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Checker and the Derailleurs
Beautiful and charismatic, nineteen-year-old Checker Secretti is the most gifted and original drummer that the club-goers of Astoria, Queens, have ever heard. When he plays, conundrums seem to solve themselves, brilliant thoughts spring to mind, and couples fall in love. The members of his band, The Derailleurs, are passionately devoted to their guiding spirit, as are all who fall under Checker's spell. But when another drummer, Eaton Striker, hears the prodigy play, he is pulled inexorably into Checker's orbit by a powerful combination of envy and admiration. Soon The Derailleurs, too, are torn apart by latent jealousies that Eaton does his utmost to bring alive.
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1989
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534 people want to read
About the author
Lionel Shriver
52 books4,518 followersLionel Shriver's novels include the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin, which won the 2005 Orange Prize and has now sold over a million copies worldwide. Earlier books include Double Fault, A Perfectly Good Family, and Checker and the Derailleurs. Her novels have been translated into twenty-five languages. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. She lives in London and Brooklyn, New York.
Author photo copyright Jerry Bauer, courtesy of Harper Collins.
Author photo copyright Jerry Bauer, courtesy of Harper Collins.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
June 9, 2011
For a long time, Checker and the Derailleurs had mostly a cult following. Published in 1989, it went out of print until reissued in 2009. Now that Lionel Shriver's books are going to gain new audiences due to the buzz around the film version of We Need to Talk About Kevin, someone will probably try to make a movie of Checker as well.
I hope not. While it seems eminently filmable and the richly colored and textured images Shriver paints could be magic in the hands of a visual director like Terrence Malick or Tom Ford, it would be a shame to ruin a character like Checker Secretti.
Checker, who reminded me of a latter-day Phineas (from John Knowles's 1953 A Separate Peace), is like a personal gift from the author because we need so much to bring him to life inside our own heads. I very much want to hang with Checker, but the Checker of my imagination, not of some casting agent's.
Some folks read this book over and over, and I can see why. It's the only way we can keep knowing Checker and his friends over a lifetime.
I hope not. While it seems eminently filmable and the richly colored and textured images Shriver paints could be magic in the hands of a visual director like Terrence Malick or Tom Ford, it would be a shame to ruin a character like Checker Secretti.
Checker, who reminded me of a latter-day Phineas (from John Knowles's 1953 A Separate Peace), is like a personal gift from the author because we need so much to bring him to life inside our own heads. I very much want to hang with Checker, but the Checker of my imagination, not of some casting agent's.
Some folks read this book over and over, and I can see why. It's the only way we can keep knowing Checker and his friends over a lifetime.
November 20, 2019
Checker The Derailleurs. Where to begin on this magnificent hidden gem from Lionel Shriver? To begin with, this coming-of-age story is about so much more than that; far more than any brief synopsis I have read posits. Then again, I would have a difficult time writing a synopsis that is up to par, with the themes, ideas, philosophies, + general insights into the various characters' emotions being difficult to put into words. Even more difficult is to express how this bands' story - the story of each member's life, plus that of Eaton Striker, an envious admirer with a penchant for evil, and Syria Pyramus, a glass blower ("The Fire Queen") whom forms a love triangle with Checker + Rahim - has such an illuminating relevance to my life, your life, growing up, parenting, friendship, marriage, love, personality differences, negativity, peer pressure, loneliness, ambition, fear, pleasures, music, careers, outlooks on daily life, life decisions, sociology, psychology.... Shriver has long been one of the most psychologically astute authors around, and Checker The Derailleurs is among her best in eloquently revealing the wonders of our psyches, next to Big, Double Fault, and We Need To Talk About Kevin.
