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Termite Parade
"[A] wry and unnerving story of bad love gone rotten. [Mohr] has a generous understanding of his characters, whom he describes with an intelligence and sensitivity that pulls you in. This is no small achievement."
-The New York Times Book Review (Editor's Choice)
“Similar to Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment: the most crucial action serves as a portal to and wellspring for the various psychologies of its characters. But Mohr's storytelling is so absorbing that Termite Parade does not read like an analytical rumination; if he is examining the very nature of these characters under a microscope, he at least lets the specimens speak for themselves.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
"Termite Parade is a sucker punch to literary complacency, without a hint of authorial self-absorption. Mohr is a post-millennial Bukowski with a dash of Hubert Selby, Jr. thrown in for good measure, and with only two published novels under his belt, he is rapidly becoming one of my favorite American novelists."
-Powell's Review-A-Day
Termite Parade is the follow-up to Joshua Mohr's San Francisco Chronicle bestselling first novel - and one of O, The Oprah Magazine's '10 Terrific Reads of 2009' - Some Things That Meant the World to Me.
Termite Parade tells the story of Mired, the self-described "bastard daughter of a menage a trois between Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Sylvia Plath, and Eeyore." Mired catalogs her "museum of emotional failures," the latest entry to which is her boyfriend Derek, an auto mechanic (whose body may or may not be infested with termites), who loses his cool carrying her up the stairs to their apartment.
As Derek's termites wreak havoc on his nervous system, Mired pieces together the puzzle, each character revealing aspects of their savage natures, culminating in a climax of pure animal chaos.
-The New York Times Book Review (Editor's Choice)
“Similar to Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment: the most crucial action serves as a portal to and wellspring for the various psychologies of its characters. But Mohr's storytelling is so absorbing that Termite Parade does not read like an analytical rumination; if he is examining the very nature of these characters under a microscope, he at least lets the specimens speak for themselves.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
"Termite Parade is a sucker punch to literary complacency, without a hint of authorial self-absorption. Mohr is a post-millennial Bukowski with a dash of Hubert Selby, Jr. thrown in for good measure, and with only two published novels under his belt, he is rapidly becoming one of my favorite American novelists."
-Powell's Review-A-Day
Termite Parade is the follow-up to Joshua Mohr's San Francisco Chronicle bestselling first novel - and one of O, The Oprah Magazine's '10 Terrific Reads of 2009' - Some Things That Meant the World to Me.
Termite Parade tells the story of Mired, the self-described "bastard daughter of a menage a trois between Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Sylvia Plath, and Eeyore." Mired catalogs her "museum of emotional failures," the latest entry to which is her boyfriend Derek, an auto mechanic (whose body may or may not be infested with termites), who loses his cool carrying her up the stairs to their apartment.
As Derek's termites wreak havoc on his nervous system, Mired pieces together the puzzle, each character revealing aspects of their savage natures, culminating in a climax of pure animal chaos.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
5 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
About the author
Joshua Mohr
16 books358 followersJOSHUA MOHR is the author of five novels, including “Damascus,” which The New York Times called “Beat-poet cool.” He’s also written “Fight Song” and “Some Things that Meant the World to Me,” one of O Magazine’s Top 10 reads of 2009 and a San Francisco Chronicle best-seller, as well as “Termite Parade,” an Editors’ Choice on The New York Times Best Seller List. His novel “All This Life” was recently published by Counterpoint/Soft Skull.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
July 27, 2013
Wow. Fast paced at break neck speeds, “Termite Parade” starts with a visit to a dentist office and not a routine check-up, it’s unplanned , a visit to fix a mouth full broken teeth. Like he did with his first novel “SomeThings That Meant the World To Me”, Joshua Mohr instantly drags the reader inward to a moving, at times disgusting, dark and funny novel. This time around the novel is told through three different perpestives of a relationship that’s all sorts of messed up. Very few novels I have read are as daring and at the same time well grounded, if that makes any sense, as “Termite Parade” is. Grounded as in all the elements are there, that make for a great novel. Just read the damn book it’s fewer than 200 pages, is a quick and rewarding read. A read that leaves you wanting more while being satisfied, a read that will make you wonder if the most flawed of us and can be redeemed. Joshua Mohr so early in his writing career has found his own voice it’s one that’s fresh and will be heard by more and more readers, so read one of his books now before they become too hip for school.
July 23, 2010
Having won this on Goodreads, I couldn't wait to read it. I loved Some Things That Meant the World To Me and knew his next novel would capture my emotions.
