Tenure As A Statistician

by Jameson Alex West

'I was good for nothing. I was good at nothing. I was born into an easy life in an easy time. But I couldn't cope…'

Over a 20 year span, Tenure as a Statistician tells the stories of Crikle, Jede, and Rose, and their triumphs and downfalls. Rejecting traditional social norms, they struggle to find their place in the world, taking the reader deep into modern existence in the nomadic tech era and leading the protagonists on varied paths to destruction, introspection and satori.

Genres: Fiction

376 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2017

About the author

Jameson Alex West is a New Zealand born writer, currently residing in Oslo, Norway. His interests include mountains, birds, beaches and bicycles.

Reviews

[Daren · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, close enough to the end of 2017 for me to determine my favourite reads. TENURE... is my 2017 BEST NZ BOOK.

This is probably the first book I have read within a month of publication... me being too tight to buy a new book when I can wait until the hype passes and pick one up for five bucks. By way of declaration - it was provided a a minimal cost (practically free) by the author on the basis of a review - which was always going to happen if I read the book.

This isn't a straightforward review to write, as the author has a slightly unusual marketing ploy of not really letting on what the book is about. The blurb gives us a little, the title practically nothing. So I don't intend to give away too much.

So, without further procrastination, the novel is told from the first person perspective of the three main characters whose lives are intertwined, together then apart over a period of years. Initially set in New Zealand, in 1996 we are introduced to these characters as they are at school. Two of the three are locals, the third an exchange student from the USA. This section of the book sets up the background relationships.

The following section takes place ten years later, from 2006 to 2011, and tells us where the three characters have ended up - scattered across the world, like so many Kiwis of that age are - the UK, Australia, Ireland, brief travel through other places, a stint in Africa with Doctors with out Borders.

The third section takes place in Guatemala, set in 2012 for the end of the Mayan calendar. All three of the main characters are in the same place together. There is then an epilogue back in New Zealand in 2017.

The novel examines consumerism, exploitation / spiritual tourism, dependence on technology and to a degree general degeneration of culture, the New Zealand psyche and the ignorance of youth across generations.

For me the writing is contemporary (although I am not a great judge of this - perhaps it is safer to say it feels contemporary to my fiction reading), it has an interesting but varied style, running to an almost stream of conciousness at times. For New Zealand readers it will conjure many Kiwiana icons from the past with numerous local references. Of the international settings, those of which I have visited read true, and those places I haven't been come across as genuine.

An enjoyable 4 stars.

[pale blinds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a loaded journey. For best possible experience, I recommend a dictionary and a dependable internet connection. West is nothing, if not ambitious and bold, and you’re likely to learn as you travel (through Australasia, Asia…all but one of our dislocated continents) as a result.

His boldness, or proneness to risk-taking, is pretty clear if you’ve made it as far as the title of this, his first book. A title I, after a second or third appraisal, came to admire, got used to, laughed along with. West proves himself adept at conventional narrative (strengths include a rare knack for gripping, intelligent and funny dialogue, and external character description) but is not afraid to give it all a fucking good shake up. He will make demands, again often at the risk of endangering his whole effort, but the pay-off is worth it, 95% of the time.

Less gratifying are instances of poor editing, cases often so trifling that one laments his being deprived one piddly editor more. You can certainly work around this, but: a shame. West also tiptoes around curmudgeon-dom. His characters are united by their angry disillusionment, and dislocation. Their rants, though never inarticulate, can be overbearing, but also energizing. The overall effect is wistful: the seeker, who wants so hard to find, but never does. (Do the latter points belong in a paragraph beginning Less gratifying? I’m not sure.)

At the best of times I felt like I was in good hands, which is surely what one seeks from an author. Basically, once in his stride, I found myself trusting that he wouldn’t bore me. Nor did he.

To return to travel, West had the advantage of having written far outside my personal experience. New Zealand, his home tract, is a case in point. What I found fascinating (being a Brit, well acquainted with American product, some soil, etc.) was this other, to me untapped, English-language world. English as exotic… Cupboards full of brand-names, from some parallel universe. Local slang. Lolly cakes and jandals. Not to mention, my introduction to Maori (is that their language?). He makes no attempt to Angli- or Americanize himself and I appreciate it. Then he takes us further afield, doing the same for their locals (Nigerians, Russians), making no further stopovers to write footnotes.

Impressive, inspiring, eye-opening.

[Robert Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

With those memorable first lines, so begins the odyssey of damaged and vulnerable, Crikle, and the other pair entwined in his life.