This has been referred to as a retelling of the story of Christ. This is less obvious than one might imagine. Even Shriver herself mentioned in an interview not realizing she was doing that until after the fact (but was not surprised since she was raised quite religiously; although not religious herself anymore it seems). Although I was made aware of the comparison before reading, it was not until a few days later, innocently re-examining different aspects of the novel (as I do, quite unconsciously, after every good read), that it all seemed so obvious and the parallels so bold, that I was puzzled how I had not seen them sooner. Checker has his disciples ("followers" as they are called in the text) whom respect him, idolizing him with a varying range in logic. The great Checker Secretti is an icon, a symbol of optimism, rightness, even all that is good. Hardly anyone knows his roots as Irving Secretti. In their devotion to him, many of his disciples has given up much, some without even realizing this. Like the original disciples, some inevitably discover themselves strayed from good on the path of evil. Here, the fallen angel is Eaton Striker, whom loves, respects, envies, desires this man, this apparition that is Checker, that the only thing he feels he can do is bring him down. And eventually, it works. The other band members are lured by him into animosity. They begin to see everything they once loved in Checker through a negative filter. Rachel, having always been in love with the drummer, is pushed into facing the fact that it is unrequited. Quiet Carl, having a special place in his heart for Rachel and seeing how Checker has hurt her, also reevaluates his affinity. Howard, his best friend and the band manager, begins to see him as overly maudlin, his niceness excessive. Checker has arranged a marriage between Syria Rahim in order to save the latter from deportation. At first hating the arrangement (Syria agreed to the marriage only with the understanding that he would serve as a live-in housewife), Rahim eventually falls in love with his new wife. Unfortunately, so does Checker.
Under Eaton Striker's ever so persistent guidance, the entire band witnesses Checker Syria making love. What then follows is the complete fall of the band, including their love for Checker. Again under the guidance of Striker, they ruin his favorite red bicycle, his drum set, and, almost literally, his soul, as he exposes to Checker all of his weaknesses and every negative though any of his disciples, his friends, have had in the recent months. Although they may not have felt strongly enough to voice their concerns to Checker himself, when Eaton Striker, the voice of evil, does, they cannot, will not, say anything in Checker's defense. He flees the scene, attempting suicide shortly thereafter. It is soon revealed that although possibly the most warranted (logically) occurrence, this is not the first time. Checker is a bipolar manic-depressive.
Here is another aspect of the novel I really appreciated. The foreshadowing for Checker's bipolar was there. In hindsight, in fact, it seems obvious. But it was melded in so artfully through the storytelling, with almost an aura of mystery, that readers could have missed it altogether. This is more difficult than it seems; far more frequently, an author's foreshadowing is blatantly obvious and/or not telling of anything at all.
And so, there we have the most iconic of Christ's story, the resurrection (Checker survives his suicide attempt; one can imagine him rising from the depths of the ocean). Likewise, his band members, his friends, his disciples, come to love him again. Checker had long sacrificed much of himself in pleasing his adoring followers, and continues now, although at a more realistic level. Looking out for himself as well, he marries Syria (thankfully with Rahim's blessing), and accepts an offer from CBS for his musical talent. Under his new personal manager, Howard, record deals are in order.
All of this takes place in Astoria, Queens. Although I have never been there myself, the magnificent portrait Shriver paints of it is loving and vivid. So much that Astoria becomes a character.
Of course, this novel is also about music. How music can alleviate sorrows, better the lives of all whom will accept its magic. It delves into band life, the personality clashes, what goes into maintaining one under all the pressure, the rejection from the ambivalent, arbitrary music companies (Checker even has a philosophy that a true music lover whom plays for the love of it should never send samples out, as, either way, the result screws you over; if rejected, you are forever second guessing yourself and your talent; if accepted, the
praise you receive becomes all you care about; "It is dangerous, this tape business... You make it their business. It is not yours anymore. You let them say what you are and you are lost. You have sold your soul." Oh, how true this is. How many of my favorite artists were only so on their EPs? A few years later, they have sold out, their music having changed to cater to the masses.)
Shriver also wrote the lyrics to the songs included in the text, with t he index of song titles included at the end. The illustrations at the header of each chapter title were also her doing. Not a first class artist, but she has the form and can sketch far better than most.
Clearly, Shriver had a lot of fun with the novel, which is fitting. This is a coming of age tale; despite its exploration of a few very adult themes, it is still fun-loving, whimsical, and has the overarching feel good tone from beginning to end. If I had to give it one arching message (very difficult to choose only one), it would be to treasure the little things in life; make the best in life with the hand you have been dealt.