I had just had a serious infection in my cheek and had a tooth pulled, so reading Mired's dental 'accident' really made me hurt.The 'piss' scene in the novel made me cringe, because it happens to be the most foul smell in the world to me. How many books can make me feel things physically? Not many but Joshua Mohr's writing certainly has that gift. The ridiculousness of his characters actions always make me laugh, because you meet these people every day and you may be one of them. His characters are always believable in their quirks and flaws and some of the horrible things they do you realize, well I'm not far behind in my lowest moments.
In Termite Parade we meet Mired, a woman with a gift for picking the most devolved men around. Mired's current disaster, her boyfriend Derek, is struggling with his conscious after Mired's druken stumble down a flight of stairs. Will Derek find redemption for his dark moment? Derek's twin brother is our 'eye-witness' filmmaker trying to capture the animal side of human emotion and has the perfect material in his brother and Mired's downward spiral.
Joshua Mohr brings out the raw emotions and the ugly side of our nature in a way that can feel uncomfortable but like a freak scene, you have to keep your eyes glued! It's never pretty, but there is still beauty to be found in the character's struggles.
"One minute, you had a father, you had a mother who wasn't too busy to be bothered, you had teeth, you had a boyfriend, and you blinked your eyes, one quick blink, and by the time you looked around again, your whole life was stained with a vague sorrow.'
With writing like Mohr's, I just can't resist falling in love with his stories. Again, as with his previous novel I only wish it was longer! He snuck in a little cameo too, if you're paying attention. Termite Parade made me hurt (physically) and reminded me how often we humans close our eyes in the face of truth because 'better the monsters you know.'
I particularly love when Mired is describing all the horrible men she's been with and the things that they did and did not do to her. Sort of a conglomeration of the worst moments most women have been through. Great stuff!
I had just had a serious infection in my cheek and had a tooth pulled, so reading Mired's dental 'accident' really made me hurt.The 'piss' scene in the novel made me cringe, because it happens to be the most foul smell in the world to me. How many books can make me feel things physically? Not many but Joshua Mohr's writing certainly has that gift. The ridiculousness of his characters actions always make me laugh, because you meet these people every day and you may be one of them. His characters are always believable in their quirks and flaws and some of the horrible things they do you realize, well I'm not far behind in my lowest moments.
In Termite Parade we meet Mired, a woman with a gift for picking the most devolved men around. Mired's current disaster, her boyfriend Derek, is struggling with his conscious after Mired's druken stumble down a flight of stairs. Will Derek find redemption for his dark moment? Derek's twin brother is our 'eye-witness' filmmaker trying to capture the animal side of human emotion and has the perfect material in his brother and Mired's downward spiral.
Joshua Mohr brings out the raw emotions and the ugly side of our nature in a way that can feel uncomfortable but like a freak scene, you have to keep your eyes glued! It's never pretty, but there is still beauty to be found in the character's struggles.
"One minute, you had a father, you had a mother who wasn't too busy to be bothered, you had teeth, you had a boyfriend, and you blinked your eyes, one quick blink, and by the time you looked around again, your whole life was stained with a vague sorrow.'
With writing like Mohr's, I just can't resist falling in love with his stories. Again, as with his previous novel I only wish it was longer! He snuck in a little cameo too, if you're paying attention. Termite Parade made me hurt (physically) and reminded me how often we humans close our eyes in the face of truth because 'better the monsters you know.'
I particularly love when Mired is describing all the horrible men she's been with and the things that they did and did not do to her. Sort of a conglomeration of the worst moments most women have been through. Great stuff!
August 17, 2010
Joshua Mohr hooks you with an inflammatory situation and then does something necessary and remarkable: he refuses to back away from the consequences. Three characters share the narration, linked to each other and the central event and also sharing a kind of self-destructive poetic view of themselves that plays itself out over the course of a few days' time. I was up until 3 am finishing it -- just couldn't flinch from the masterfully suspenseful ending.
Termite Parade is a great example of putting the lie to "sympathy" and "likability" and instead giving us characters that we can identify with and be surprised by.
Termite Parade is a great example of putting the lie to "sympathy" and "likability" and instead giving us characters that we can identify with and be surprised by.
April 1, 2017
Review copy from publisher
Do not let the book cover of Termite Parade turn you off. Seriously.
If you are like me, and hate anything that creeps and crawls, this book cover will make your stomach turn. You will take one look at that wide open mouth with termites climbing out of it, and want to gag. Your hands might shake, and your knees might get weak, and your upper lip and forehead might bead with sweat, but do yourself a favor and GET OVER IT.
Grab a copy of this book.
