character rather than focusing on historical events and figures. I loved the narrative structure and conceit, as well as the biblical overtones, neither of which distracted from the entertaining story. Buried within this seemingly simple-minded character's monologue are hefty philosphical ideas and observations on life, love, god and life's purpose. Acutely rendered descriptions of Panorama City and Southern California, wholly-formed characters and a pervasive sense of absurd humor made this a fantastic read. Part satire, part picaresque and completely entertaining, Panorama City shines from beginning to end.
October 23, 2012
There are two connotations of the word “idiot.” Panorama’s Oppen is not the willfully ignorant idiot, the one who holds intelligence in foul regard and ironically is proud of his stolid foundation. Oppen is the other kind of idiot, the one who’s guileless, more innocent than merely stupid. He’s the village idiot (his aunt’s words) and his “adventures,” although confined to a few small places, are a kind of modern picaresque.
Oppen doesn’t tilt at windmills, exactly, and is closer to a Sancho Panza assisting others as they assail pointless endeavors. He’s a fool in as much as he doesn’t understand the people around him are fools as well, trusting in their own trust in themselves. But unlike most of them, he’s no hypocrite, and his earnestness is genuine.
Antoine Wilson’s novel is almost as simple as his main character, and through those simple eyes we see how rural American and big city America is more or less the same when it comes to people and their small-world aspirations. The novel begins with death and ends with new life, a nice backwards trajectory, with the main character’s time in-between spent in a sort of purgatory as he finds a way to re-assert his own small-world aspirations.
Oppen doesn’t tilt at windmills, exactly, and is closer to a Sancho Panza assisting others as they assail pointless endeavors. He’s a fool in as much as he doesn’t understand the people around him are fools as well, trusting in their own trust in themselves. But unlike most of them, he’s no hypocrite, and his earnestness is genuine.
Antoine Wilson’s novel is almost as simple as his main character, and through those simple eyes we see how rural American and big city America is more or less the same when it comes to people and their small-world aspirations. The novel begins with death and ends with new life, a nice backwards trajectory, with the main character’s time in-between spent in a sort of purgatory as he finds a way to re-assert his own small-world aspirations.
February 12, 2016
Downloaded on a whim from Overdrive; it happened to be available now and was about CA so that I could check off a category in the 2016 PopSugar challenge. Found it quite enjoyable, in the style of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time or The Rosie y Effect. I think having this read on audio was beneficial as the story is told to Juan George on audiocassettes. Gives you a lot to think about based on the protagonist's observations.
Quotes I liked:
"Riding a bicycle is the way my head figures things out. The pedals go around in circles like thinking, but the bicycle moves forward like an idea."
"Sometimes all you can do is move forward and stay nimble. Sometimes you don't know what's around the bend, but you can't afford to slow down and think about it. You just have to find out when you get there. You have to trust that you'll know what to do."
Quotes I liked:
"Riding a bicycle is the way my head figures things out. The pedals go around in circles like thinking, but the bicycle moves forward like an idea."
"Sometimes all you can do is move forward and stay nimble. Sometimes you don't know what's around the bend, but you can't afford to slow down and think about it. You just have to find out when you get there. You have to trust that you'll know what to do."
May 21, 2017
Die Welt einmal mit anderen Augen sehen.
Okay, eine gewisse Naivität merkt man ihm gleich an, dem Oppen Porter, der von seinem Krankenhaus-Bett aus seinem ungeborenem Sohn seine Lebensgeschichte erzählt. Er selbst bezeichnet sich „slow absorber“, jemand, der etwas langsamer tickt. Dabei erinnert Oppen ein wenig an Forest Gump, nur dass sein Leben realistischer und weniger dramatisch ist. Trotz seiner Gutgläubigkeit erarbeitet er sich in seiner Erzählung durchaus Respekt. Offensichtlich ist er nicht der Hellste, steht aber eine gewisse Alltagsweisheit, die teilweise durchaus an Philosophie grenzt: „…… Es war ein ziemlicher Tiefpunkt. Aber Tiefpunkte sind wertvoller als Höhepunkte, denn wenn du einen Höhepunkt erreichst, willst du, dass es immer so weitergeht, was unmöglich ist, während du, wenn du einen Tiefpunkt erreichst, überall nach einem Ausweg suchst, und dabei siehst du Dinge, die dir vielleicht sonst gar nicht aufgefallen wären.“
Das Buch ist wirklich brilliant geschrieben, Rhythmus und Syntax sind an die langsame Denkweise des Erzählers angepasst. Humor und Menschlichkeit sind die tragenden Themen dieser wunderbaren Geschichte. Absolut lesenswert!