This has been referred to as a retelling of the story of Christ. This is less obvious than one might imagine. Even Shriver herself mentioned in an interview not realizing she was doing that until after the fact (but was not surprised since she was raised quite religiously; although not religious herself anymore it seems). Although I was made aware of the comparison before reading, it was not until a few days later, innocently re-examining different aspects of the novel (as I do, quite unconsciously, after every good read), that it all seemed so obvious and the parallels so bold, that I was puzzled how I had not seen them sooner. Checker has his disciples ("followers" as they are called in the text) whom respect him, idolizing him with a varying range in logic. The great Checker Secretti is an icon, a symbol of optimism, rightness, even all that is good. Hardly anyone knows his roots as Irving Secretti. In their devotion to him, many of his disciples has given up much, some without even realizing this. Like the original disciples, some inevitably discover themselves strayed from good on the path of evil. Here, the fallen angel is Eaton Striker, whom loves, respects, envies, desires this man, this apparition that is Checker, that the only thing he feels he can do is bring him down. And eventually, it works. The other band members are lured by him into animosity. They begin to see everything they once loved in Checker through a negative filter. Rachel, having always been in love with the drummer, is pushed into facing the fact that it is unrequited. Quiet Carl, having a special place in his heart for Rachel and seeing how Checker has hurt her, also reevaluates his affinity. Howard, his best friend and the band manager, begins to see him as overly maudlin, his niceness excessive. Checker has arranged a marriage between Syria Rahim in order to save the latter from deportation. At first hating the arrangement (Syria agreed to the marriage only with the understanding that he would serve as a live-in housewife), Rahim eventually falls in love with his new wife. Unfortunately, so does Checker.
Under Eaton Striker's ever so persistent guidance, the entire band witnesses Checker Syria making love. What then follows is the complete fall of the band, including their love for Checker. Again under the guidance of Striker, they ruin his favorite red bicycle, his drum set, and, almost literally, his soul, as he exposes to Checker all of his weaknesses and every negative though any of his disciples, his friends, have had in the recent months. Although they may not have felt strongly enough to voice their concerns to Checker himself, when Eaton Striker, the voice of evil, does, they cannot, will not, say anything in Checker's defense. He flees the scene, attempting suicide shortly thereafter. It is soon revealed that although possibly the most warranted (logically) occurrence, this is not the first time. Checker is a bipolar manic-depressive.
Here is another aspect of the novel I really appreciated. The foreshadowing for Checker's bipolar was there. In hindsight, in fact, it seems obvious. But it was melded in so artfully through the storytelling, with almost an aura of mystery, that readers could have missed it altogether. This is more difficult than it seems; far more frequently, an author's foreshadowing is blatantly obvious and/or not telling of anything at all.
And so, there we have the most iconic of Christ's story, the resurrection (Checker survives his suicide attempt; one can imagine him rising from the depths of the ocean). Likewise, his band members, his friends, his disciples, come to love him again. Checker had long sacrificed much of himself in pleasing his adoring followers, and continues now, although at a more realistic level. Looking out for himself as well, he marries Syria (thankfully with Rahim's blessing), and accepts an offer from CBS for his musical talent. Under his new personal manager, Howard, record deals are in order.
All of this takes place in Astoria, Queens. Although I have never been there myself, the magnificent portrait Shriver paints of it is loving and vivid. So much that Astoria becomes a character.
Of course, this novel is also about music. How music can alleviate sorrows, better the lives of all whom will accept its magic. It delves into band life, the personality clashes, what goes into maintaining one under all the pressure, the rejection from the ambivalent, arbitrary music companies (Checker even has a philosophy that a true music lover whom plays for the love of it should never send samples out, as, either way, the result screws you over; if rejected, you are forever second guessing yourself and your talent; if accepted, the
praise you receive becomes all you care about; "It is dangerous, this tape business... You make it their business. It is not yours anymore. You let them say what you are and you are lost. You have sold your soul." Oh, how true this is. How many of my favorite artists were only so on their EPs? A few years later, they have sold out, their music having changed to cater to the masses.)
Shriver also wrote the lyrics to the songs included in the text, with t he index of song titles included at the end. The illustrations at the header of each chapter title were also her doing. Not a first class artist, but she has the form and can sketch far better than most.
Clearly, Shriver had a lot of fun with the novel, which is fitting. This is a coming of age tale; despite its exploration of a few very adult themes, it is still fun-loving, whimsical, and has the overarching feel good tone from beginning to end. If I had to give it one arching message (very difficult to choose only one), it would be to treasure the little things in life; make the best in life with the hand you have been dealt.
August 13, 2010
As much as I loved Checker's curious mystique and unyielding fascination for the world in which he lives, I had a hard time caring about his story!