Here's why:
Have you ever been in a crappy relationship, one that was just too much work, one where your girlfriend/boyfriend was crazy jealous and never trusted you, wanting to know who you were on the phone with, who you were texting, who you were going out with, how long you were going to be gone...?
Have you ever been mortified by this girlfriend/boyfriend, embarrassed to the point where you wish you could just rip open a hole in the universe and be sucked into it, when they would make off the wall comments and false accusations in front of people, people whose jaws would drop and hit the floor, people who would feel sorry for you because of the scene your other half was creating?
Have you ever gotten to the point where, knowing the relationship isn't working, knowing the effort you are putting in will never equal the effort coming back out, knowing that you will never leave them, you decide you have finally had enough, you decide to do something you ordinarily wouldn't ever do, something you know you shouldn't but you just can't help yourself, you tell yourself they deserve what they have coming, and then you just do it, without thinking about it?
Have you ever done that thing that you knew you shouldn't have done, and then lied about what it was that you did, and the person believed you, right from the start, and never questioned you about it, and you thought, phew! That was too easy, but then the longer you went living and supporting the lie, the worse and worse you felt, the guilt over the thing you did and the lie you told to cover it up begins to eat you up, from the inside out, gnawing and chewing at you, day after day, until you couldn't even look at her/him without the guilt causing you physical discomfort, until you finally decide you have tell them the truth, not because you want them to know, but because you are convinced that telling the truth is the only way to get the lie to stop eating you up inside?
If you were shaking your head as you read all of that, nodding in agreement, laughing because yes! I have done that, I have felt that, I have been on the receiving end of that, I was lied to, I told a lie, I was in a shit relationship - if you felt anything at all while reading all of that, then you NEED TO READ THIS BOOK.
This is the twisted, terrible story of Mired and Derek, and their awful relationship - a relationship they both want so badly that they are willing to attend couples therapy for. It's the story of the thing that Mired does to push Derek over the edge. It's the story of the thing that Derek does to Mired. It's the story of the lie Derek tells Mired to cover up the thing he did. It's the story of the guilt that eats Derek up from the inside out like termites.... chewing his bones to splinters.
Oh, and how awesome was it of the author, Joshua Mohr, to name his leading lady Mired - which means "entangled, hindered, to involve in difficulties"? Our damsel in distress, named for the hell that her life has become. Is that not poetic? Not to mention this guy can write! He gets it. He knows what a shitty relationship feels like. He knows what it's like to want something to work so badly you are willing to put up with all kinds of nonsense for it. And he's throws it all out there in black and white for you to experience.
Need more before you commit? Check out the book trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-yfX2...
Huge hugs and kisses go out to Two Dollar Radio for sending me this review copy. Watch these guys, they know good literature and are not afraid to publish it!
Do not let the book cover of Termite Parade turn you off. Seriously.
If you are like me, and hate anything that creeps and crawls, this book cover will make your stomach turn. You will take one look at that wide open mouth with termites climbing out of it, and want to gag. Your hands might shake, and your knees might get weak, and your upper lip and forehead might bead with sweat, but do yourself a favor and GET OVER IT.
Grab a copy of this book.
Here's why:
Have you ever been in a crappy relationship, one that was just too much work, one where your girlfriend/boyfriend was crazy jealous and never trusted you, wanting to know who you were on the phone with, who you were texting, who you were going out with, how long you were going to be gone...?
Have you ever been mortified by this girlfriend/boyfriend, embarrassed to the point where you wish you could just rip open a hole in the universe and be sucked into it, when they would make off the wall comments and false accusations in front of people, people whose jaws would drop and hit the floor, people who would feel sorry for you because of the scene your other half was creating?
Have you ever gotten to the point where, knowing the relationship isn't working, knowing the effort you are putting in will never equal the effort coming back out, knowing that you will never leave them, you decide you have finally had enough, you decide to do something you ordinarily wouldn't ever do, something you know you shouldn't but you just can't help yourself, you tell yourself they deserve what they have coming, and then you just do it, without thinking about it?
Have you ever done that thing that you knew you shouldn't have done, and then lied about what it was that you did, and the person believed you, right from the start, and never questioned you about it, and you thought, phew! That was too easy, but then the longer you went living and supporting the lie, the worse and worse you felt, the guilt over the thing you did and the lie you told to cover it up begins to eat you up, from the inside out, gnawing and chewing at you, day after day, until you couldn't even look at her/him without the guilt causing you physical discomfort, until you finally decide you have tell them the truth, not because you want them to know, but because you are convinced that telling the truth is the only way to get the lie to stop eating you up inside?