The three characters are cast out of into the world, on a path to reckon with their disaffection, from provincial New Zealand, into a nomadic existence where they try to keep the modern world at bay. Their journeys are described in refreshingly no-nonsense prose, and their struggles and beliefs relayed in an unsentimental fashion.

J Alex West has written an incisive, humorous, gripping jeremiad against our modern complacency. His insights into our fast paced, consumerist culture and how his characters spurn and rail against it are spot on. Furthermore, Crikle is an endearing striver, despite his inadequacies, or perhaps because of them. The book is a modern day On the Road, with shades of Graham Greene and Tim Cahill - highly recommended.

[Saroj Chumber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently finished the book and enjoyed reading it a lot. The book takes up so many contemporary issues at once, mostly related to identity: the search of being who one wants to be in a world that expects us to be a certain way.
The three protagnists Crikle, Jede and Rose meet in New Zealand in high school and form a sort of loose bond that keeps them tied together throughout the book. Both Crikle and Jede, branded as "losers" encapsulate what is "wrong" with the society and how it is suppressing men. However, there seems to be a slight lack of refelction on their parts on their own actions that might be contributing to this confusion. Both view life through a haze of marijuana smoke and sofacrashing sojourns from Hong Kong to South America. Their desire to be non- conformists in a world that expects them to conform leads them to do some crazy stuff and gets them into dangerous situations leading to tragic results.
The book throws light on the confusion of gender roles in the western world, post women's liberation movement of the 60's and 70's. Jede especially seems confused and at times angry when he is met with rudeness while trying to hold a door open for a lady, who rebukes him saying she can do it herself. The anger and frustration of the white man is also captured with funny anecdotes and dialogues that made me both laugh and reflect on how hard it can be for them to understand the modern woman. If a man hits on a woman he's a creep not a stud like he was called in the 70's and a woman who was a slut if she hit on a man is now bold or modern.
However, Rose as a modern woman doesn't paint a too favourable picture in my eyes. I find her selfish, unfeeling and happily exploiting the affection of one man while doing everything to gain the affection of the man she's in love with. Maybe it's my prejduice towards my own sex that judges her and expects her to be kinder and a better human being than both Jede and Crikle but she is just like them in many ways. Crikle comes out as the slightly daft yet vulnerable guy with a lot ot pent up anger inside him. His rants at times remind me of the rants I've heard in bars and cafes among young men.
West addresses a lot of issues in his book: from post colonial guilt of the white male to global capitalism and the digital revolution that overtook the world in the 90's.
The style of writing is reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut, and at times Charles Bukowski and even Joseph Heller. The book made me laugh in many parts and sigh in others. This book gives self- publishing a good name because despite the small errors that could easily have been fixed, the book is well written and has some brillaint lines and passages. The writer has worked hard and it shows in his writing. One would easily pass over a book with a title like that but then that's a pity because it's a refreshing change from the run' o the mill bestsellers that flood the book market these days. A brilliant first attempt by the author and I recommend this book!

[L.D. Wenzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read Tenure as a Statistician. The author has a readable writing style making it an enjoyable book. It is the story of 3 young people, Crikle (main character), Rose, and Jede, growing up first in New Zealand, later as young adults traveling throughout the world in many exotic places, and then most ending up back in New Zealand. Each person has his own voice, which means that the episodic chapters switch the first person narrative between the three.

During these many travels you get an almost stream-of-conscience chronicle of these foreign experiences. For this I must say that West is a very talented writer, constructing complicated yet easy to read accounts of the different narrators' spontaneous happenings.

For me the highlight of the novel was Crikle's 24 page (!!) poem of the history of human civilization. I must admit I was not looking forward to it as I saw those pages approaching, but I was pleasantly surprised to read a delightful poem filled with humor and insight. Each short stanza touches on one of the hundreds of epics that tell the story of mankind -- from the pre-historical to the Battle of Waterloo up to our own time. I was impressed with how each carefully chosen word seem to encapsulate the events. I can only imagine the hours it took to compose it. Well done!

[One Flew · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A great debut novel. Three childhood friends travel the world, trying to make sense of their lives. Jede, Crickle and Rose each trying to deal with the contradictions and hypocrisy they see around them while also dealing with their own internal struggles.

I loved the ambition and scope of this book. The three main characters are all distinct, clearly defined people. Crickle the failed poet, suffering from a childhood injury and a crippling lack of confidence. Jede the self confident, self sabotaging explorer. And Rose, the girl who trying to escape into a world better than the one she was born into. The reader follows the three around the globe, from rural New Zealand, a failed humanitarian effort, pub culture in the UK.