The quippy dialogue was definitely cute as each character was defined primarily through their interactions with others. However, so many main characters made it feel like each was fighting for his or her place in the book's limelight. Perhaps this is just might take on it, or, then again, perhaps Ms. Shriver did and excellent job of portraying 'band life' in text!
A saddening little story where good fights evil and I'm not quite sure who wins but at least evil doesn't get it outright!
The quippy dialogue was definitely cute as each character was defined primarily through their interactions with others. However, so many main characters made it feel like each was fighting for his or her place in the book's limelight. Perhaps this is just might take on it, or, then again, perhaps Ms. Shriver did and excellent job of portraying 'band life' in text!
A saddening little story where good fights evil and I'm not quite sure who wins but at least evil doesn't get it outright!
November 18, 2015
As Shriver herself exclaims: a Shriver with a happy ending!!
It had its great moments but I skimmed the ramble and could only recommend to diehard Shrivers like myself :D
It had its great moments but I skimmed the ramble and could only recommend to diehard Shrivers like myself :D
March 17, 2012
Although I didn't like this as well as her WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, this book was a worthwhile read. It explores issues like coming of age, art vs. commercialism, what defines success, and how human connection shapes and forms our lives. It's also a wonderful portrait of Astoria, Queens, which is almost another character in the book. Some might say it's also a re imagining of the Christ story and they would have plenty of evidence to back up that claim (it's all here--disciples, sacrifice, resurrection).
In the end, though, this is a touching story about growing up, seen through the lives of some very complex and fascinating characters. The only reason I deduced a star for this effort is that sometimes Shriver was a little too keen on shouting "look at how brilliantly I can write; look at how elegantly I can turn a phrase". She hadn't yet learned the virtue and value of simplicity when she wrote this one. If she had, this would be a five-star book. Still, highly recommended.
In the end, though, this is a touching story about growing up, seen through the lives of some very complex and fascinating characters. The only reason I deduced a star for this effort is that sometimes Shriver was a little too keen on shouting "look at how brilliantly I can write; look at how elegantly I can turn a phrase". She hadn't yet learned the virtue and value of simplicity when she wrote this one. If she had, this would be a five-star book. Still, highly recommended.
March 24, 2023
I first read this book 16 years ago and it blew my mind. I still read it every year or so because it's still as good every time. The descriptions are lush without being mawkish and the characters are very well drawn. And if you want some subtle 80s culture and music references, you'll love it.
December 19, 2018
Didn't like the writing style which kind of made me sad because usually I just love any of Lionel Shriver's work. Oh well I guess they all can't be winners.
August 7, 2023
This is Shriver's second published novel. I've really enjoyed several of the prior works by her. This one did not revolve around a contemporary social issue like many of the previous books. It was mainly a character study and sometimes segued into dense psychobabble. I was disappointed.
May 20, 2010
I love this book. The characters are complex, compelling and multifaceted; Shriver's portrayal of their relationships are so vivid and true that you feel like you are standing in their midst; and she manages all this while still finding room for humor. It's about ambition and happiness and friendship and jealousy and so much more. I find myself dumbfounded that I have never heard of it though I've heard of all of her other books.
July 22, 2018
This book was sitting on my bookshelf for the longest time. I finally picked it up as a campaign to rid myself of unread books. Most of these I usually end up giving away, if I haven't cared enough to read it right away. But this one is an all time keeper. I loved the first part of the story when everyone was getting along. When the misunderstandings started, I still enjoyed the book. Can't have story without conflict, I know. But the betrayals perpetrated by one of the characters hit me hard. I wanted to cry several times when I read this book. I also wanted to have a friend like Checker in my life. I may have fallen love with his sense of wonder, with his character period. Haha. I liked it better then the Post Birthday World, I liked it better than We need to talk about Kevin. It's my favorite of hers so far and I can understand why this book attained a cult status. Grateful that it was reissued as I was too young in 1988 to appreciate it.
September 29, 2017
Late to the Party
Catching up on favorite author's novels came across this gem. Shriver captures the past and future lives of young, hopeful, ambitious or not musicians with much clarity. Witnessing firsthand the past lives lived over in story and disillusionment, I can attest to so many of her written words. I can also assert to the truth related here as relates to those people who will continuously prop up the unambitious and allow them to feel special even as their lives dissolve about them. Shriver captures the energy that props up the young, and the foolishness which betrays itself.