If you were shaking your head as you read all of that, nodding in agreement, laughing because yes! I have done that, I have felt that, I have been on the receiving end of that, I was lied to, I told a lie, I was in a shit relationship - if you felt anything at all while reading all of that, then you NEED TO READ THIS BOOK.
This is the twisted, terrible story of Mired and Derek, and their awful relationship - a relationship they both want so badly that they are willing to attend couples therapy for. It's the story of the thing that Mired does to push Derek over the edge. It's the story of the thing that Derek does to Mired. It's the story of the lie Derek tells Mired to cover up the thing he did. It's the story of the guilt that eats Derek up from the inside out like termites.... chewing his bones to splinters.
Oh, and how awesome was it of the author, Joshua Mohr, to name his leading lady Mired - which means "entangled, hindered, to involve in difficulties"? Our damsel in distress, named for the hell that her life has become. Is that not poetic? Not to mention this guy can write! He gets it. He knows what a shitty relationship feels like. He knows what it's like to want something to work so badly you are willing to put up with all kinds of nonsense for it. And he's throws it all out there in black and white for you to experience.
Need more before you commit? Check out the book trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-yfX2...
Huge hugs and kisses go out to Two Dollar Radio for sending me this review copy. Watch these guys, they know good literature and are not afraid to publish it!
July 10, 2010
Joshua Mohr is a talented writer -- the prose in this novel is effortless and engaging. Termite Parade is the story of Mired (who claims Sylvia Plath, Dostoesvsky and Eeyore as her true ancestors) and Derek, whose relationship is spiralling rapidly downward as their dysfunctions get the better of them. Adding to the complications is Derek's twin brother, Frank, a video editor and would-be auteur who is determined to realize his Animal Unveiled documentary concept at all costs. The book works well as a black comedy and as a meditation on guilt and responsibility, though I found it hard to sympathize or care about characters who are so clearly sabotaging themselves.
I received a review copy from GoodReads.
I received a review copy from GoodReads.
Read
December 11, 2010This fast read begins like all of my favorite things do: alcohol poisoning. The bender continues using frozen peas as ice cubes as the "monster twin" pours another whiskey and peas. It's a terrible familiar. You'd think the sickness would end with the pea thing. You'd think the author would have the decency to march out a character with some redeeming qualities you'd like to attach some affection to. Perhaps a character who doesn't say awful jealous things at her boyfriend's party and cause a scene.
But what happens instead is much, much better. A horrible man and his girlfriend do unimaginable things to each other with wit and regret, intelligence, and fierce love. In the parallel narrative, two identical twin brothers film a woman getting mugged in the park. Twice. Perhaps hinting at our tired cultural obsession with bearing witness to other people's pain even though all reality TV's show's are scripted. Perhaps "Termite Parade" is suggesting that Americans fetishize violence and act it out on each other and think that's love. The great thing about Mohr's "Termite Parade" is that I'm asking myself those very questions now and remembering that Sam Lipsyte calls our lovers "our destroyers." Ah. Love.
But what happens instead is much, much better. A horrible man and his girlfriend do unimaginable things to each other with wit and regret, intelligence, and fierce love. In the parallel narrative, two identical twin brothers film a woman getting mugged in the park. Twice. Perhaps hinting at our tired cultural obsession with bearing witness to other people's pain even though all reality TV's show's are scripted. Perhaps "Termite Parade" is suggesting that Americans fetishize violence and act it out on each other and think that's love. The great thing about Mohr's "Termite Parade" is that I'm asking myself those very questions now and remembering that Sam Lipsyte calls our lovers "our destroyers." Ah. Love.
December 11, 2011
TERMITE PARADE, by Joshua Mohr, is about people’s dreams, hopes, personal history, and mistakes. It’s about how your thoughts can eat away at your soul like termites eating wood. Mohr is a fairly recent addition to the published scene but his books are among the best out there.
Derek and Mired, living together in San Francisco, have a very flawed relationship. They’re untruthful, violent, suspicious, and distrusting with each other. After Derek drops a drunk Mired down the stairs of their building, leaving her at her dentist’s office with missing teeth, he drives to Reno. During the day apart they both review their pasts to somehow find an explanation of their current paths. In their minds they acknowledge their own mistakes but will they learn from them?
After the hallucinatory THINGS THAT MEANT THE WORLD TO ME, Mohr provides another amazing and effective story. His writing continues to sweep me into unforgettable situations. His descriptions are unique, comprehensive, and intelligent.
I love Mohr’s style and will continue to read his books. I’m very much looking forward to ‘devouring’ DAMASCUS.