My only criticism was that the characters, Jede in particular, came across as extremely self righteous. Raging against facebook, hippiedom, mcdonalds, religion and freely judging everbody elses actions apart from his own. Crickle is a more sympathetic character but even he has these moments of moralising that was slightly annoying.

Overall an enjoyable and interesting read. I found myself wondering while reading it whether any of the events had basis in fact or if this was entirely fiction. Well worth checking out.

[Al Samuels · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very topical and dare I say, typical New Zealand story. That resonates, to some degree, with my growing up in 1960's in NZ after emigrating from the the UK with my parents. It was like stepping back in time and this story reminded me of that bygone era. This is a great start (his debut novel) by author J. Alex West. At first I found it a little difficult to come to grips with the various characters (probably more to do with me than with the book). It's an interesting story, well worth the read. Recommended. AA+++++++++

[Richard Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Tenure as a Statistician' is J. Alex West's first novel and it is great for a first novel. It has problems, but many of the 'great' writers don't do well with their first novel. West has written non-fiction stories many of which are excellent (see his other books). 'Tenure...' is set in a working class town north of Auckland and there several (about 6) significant characters emerge. West's technique is to give each a narrative in which they 'talk'. It alternates between them. This gives a sense of multiple 'voices'. Crikle, who will become central to the novel due to the challenges he faces from a difficult home life, some incapacities, and his love and yearning for the beautiful part-Maori girl next door. Crikle's voice starts the book: 'I was good for nothing...' and for some reason he was good at statistical maths and not any other. (He, in some ways tries to organize the world, and his poetry reflects this.) He has parents and sometimes peers who see him as strange. He is perhaps the main 'outsider'. That the people of this NZ town have problems, that the part Maori girl Rose (who Crikle is in love with throughout the novel and she feels things for him but more anon) -- is clever but has a brother and father making money from illegal drugs (while not being that 'bad') and while Jede who turns up from the US as a kind of exchange student, has problems (although he is more 'manly' and perhaps more 'sophisticated' than Crikle), and that the parents including Crikle's mother and others around are full of either prejudices, or personality problems and so on, that all is not well even in NZ is not surprising. In fact the social and problems of poverty and violence rates and much else are analogous throughout the world. (And these human and political social issues, and problems of development and love are some of West's main themes I feel.)
So the characters ring true. Soon an American, Jason Denton, arrives. He is full of positivity. He is ambitious, almost phoney, but complex. He has some positive qualities, but represents the brash 'clean-cut' entrepreneur type, so in some ways, 'new money', although he starts well, and perhaps means well... Crikle thinks he has sex with Rose and this torments him. Denton is ambiguous (as the novel proceeds the characters attain more complexity which is good). Denton organizes and inspires and Crikle and the others go for his 'Couch' travel system. The idea is to facilitate cheap travel while young men and women can connect. It works pretty well. Later Jede is disillusioned when Jason and Rose, who become partners and eventually get married, move to a more commercial aspect. Just as in NZ Trade Me began as quite a brilliant thing and sold out and now it has shifted to a more crass commercial thing, something similar has also occurred overall in modern computer tech, the internet etc.
The players in this novel are all growing up as the internet and all its positives and negatives evolve also.
The book is absorbing and insightful, as it is clear West has himself traveled extensively. Crikle and Jede (the American who he feels he is more enlightened than Jason (who, it is not clear, is not as awful as Jede supposes) are perhaps the two who are most challenged with difficulties. Rose has hers, her neighbours are somewhat racist, but she is bright and leaves the place for education and does well (as she sees it). But Crikle is not good at anything. Jede gets back to the US at one stage and finds his father doesn't want to know him and his mother is with a slightly zany evangelical Christian. He has been in Africa and workers there as well as local people are murdered. The Christian mother and her friend blame it on his lack of Christian belief. Jede's rejection of his father is understandable but something more complex needed to take place at his mother's.
In Africa both Jede and Crikle get 'off-side' with what they see as superficial UN workers...but soon there is an attack and the young woman Jede insults is killed. It is here, as in other parts that I feel that West could have imagined some kind of heroic action by Crikle and Jede (I know this sounds a bit naive) and they might rescue her, and then a kind of reconciliation might have taken place. All might not have been 'solved' but here a possibility of a war, an attack by bandits might have been a chance for something positive to develop (and a stronger, clearer, perhaps more absorbing, narrative thread).
Jede might have become wiser. Crikle never seems to make it, although he reads a long and quite amazing poem (a kind of world history). Long poems don't work at poetry readings, as a poet this is something I know about, but the imagined reading and meeting is well imagined.