I've often wondered what so attracts me to her writing. Reading her self described penchant for proper wording, I know it is she writes with the same correctness of verbiage which led to my own obsession, from a very young age, with William F. Buckley, Jr.
Catching up on favorite author's novels came across this gem. Shriver captures the past and future lives of young, hopeful, ambitious or not musicians with much clarity. Witnessing firsthand the past lives lived over in story and disillusionment, I can attest to so many of her written words. I can also assert to the truth related here as relates to those people who will continuously prop up the unambitious and allow them to feel special even as their lives dissolve about them. Shriver captures the energy that props up the young, and the foolishness which betrays itself.
I've often wondered what so attracts me to her writing. Reading her self described penchant for proper wording, I know it is she writes with the same correctness of verbiage which led to my own obsession, from a very young age, with William F. Buckley, Jr.
January 17, 2022
Lionel Shriver's first novel. It felt a little rough to me. The main character experiences euphoria that is compared to "the flow", and the narrative in these spots is too jazzy for me. Her way with words and some of the other hallmarks of her style are visible, such as the pop references to various songs.
Nice quote:
"...for calendars lie; real time is not mathematical at all. While we can leap decades like brooks, some of us will spend eternity slogging our way through a particular five minutes."
Time is one of the recurrent themes in the novel, as well as friendship and loyalty and human nature.
Nice quote:
"...for calendars lie; real time is not mathematical at all. While we can leap decades like brooks, some of us will spend eternity slogging our way through a particular five minutes."
Time is one of the recurrent themes in the novel, as well as friendship and loyalty and human nature.
July 9, 2023
I really enjoyed this. It seemed very light-hearted for this author, altho still packed with fabulous writing, great descriptions of people and place, and even the music (speaking as someone who is about as unmusical as it's possible to be). The pace was great too.
Couple of niggles, for me the blurb on the back made it all about Eaton's attempts to split them up which I felt then overshadowed too much of the earlier book, and I also didn't see the parallels to the New Testament in the story. Also bit puzzled with Good Reads tagging it as a Young Adult book.
Couple of niggles, for me the blurb on the back made it all about Eaton's attempts to split them up which I felt then overshadowed too much of the earlier book, and I also didn't see the parallels to the New Testament in the story. Also bit puzzled with Good Reads tagging it as a Young Adult book.
March 19, 2017
I was got this book from a friend who found it at a library sale while we were staying in San Miguel Allende, Mexico. It was a nice choice as I am a drummer and movie critic (I did like the film version of Shriver's Something About Kevin) I read Checker and the Derailleurs on the return flight.
I did appreciate some of the passion and insight. I like the biographical comments made by the author in the back of the reissued paperback. The little chapter sketches are darling as well.
This is a cult book?
By comparison, JT Leroy's (AKA Laura Albert) 'Sarah', with its made-up world, felt authentic and immersive. "Checkers' never drew me in. It uses the music world as a device, a contraption. The names of the characters, the conversations, the plot are stilted. The dialogue is out of an afterschool special. Even the names (Checkers "Check", Syria Pyramus, Striker) are annoying and overly contrived. The 'old testament' plot is a nice idea but detailed with dreadful cliches and laughable turns of phrase.
I made it through the book (I was on an airplane) but never warmed to it.
I did appreciate some of the passion and insight. I like the biographical comments made by the author in the back of the reissued paperback. The little chapter sketches are darling as well.
This is a cult book?
By comparison, JT Leroy's (AKA Laura Albert) 'Sarah', with its made-up world, felt authentic and immersive. "Checkers' never drew me in. It uses the music world as a device, a contraption. The names of the characters, the conversations, the plot are stilted. The dialogue is out of an afterschool special. Even the names (Checkers "Check", Syria Pyramus, Striker) are annoying and overly contrived. The 'old testament' plot is a nice idea but detailed with dreadful cliches and laughable turns of phrase.
I made it through the book (I was on an airplane) but never warmed to it.
January 20, 2018
3.5 rounded to 4 because it's Shriver. Probably not for first time Shriver readers. Took a long time to build momentum, but as usual, has a great deal of depth. I always feel Shriver finds a nugget of truth about life, and weaves an entire story around it. She illustrates this in a unique way. This had a slight feel of Tartt's "The Secret History", and I can see why this would give it a cult following.