Derek and Mired, living together in San Francisco, have a very flawed relationship. They’re untruthful, violent, suspicious, and distrusting with each other. After Derek drops a drunk Mired down the stairs of their building, leaving her at her dentist’s office with missing teeth, he drives to Reno. During the day apart they both review their pasts to somehow find an explanation of their current paths. In their minds they acknowledge their own mistakes but will they learn from them?
After the hallucinatory THINGS THAT MEANT THE WORLD TO ME, Mohr provides another amazing and effective story. His writing continues to sweep me into unforgettable situations. His descriptions are unique, comprehensive, and intelligent.
I love Mohr’s style and will continue to read his books. I’m very much looking forward to ‘devouring’ DAMASCUS.
June 19, 2010
Mohr sets the action in all his novels within a few blocks of my home (we're neighbors), which I appreciate since it makes me feel better about how little I travel.
June 2, 2021
"the bastard daughter of a ménage a trois between Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Sylvia Plath, and Eeyore."
When I read this quote, I knew Joshua Mohr was about to have the reader turn the knob on the jack in the box, and a few jack(asses) were going to pop up out of the box. Maybe, that's a bit too crude, but it's not far from the truth regarding these three characters.
You have three characters who seem to have fallen down a dark rabbit hole of odd individuals who, because of their backstories, almost immediately took a turn for the worst on account of their parent's screwups.
Three narrators tell the austere story of Mired, who has the taste of raw Bok Choy in men, Derek being one of them.
While at a going-away party for one of Derek's female friends who Mired always felt they had a crush on each other, isolates herself at the party, gets plastered, and begins hurling obscenities at his friend. After the last low blow, no pun intended, Mired has been told to leave. When they arrive home, Derek is put out with Mired's insults as he carries her wasted body up the stairs. Still spitting names like, "you worthless dog," Derek has had enough and lets Mired go, and her body tumbles from the top stairs to the bottom.
Initially, Mired does not think Derek purposefully dropped her down the stairs but does wonder why he always leaves her when she loses her teeth in the process and is having dental work.
The three of them tell their stories which allows the reader to show just how much they all, in the end, deal with failed relationships, guilt, survival instinct, revenge, and eventually trying to find the good in one another.
Mohr's wrote a compelling prose narrative, a wild termite parade leaving you with shards of glass to chew on when it comes to human's ability to show empathy.
I have enjoyed this insane Kafkaesque novel and look to read more of this author's bibliography.
Suppose you fancy a uniquely written book and may or may not loathe all of the characters. I'd recommend curling up on the sofa with a stiff drink and losing yourself in this book. You'll find yourself amid some odious characters that will make you want to find the grocery store basket paparazzi, jump in and find your way out of this book when you get to the last page.
Excellent read!
When I read this quote, I knew Joshua Mohr was about to have the reader turn the knob on the jack in the box, and a few jack(asses) were going to pop up out of the box. Maybe, that's a bit too crude, but it's not far from the truth regarding these three characters.
You have three characters who seem to have fallen down a dark rabbit hole of odd individuals who, because of their backstories, almost immediately took a turn for the worst on account of their parent's screwups.
Three narrators tell the austere story of Mired, who has the taste of raw Bok Choy in men, Derek being one of them.
While at a going-away party for one of Derek's female friends who Mired always felt they had a crush on each other, isolates herself at the party, gets plastered, and begins hurling obscenities at his friend. After the last low blow, no pun intended, Mired has been told to leave. When they arrive home, Derek is put out with Mired's insults as he carries her wasted body up the stairs. Still spitting names like, "you worthless dog," Derek has had enough and lets Mired go, and her body tumbles from the top stairs to the bottom.
Initially, Mired does not think Derek purposefully dropped her down the stairs but does wonder why he always leaves her when she loses her teeth in the process and is having dental work.
The three of them tell their stories which allows the reader to show just how much they all, in the end, deal with failed relationships, guilt, survival instinct, revenge, and eventually trying to find the good in one another.
Mohr's wrote a compelling prose narrative, a wild termite parade leaving you with shards of glass to chew on when it comes to human's ability to show empathy.
I have enjoyed this insane Kafkaesque novel and look to read more of this author's bibliography.
Suppose you fancy a uniquely written book and may or may not loathe all of the characters. I'd recommend curling up on the sofa with a stiff drink and losing yourself in this book. You'll find yourself amid some odious characters that will make you want to find the grocery store basket paparazzi, jump in and find your way out of this book when you get to the last page.
Excellent read!
January 31, 2017
I read a short story by Joshua Mohr, "Phil", on CNET, and absolutely loved it - I was hoping I would enjoy this book as much, but it just didn't do it for me at all. Didn't like any of the characters, and didn't find the plot too interesting - sort of just a relationship drama. Down the road I'd still be open to trying another book by him, as I do love his style of writing generally, but this wasn't the one for me.
