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Kick It Till It Breaks
What do radicals, religion, race, riots, restaurants, James Earl Ray and Rufus Thomas all have in common? According to this provocative first novel by veteran music journalist Ira Robbins, they are all defining elements of the 1960s. Long, complicated, profane and at times dishearteningly bleak, Kick It Till It Breaks is rich with offbeat characters vividly drawn against a tableau of antiwar violence. Unlike most stories of the time, the author -- who nonetheless claims a high regard for its political and cultural achievements -- is unsparing in his depiction of dedicated idealists failing to uphold their ideals. Robbins uses slang, dialect and timely pop culture touchstones to bring the Viet Nam era to life in such disparate locales as Memphis, London, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and New York. Fans of Putney Swope, The Young Ones and A Confederacy of Dunces will recognize a harmony of tone and perspective with those darkly humorous works.
- GenresFiction
366 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 11, 2009
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October 11, 2011
My Amazon review:
Just finished reading Ira Robbins' wonderful novel "Kick It Till It Breaks," which captures the essence of the 1960s' counter-culture with unflinching honesty and a cast of colorful characters that wanders from San Francisco to Memphis to swinging London. At the center of the story is Ydinia Ochreman, who embodies the spirit of the decade in so many ways: free spirited, passionate, yet unable to actually reach the goals she's set for herself - much like the various political groups that populate the novel, all of which seem to be working at cross-purposes, with little in common except a desire to change the system.
The characters come to life as they struggle in vain to change a world they barely understand; Robbins paints the settings in vivid detail, adding layers of historical references to real-life events (like the 1968 Democratic National Convention) and institutions (Ramparts Magazine, anyone?). "Kick It Till It Breaks" is funny, insightful, bitter and, ultimately, unafraid to face the dark truth about that fabled decade.
Just finished reading Ira Robbins' wonderful novel "Kick It Till It Breaks," which captures the essence of the 1960s' counter-culture with unflinching honesty and a cast of colorful characters that wanders from San Francisco to Memphis to swinging London. At the center of the story is Ydinia Ochreman, who embodies the spirit of the decade in so many ways: free spirited, passionate, yet unable to actually reach the goals she's set for herself - much like the various political groups that populate the novel, all of which seem to be working at cross-purposes, with little in common except a desire to change the system.
The characters come to life as they struggle in vain to change a world they barely understand; Robbins paints the settings in vivid detail, adding layers of historical references to real-life events (like the 1968 Democratic National Convention) and institutions (Ramparts Magazine, anyone?). "Kick It Till It Breaks" is funny, insightful, bitter and, ultimately, unafraid to face the dark truth about that fabled decade.
Displaying 1 of 1 review