Before this, in Central South America, Jede, Crikle, Rose and the entrepreneurial Jason run into a situation that is complex and full of, indeed more complexity. Crikle mainly observes, but Jede, seeing how Jason Rose and others ignore the indigenous locals and other poorer people, see a hypocrisy. But West makes Jede more complex. In a fight with a German traveler who is all for peace and light, neither really gets the upper hand. Jede is aware and tries to connect with local woman (and there is some love here) but this is turned against him. Jede's boozed decline and the events in the Cent. American country, are brilliantly portrayed. Crikle and Jede struggle for some ideals. Crikle tries to educate himself. This is a positive.
The novel is energetic, eventful, and sometimes the transitions between 'scenes' are not so good, but the book is very readable. Once I got into this book I found it somewhat addictive and wanted to read it. (I am always like this with books and sometimes find they influence me after I have read them.) Some hard hitting and dramatic scenes which, as well as some complex ones, are well described. We sometimes see some plausibly raw and or depraved characters. But it is around here (in Guatamala) that West shows a real ability to write and to betray corruption, violence, sex, but also, somewhat love, hypocrisy and danger. And some of the deep inequalities between the poor & rich nations. Also we see human strengths and weaknesses.
If the book has faults (while characters are drawn well in many cases, there sometimes seems to be too many almost clichéd 'typing' of people, and realistic as the book is (although there are comic elements)), it sometimes seems too relentlessly so. I wanted, perhaps naively, some more hope, more rays of light. But West is still also pretty 'true' to life. But this is a novel, not a socio-political analysis, and indeed a writer has to present the situations so that his characters can enact the world, and by and large West does that.
The book starts and ends well I feel. Many books fail to do that, even some books I think are 'great'. Of course there is more than just a beginning and an end. Crikle heads from NZ, around the world, and back to NZ. Here he finds his home-town is not much improved, his family (especially his father) still rather cold and un-supporting. Crikle, in a kind of crazy reaction to some publishers who don't even look at his poetry he submitted to them -- heads north to Auckland's 'Great Barrier Island' where he meets and has a meal with Rose's father Ru'a (Crikle has recently had a struggle with his own father who is right wing, racist etc and generally nasty...and in that struggle we at least see he has, in some ways, 'grown'). Ru'a receives a letter from his daughter, telling him that she and Jason have sold their (once enlightened 'travel' business) for a large sum, and Rose invites him to live with them. But Ru'a is politically aware, and has a kind of pride and dignity that transcends much. Many would go for the cash, he thus rejects, in his way, Capitalism etc for Maoritanga, or for the people over the System...The connection between Crikle and the Maori Ru'a, grows strong. This ending is powerful and inspiring.
I have left out a lot. West's novel is always quite vivid, and as I say pulls the writer in (in some ways it reminds me of TOA by Vaughan Rapatahana, which I reviewed in a lit. mag. as well as his novel called NOVEL)....both West and Rapatahana are politicized. Rapatahana uses satire and in NOVEL creates an uprising in NZ and in parts of South China: and in NZ the revolutionaries are winning! TOA is more subtle and Rapatahana involves allusion to 'Once Were Warriors' and C K Stead's 'Smith's Dream'. And there is something of this political and social complexity (which all good novels should have) in both these writers. West is as yet not so well known. But I think his book is definitely worth reading. I think he will write some great novels. He has the capacity.
Read this book. Undoubtedly you will disagree or you may on some points but I think West has potential as one of NZ's most interesting writers of the 'strange-real' if I can invent a term for his writing. Certainly there is work to be done, as a novel longer than 200 pages is a difficult challenge, but considering everything, West is challenging us. All is not right with the world as we all know, and he doesn't flinch from describing it. But there is some hope. Not perhaps a naive optimism, but a good optimism. Ru'a defies money for his simple and independent life. We think that Crikle may yet write more poetry and do well, and perhaps find love. For his main love, Rose, has eluded him. And there is sadness in this novel but, as I say, some promise of something better to come.

[Linn Dahler · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is a great debut novel. We follow the three main characters Rose, Crikle and Jede from their teens and into their thirties as they search for their place in the world. In addition to New Zealand, we follow their journeys through many different countries and continents.

One of the things I enjoyed the most, was the many incisive observations of modern life and love, travel and gender roles. I also liked the multi-continental plot and the author's use of music to set the mood in different parts of the book.

As for the negatives, I agree with what someone said among these reviews that both Jede and Crikle sometimes come off as overly self righteous. On the one hand, this kind of selfishness and immaturity is quite realistic but it frustrated me a bit nevertheless.