September 26, 2017
Interesting character study about a life-worn woman, her blight-in-shining armor boyfriend, and his twin brother. Derek and Frank take turns playing the good twin and evil twin while Mired tries to figure out if her life is as shattered as her...ah, no spoilers.
October 6, 2019
after reading his memoir I found out this book was written on a coke bender and looking back it makes sense but damn seems like it was a good coke bender
November 16, 2022
accuracy in certain areas
December 26, 2010
There is this pit that so many writers fall into when they have a character in crisis: They send the muddy brained protagonist on a road trip. In the case of Joshua Mohr's novel "Termite Parade," Derek points his truck toward Reno. He's on the run from one of those epic social shames of a night out with his hot tempered girlfriend Mired. The night started with a Bon Voyage party for one of Derek's lady friends, during which Mired marinates in booze and makes all sorts of embarrassingly loud insinuations about what her boyfriend wants to do to the hostess.
Eventually Mired is 86'ed from the party and passes out in the car on the way home. Derek carries her into their San Francisco apartment, and as he's lugging her up the steps like a new bride, she continues to verbally assault him all slurry-like. In a bit of a whiskey haze himself, Derek turns around and drops his girlfriend down the steps. A limb is broken, teeth shatter, bruises and bulging form. When she sobers up, she is led to believe she fell down the steps. Derek struggles with a crisis of conscience, made more acute because his twin brother Frank -- called in for backup -- seems to suspect what really happened.
While Mired is at the dentist getting her face fixed, Derek high-tails it out of the waiting room. Heads to Reno to clear his brain with Wild Turkey and some wise words from a waitress at a diner who looks eerily like an older version of Mired. Meanwhile, there are flashbacks to the mis-matched couple's time together, Frank's arty itch to create innovative films, a sort of hybrid between fiction and reality that leans more reality and voyeuristic.
This novel-in-three-voices starts out promising, with a clever vignette where Derek is in the middle of a whiskey-on-the-rocks night, and runs out of rocks. He makes due, using frozen peas instead. Then it segues into some deliciously lurid dental work involving teeth shaved to stumps, blood and smells. And then characterization, motivation, and continuity go off-roading and never come back.
The relationship between Mired and Derek is a mix of charming made-for-TV moments and drunken spats that seems to have some sort of genesis in the collected works of Bukowski. One minute Mired is fired from her job, and Derek presents her with a cathartic pinata filled with her favorite kind of Jelly Belly jelly beans. It's cute: They lay on the floor eating the candy. But beneath this is the idea that these two plus booze equals a toxicity that they are in therapy to fix, but which is only seen in Derek's single instance of domestic assault. Like the confusing relationship, the characters remain a bit fetal: Derek is this weird pseudo badass, a sort of front that feels like a hat he wears only sometimes. Mired is smart and cultured, but a proverbial cutter when it comes to relationships. (A history she chronicles, of course, because that is what writers do in tandem with sending characters on road trips). Twin brother Frank is a hard character to peg. He seems to have residual anger at Derek, and uses the truth about the fall as a sort of blackmail tool.
Also: There is a continuity problem early in the book where it becomes impossible to trust Mohr with this story, which is already shaky. Frank has begun making videos on the streets of San Francisco. He tails unsuspecting characters, gathering real moments. He finds a woman walking alone in a dark park, which is totally danger ranger. To add to the bad decision making, she sits on a bench, pulls out a book and begins flipping pages. By now, Frank has hidden himself and continues to follow her with his camera. She's approached by a man who starts by asking her if she has a cigarette, and ends up robbing her. Frank gets the whole scene, opting to film rather than assist her. He's thrilled. This is his best moment of video ever. A week or so later, he's back in the park and the same woman returns. She sits on the same bench and is approached by the same man, who robs her again.
And here Mohr ruins what could be an intriguing scene: Frank sees the woman approach the bench for the second time. Sit down. Take out her book. And he begins filming her again. But later, back at the apartment, Mohr has Frank viewing the footage:
"... and the next robbery started to play on the TV, the woman walking up to the bench, sitting, opening her book."
Oh, Joshua Mohr. Frank didn't record that part. Go kick your editor in the nuts. This makes it hard to swallow other things: like Mired having a broken wrist, yet she continues to function normally, worried about her fake teeth, but never mentioning difficulty with carrying or opening things until near the end of the book when she hooks up with an exboyfriend, a vegan Buddhist who is inexplicably still attracted to her.