August 15, 2017
The story of a teenage drummer from Astoria, his bandmates, including a jealous rival, and a strong-willed woman glassblower who becomes his lover. There is not enough tension or narrative drive to make this truly compelling, but Shriver's humor and insights are always a pleasure.
July 4, 2018
Checker Secretti, a young, black, talented drummer, is a wonderfully drawn character. This is a very well written story of youth, talent, envy, hero worship, love, and ambition. Lionel Shriver is an outstanding writer.
December 19, 2018
An excessive amount of set-up to deliver a story that I didn't find very original, although it was written in the mid-80s so maybe it would've seemed more original back then. Anyway, there are much better Shriver novels out there, so I wouldn't bother reading this one.
February 20, 2023
Shriver never disappoints. Surely this would have been a perfect five starts had I known better what music and garage bands were all about. Her characters, as usual, are real, have hearts, and are as fragile as her reader. Brava!
March 22, 2020
It took a few chapters for me to get into this, but really liked it.
January 18, 2022
*3.6stars
February 20, 2017
Though there are some interesting characters in this book, for me, it suffers badly from a lack of focus. The first 2/3rds of the book seemed to be about everyone around Checker and his role in the book was pretty much just to act as the common denominator between all the characters. In the final 1/3 that flips and he is definitely the area of focus but it's almost two seperate books as we have the happy-go-lucky, in-love-with-the-world Checker become suicidal. Again, I liked a lot of the characters especially Syria the tough as nails glassblower but I would of liked to know how she got so tough and why this much older looking 29 year old is hanging out with all these 19 year olds. It was almost too character heavy as the characters change and become nearly unrecognizable.
As someone who played in a band when he as 19 I had high hopes for the book but I just didn't connect with it.
As someone who played in a band when he as 19 I had high hopes for the book but I just didn't connect with it.
February 8, 2016
This one is generally typified as Shriver's happiest book; she even concedes so in the afterword of the most recent edition. But don't be fooled; for whilst there are moments of propulsive joy and an outlook that is considerably sunnier than her other novels, this still carries undertones-that-are-basically-overtones of her trademark misanthropy and sense of atomism, particularly in the character of Eaton Striker, who might not be as bespoke evil as Calvin Piper from her "Game Control" (and what a figure that guy was) but in the context of this particular work comes across as arguably more despicable.
But the sense of intellectual insight is all there, and her keen sense of empathy is in order, as it always has been (this is her second book). In terms of content this is her most atypical book; a large central cast where she usually doesn't go much higher than four people, and any sense of a broader theme (initially, I thought it would be Eaton's sense of entitlement) is sorta quashed under her fascination with the eponymous protagonist, an enormously likeable drummer who Shriver candidly and guilelessly confesses to being based on herself at the time.
So, yes, maybe this is one of her happier books, maybe her happiest book, but I do not think it is a happy book. There are edges, throwaway lines, moments of pathos and a creeping dread, little flurries of resentment, and of course the big reveal at the end (kind of obvious, but I didn't mind, since this isn't really a book of reveals anyway).
It's still Shriver, and so it's still brilliant, and I lament her status as a perceived one-hit-wonder all the more after reading this one. When will people cotton on to her consistency, her intelligence, her depth, her range? She remains the foremost architect of our interior emotional frameworks, and every word written by her seems like a gift. Bravo.
But the sense of intellectual insight is all there, and her keen sense of empathy is in order, as it always has been (this is her second book). In terms of content this is her most atypical book; a large central cast where she usually doesn't go much higher than four people, and any sense of a broader theme (initially, I thought it would be Eaton's sense of entitlement) is sorta quashed under her fascination with the eponymous protagonist, an enormously likeable drummer who Shriver candidly and guilelessly confesses to being based on herself at the time.
So, yes, maybe this is one of her happier books, maybe her happiest book, but I do not think it is a happy book. There are edges, throwaway lines, moments of pathos and a creeping dread, little flurries of resentment, and of course the big reveal at the end (kind of obvious, but I didn't mind, since this isn't really a book of reveals anyway).