Okay, eine gewisse Naivität merkt man ihm gleich an, dem Oppen Porter, der von seinem Krankenhaus-Bett aus seinem ungeborenem Sohn seine Lebensgeschichte erzählt. Er selbst bezeichnet sich „slow absorber“, jemand, der etwas langsamer tickt. Dabei erinnert Oppen ein wenig an Forest Gump, nur dass sein Leben realistischer und weniger dramatisch ist. Trotz seiner Gutgläubigkeit erarbeitet er sich in seiner Erzählung durchaus Respekt. Offensichtlich ist er nicht der Hellste, steht aber eine gewisse Alltagsweisheit, die teilweise durchaus an Philosophie grenzt: „…… Es war ein ziemlicher Tiefpunkt. Aber Tiefpunkte sind wertvoller als Höhepunkte, denn wenn du einen Höhepunkt erreichst, willst du, dass es immer so weitergeht, was unmöglich ist, während du, wenn du einen Tiefpunkt erreichst, überall nach einem Ausweg suchst, und dabei siehst du Dinge, die dir vielleicht sonst gar nicht aufgefallen wären.“
Das Buch ist wirklich brilliant geschrieben, Rhythmus und Syntax sind an die langsame Denkweise des Erzählers angepasst. Humor und Menschlichkeit sind die tragenden Themen dieser wunderbaren Geschichte. Absolut lesenswert!
June 9, 2016
Narrator Oppen Porter has a Forrest Gump simplicity and kindness, which could have made him incredibly annoying. But somehow he's not--maybe because he never does anything particularly heroic, beyond carve out a life for himself in the wake of his father's death (no small task for anyone). The acutely observed story meanders as its protagonist does, from Madera to Panorama City, two overlooked, under-resourced California towns. But beneath Oppen's bouncing around is a meticulously structured novel; I was consistently impressed by Antoine Wilson's ability to drop in details and make them count later. Panorama City is a lovely story about resisting the narratives society dumps on you while maintaining an open mind and a good heart.
August 26, 2018
Ως περιεχόμενο θα το βαθμολογούσα με 4 ή 4,5. Είναι ένα βιβλίο ευχάριστο, με ωραία πλοκή, ενδιαφέροντες χαρακτήρες, εύστοχος στοχασμούς και καλή ροή στην αφήγηση, μιας και στο μεγαλύτερο μέρος του πρόκειται για μονόλογο. Ίσως στην αρχή να είναι λίγο δύσκολη η ανάγνωση λόγω των τεράστιων προτάσεων και των πάρα πολλών κομμάτων, αλλά σύντομα τη συνηθίζεις. Αρκετά καλή μετάφραση, πάρα πολύ κακή όμως η επιμέλεια, υπάρχουν αρκετά ορθογραφικά λάθη σε διάφορες σελίδες, λάθος χρόνοι, λάθη στίξης κ.ά που δυσκολεύουν πολύ την ανάγνωση. Κρίμα γιατί κατά τα άλλα είναι πολύ ωραίο βιβλίο. Ελπίζω να βγει αναθεωρημένη έκδοση σύντομα για να μπορεί ο αναγνώστης να το απολαύσει όπως αξίζει σε ένα τέτοιο βιβλίο.
February 1, 2018
A quirky, original book about a mentally challenged guy, who may just be smarter than everyone around him. Interesting characters, as well as landscapes and situations. There's a desert burial, a disheveled but compassionate cop, a strange bus trip, an overbearing aunt, a crazy man in an attic, a brothel, a fast food employee of the month, a religious cult, an ex-con and a beautiful fortune teller. Not to mention, the main character who's certain he will die at daybreak. All of this, and it's snark free. Go figure.
I enjoyed my time in this world. I give it four stars.
I enjoyed my time in this world. I give it four stars.
June 20, 2013
I feel like how much you like this book will be largely based on how much you like the narrator and his voice. In the tradition of Room and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, the narrator doesn't grasp everything that is going on around him, that is left to the reader. Oppen Porter is the village idiot, his aunt's words, but certainly capable of carrying this narrative and dropping in some funny and clever observations here and there. I loved it from start to finish, even I did see where it was going pretty early on.
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