There was so much promise in that whiskey glass filled with peas. But "Termite Parade" sputters into cliche, confusion and bad ideas.
Eventually Mired is 86'ed from the party and passes out in the car on the way home. Derek carries her into their San Francisco apartment, and as he's lugging her up the steps like a new bride, she continues to verbally assault him all slurry-like. In a bit of a whiskey haze himself, Derek turns around and drops his girlfriend down the steps. A limb is broken, teeth shatter, bruises and bulging form. When she sobers up, she is led to believe she fell down the steps. Derek struggles with a crisis of conscience, made more acute because his twin brother Frank -- called in for backup -- seems to suspect what really happened.
While Mired is at the dentist getting her face fixed, Derek high-tails it out of the waiting room. Heads to Reno to clear his brain with Wild Turkey and some wise words from a waitress at a diner who looks eerily like an older version of Mired. Meanwhile, there are flashbacks to the mis-matched couple's time together, Frank's arty itch to create innovative films, a sort of hybrid between fiction and reality that leans more reality and voyeuristic.
This novel-in-three-voices starts out promising, with a clever vignette where Derek is in the middle of a whiskey-on-the-rocks night, and runs out of rocks. He makes due, using frozen peas instead. Then it segues into some deliciously lurid dental work involving teeth shaved to stumps, blood and smells. And then characterization, motivation, and continuity go off-roading and never come back.
The relationship between Mired and Derek is a mix of charming made-for-TV moments and drunken spats that seems to have some sort of genesis in the collected works of Bukowski. One minute Mired is fired from her job, and Derek presents her with a cathartic pinata filled with her favorite kind of Jelly Belly jelly beans. It's cute: They lay on the floor eating the candy. But beneath this is the idea that these two plus booze equals a toxicity that they are in therapy to fix, but which is only seen in Derek's single instance of domestic assault. Like the confusing relationship, the characters remain a bit fetal: Derek is this weird pseudo badass, a sort of front that feels like a hat he wears only sometimes. Mired is smart and cultured, but a proverbial cutter when it comes to relationships. (A history she chronicles, of course, because that is what writers do in tandem with sending characters on road trips). Twin brother Frank is a hard character to peg. He seems to have residual anger at Derek, and uses the truth about the fall as a sort of blackmail tool.
Also: There is a continuity problem early in the book where it becomes impossible to trust Mohr with this story, which is already shaky. Frank has begun making videos on the streets of San Francisco. He tails unsuspecting characters, gathering real moments. He finds a woman walking alone in a dark park, which is totally danger ranger. To add to the bad decision making, she sits on a bench, pulls out a book and begins flipping pages. By now, Frank has hidden himself and continues to follow her with his camera. She's approached by a man who starts by asking her if she has a cigarette, and ends up robbing her. Frank gets the whole scene, opting to film rather than assist her. He's thrilled. This is his best moment of video ever. A week or so later, he's back in the park and the same woman returns. She sits on the same bench and is approached by the same man, who robs her again.
And here Mohr ruins what could be an intriguing scene: Frank sees the woman approach the bench for the second time. Sit down. Take out her book. And he begins filming her again. But later, back at the apartment, Mohr has Frank viewing the footage:
"... and the next robbery started to play on the TV, the woman walking up to the bench, sitting, opening her book."
Oh, Joshua Mohr. Frank didn't record that part. Go kick your editor in the nuts. This makes it hard to swallow other things: like Mired having a broken wrist, yet she continues to function normally, worried about her fake teeth, but never mentioning difficulty with carrying or opening things until near the end of the book when she hooks up with an exboyfriend, a vegan Buddhist who is inexplicably still attracted to her.
There was so much promise in that whiskey glass filled with peas. But "Termite Parade" sputters into cliche, confusion and bad ideas.
July 11, 2022
Too long a novel dwelling on 2 people who end up deserving each other, one more interested in a dog sniffing duffel bags than in helping the partner she injured. Preposterous claptrap. It’s readable, if nothing else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2015
Before writing this I thought I’d take a look at what I had to say five years ago about Mohr’s first novel, Some Things that Meant the World to Me. Turns out I read it during one of my periods of single-sentence reviews, and I wrote only, “I am glad everything turned out relatively well.” I could say the same thing about Termite Parade, because “things turning out relatively well” is one of the attractions of the novel, but I’ll go a bit further.
Within the first few pages I was ready to call it quits on this one. Derek and Mired (pronounced like the past tense of the verb) are young, irritating alcoholics and I didn’t want to spend time with them. Then on page seventeen, Derek commits an act that combines moral failure with possible criminal consequences, and Mohr had me.