It's still Shriver, and so it's still brilliant, and I lament her status as a perceived one-hit-wonder all the more after reading this one. When will people cotton on to her consistency, her intelligence, her depth, her range? She remains the foremost architect of our interior emotional frameworks, and every word written by her seems like a gift. Bravo.
October 5, 2010
I finished this book a couple days ago and I am still not exactly sure how I feel about it.
(this is also the first book I've read on Kindle, and I love it.)
In a way, I loved it. The story was great, the style is very interesting - there is no omnipresent narration - everything you know about the characters you have learned through their dialogue with each other and through their behaviors, as if you were just watching this unfold and had no insight at all into feelings/thoughts that haven't been mentioned aloud. It sort of reads more like a play in that way. So interesting in the sense that it's uncommon, and you get a completely different sense of the characters that way - some huge aspects of character's lives go unknown for over half the book because nothing clearly happened to make you aware of them. It's also annoying because there are a TON of characters (at least 8 main characters, several other peripheral) and you never formally meet them - I couldn't figure out for the longest time if Caldwell and Sweets were two people or one. If there had been a character list at the beginning as when you read a play, it would have helped.
All that said, as soon as I finished, I bought another Shriver book. I don't suspect that one will be my last Shriver novel either.
(this is also the first book I've read on Kindle, and I love it.)
In a way, I loved it. The story was great, the style is very interesting - there is no omnipresent narration - everything you know about the characters you have learned through their dialogue with each other and through their behaviors, as if you were just watching this unfold and had no insight at all into feelings/thoughts that haven't been mentioned aloud. It sort of reads more like a play in that way. So interesting in the sense that it's uncommon, and you get a completely different sense of the characters that way - some huge aspects of character's lives go unknown for over half the book because nothing clearly happened to make you aware of them. It's also annoying because there are a TON of characters (at least 8 main characters, several other peripheral) and you never formally meet them - I couldn't figure out for the longest time if Caldwell and Sweets were two people or one. If there had been a character list at the beginning as when you read a play, it would have helped.
All that said, as soon as I finished, I bought another Shriver book. I don't suspect that one will be my last Shriver novel either.
September 22, 2015
The more Lionel Shriver I read, the more I want to be her.
I'm simultaneously awed by and envious of her stupendous talent. It's not so much her plotting - I enjoy the stories Shriver tells but those, I think, follows from the real magic: her characters.
Shriver has this way, this inimitable touch, that allows her to balance the scales of personality just so. Her characters are familiar and rooted and totally bizarre and it feels like you could meet any one of them walking down the street.
You wouldn't necessarily want to - Shriver is not a sentimentalist about these people. In fact, I suspect she actively dislikes some of them. I certainly do.
Eaton, for instance, is a black bastard. Probably sociopathic. And Checker himself would get on my nerves, if I ever had to spend any time with him in the flesh.
And yet, now that I'm finished the book, I miss every one of those nihlistic songbirds. Shriver makes them so specific, you can't help picturing every detail of the way they move, speak, look, live, love. And whether any of it jives with you, it creates a bond. One of those connections that makes you sad when you finish the last page.
I'm simultaneously awed by and envious of her stupendous talent. It's not so much her plotting - I enjoy the stories Shriver tells but those, I think, follows from the real magic: her characters.
Shriver has this way, this inimitable touch, that allows her to balance the scales of personality just so. Her characters are familiar and rooted and totally bizarre and it feels like you could meet any one of them walking down the street.
You wouldn't necessarily want to - Shriver is not a sentimentalist about these people. In fact, I suspect she actively dislikes some of them. I certainly do.
Eaton, for instance, is a black bastard. Probably sociopathic. And Checker himself would get on my nerves, if I ever had to spend any time with him in the flesh.
And yet, now that I'm finished the book, I miss every one of those nihlistic songbirds. Shriver makes them so specific, you can't help picturing every detail of the way they move, speak, look, live, love. And whether any of it jives with you, it creates a bond. One of those connections that makes you sad when you finish the last page.
May 29, 2012
This is the third book of Shriver's I've read, and again, I recommit to reading everything she's written. The woman is a genius.
This is one of her earliest pieces, I guess; if not her first book. The characters are--like in her other novels--complex and myriad. Some of them are downright unlikeable people, but you still end up liking them.
The loose plot is the story of a rock band in the late 80s in Astoria, New York. But it's probably more a story about loyalty and growing up and finding out who you are. She showcases her same narrative voice, and pulls you in.
I wasn't as emotionally connected to this story as I was to "We Need To Talk About Kevin" or "The Post Birthday World" but this is essentially a story about youth, told by a writer who was at the time of writing also in her 'youth'.
I found it delightful. Intriguing. And it made me remember being in my twenties when people who played in bands seemed to have a mystical shimmer to them. Shriver captures that, and makes that shimmer somehow burst into flames. I have a total writer crush on her.
This is one of her earliest pieces, I guess; if not her first book. The characters are--like in her other novels--complex and myriad. Some of them are downright unlikeable people, but you still end up liking them.
The loose plot is the story of a rock band in the late 80s in Astoria, New York. But it's probably more a story about loyalty and growing up and finding out who you are. She showcases her same narrative voice, and pulls you in.
I wasn't as emotionally connected to this story as I was to "We Need To Talk About Kevin" or "The Post Birthday World" but this is essentially a story about youth, told by a writer who was at the time of writing also in her 'youth'.
I found it delightful. Intriguing. And it made me remember being in my twenties when people who played in bands seemed to have a mystical shimmer to them. Shriver captures that, and makes that shimmer somehow burst into flames. I have a total writer crush on her.
July 31, 2015
It's on the surface about a group with a charismatic leader called Checker who seems Christlike...there is even a chapter called the Last Supper. Checker arranges a marriage between a glass blower, Syria and an Iranian illegal immigrant so that the immigrant does not have to leave the USA. Add to this mix a stand in drummer who wants to destroy Checker and his authority and popularity and an immigration officer who wants to be part of the band.
There's a magical element to it, echoes of Hell in the glass blowing and the firing of glass, the way that Checker can tame and speak to authority and calm violence. There is the odd device of using illustrations at the beginning of each chapter that may tell us something about the fairy tale effect that the story has.
It's a second time around book. The first time attracted a sort of cult. Does this mean just a small number of folks liked it? Glad they did or we may not have had the fine books written since.
There's a magical element to it, echoes of Hell in the glass blowing and the firing of glass, the way that Checker can tame and speak to authority and calm violence. There is the odd device of using illustrations at the beginning of each chapter that may tell us something about the fairy tale effect that the story has.
It's a second time around book. The first time attracted a sort of cult. Does this mean just a small number of folks liked it? Glad they did or we may not have had the fine books written since.
January 8, 2014
Checker and the Derailleurs is one of my favorite books, one of the few that I reread and have recommended to my kids. It is by no means a perfect novel nor even Shriver's best, but like some of her other works, it is really good at what it does. To me it evoked the magic and mystery of a charismatic character and the pure synchronicity that seems two follow him, and just as perfectly draws the portrait of his jealous antithesis and the discord that follows him. checker is so magical and so much of his magic seems to be captured in little statements "The party is where you are" is one favorite . . .the clumsy plot devices didn't bother me, the prose was so good. This and Kem Nunn's Tapping the Source are books that have withstood time and capture something innocent and perfect and watch it go bad.
Read
March 10, 2010I’ve read nearly all of Lionel’s books (including the classic We Need to Talk About Kevin), but I had never read my backlist choice: Checker and the Derailleurs. It’s the story of a charismatic, seemingly happy-go-lucky, nineteen-year-old drummer named Checker Secretti, and his band, The Derailleurs, who orbit around him in varying stages of idolization, lust, and disgust. There’s a ton of stuff packed into this novel: a green card marriage, two suicide attempts, glassmaking, parties, arrests, and a lot of music, but it never felt overdone. One of my favorite things about Lionel’s writing is the way she writes about unlikable and despicable people, and it’s easy to see the beginnings of that great talent in this early novel.
August 22, 2012
Like most of Shriver's novels, this started out kind of slow, but by the time end, I was so glad I stuck it out. I think I've finally admitted to myself that I'm going to end up reading all her novels, which is a huge turn around, considering my absolute disdain for The Post Birthday World.
The beginning feels a little like being the new kid in a group of people who have known each other for years; it takes a little while to get a hang of everyone and to feel like you understand what is going on. By the middle. I finally felt like I really had a grip on the characters and as the action picked up, I found myself enjoying them more and more. I also loved the very un-Shriver like ending. Sometimes it's nice to have all the ends tied up with a neat little bow.
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