The novel is told in three voices, Derek’s, Mired’s, and Frank’s. Frank is Derek’s identical twin and he is a filmmaker. How is it that “filmmaker” has become shorthand for delusional asshole? Not that delusions are lacking elsewhere in the storyline. Alcohol plays a big part here, but Mohr is not concerned with recovery scenarios. When Frank pressures Derek to come clean about “the incident” because Mired deserves “the truth,” Derek’s response is unequivocal. “You are wrong about the truth. The truth is the last thing she should know.”
Bukowski comparisons come up in reviews of Mohr’s novels, but I don’t see this work as “Bukowski-lite,” especially since I am not a Bukowski fan. Mohr is generous to his infuriating characters without romanticizing their down-and-outness. Mired’s drunken behavior is inexcusable, but no one deserves what happens to her. Derek’s fecklessness comes with a knack for self-preservation, but I did not see his run in with the Wombats, the newly crowned indoor softball champions of Reno, Nevada, as the universe exacting its comeuppance. At the end of the story, well, things more or less turn out well. Injuries received early in the novel are healing, and a trip to the dentist should get Derek more or less fixed up.
Within the first few pages I was ready to call it quits on this one. Derek and Mired (pronounced like the past tense of the verb) are young, irritating alcoholics and I didn’t want to spend time with them. Then on page seventeen, Derek commits an act that combines moral failure with possible criminal consequences, and Mohr had me.
The novel is told in three voices, Derek’s, Mired’s, and Frank’s. Frank is Derek’s identical twin and he is a filmmaker. How is it that “filmmaker” has become shorthand for delusional asshole? Not that delusions are lacking elsewhere in the storyline. Alcohol plays a big part here, but Mohr is not concerned with recovery scenarios. When Frank pressures Derek to come clean about “the incident” because Mired deserves “the truth,” Derek’s response is unequivocal. “You are wrong about the truth. The truth is the last thing she should know.”
Bukowski comparisons come up in reviews of Mohr’s novels, but I don’t see this work as “Bukowski-lite,” especially since I am not a Bukowski fan. Mohr is generous to his infuriating characters without romanticizing their down-and-outness. Mired’s drunken behavior is inexcusable, but no one deserves what happens to her. Derek’s fecklessness comes with a knack for self-preservation, but I did not see his run in with the Wombats, the newly crowned indoor softball champions of Reno, Nevada, as the universe exacting its comeuppance. At the end of the story, well, things more or less turn out well. Injuries received early in the novel are healing, and a trip to the dentist should get Derek more or less fixed up.
September 22, 2010
When I read the review of this book, in PW or NY Times, I thought it was going to be a really good, bleak story about horrible characters with horrible lives that I couldn't relate to at all. Instead it was a really good, bleak story whose characters, while not really similar to me or my life, somehow hit uncomfortably close to home. Usually books written in multiple viewpoints are a bit hard for me because I invariably gravitate to one of the tellers and feel wrenched away from that narrative when the viewpoint switches, I didn't have that problem with this book, though the twins Frank and Derek didn't elicit the same emotion for me as Mired. Even this, though, felt deliberate, under Mohr's control. There's a moment where Frank begins a new narrative addressing the reader directly with something along the lines of - you probably don't care, now that I've told you what we did, but I need to tell you that I didn't understand the horror of the act until it was done. And it was absolutely true; I had thought after his last narrative that he was an unworthy character, repulsive, but then that admission, regained him some empathy. It was Mired and her voice though that really made this story for me though - she is the most trusting and trustworthy narrator I've encountered in a while.
July 28, 2010
I won this book on Goodreads. As you can see I only gave this book two stars,but I think it probably deserves more. It wasn't a bad book at all,but the characters were so flawed and made so many mistakes I had no empathy for any of them,which I know wasn't the point,but still. They were all responsible,no matter their reasons, for the predicaments they found themselves in. But while I didn't feel sorry for any of the characters(least of all Frank),I still wanted good things for them,well,if something bad had happened to Frank,I wouldn't really have cared. The ending was just kind of...aftermath. Derek and Mired were trying,but I got the feeling that things could still fall apart at any time.
Which I guess is the only way things could've ended, if the author had gone for an "everything's fine now" ending it wouldn't have been real. Mired was no angel,Derek had some ugly parts to him,and Frank was so,so selfish,unable to see anything but opportunities for himself. But in the end Mired and Derek were trying to be better,and I wanted them to be okay.So, I didn't "like" this book but it was more than okay.
Which I guess is the only way things could've ended, if the author had gone for an "everything's fine now" ending it wouldn't have been real. Mired was no angel,Derek had some ugly parts to him,and Frank was so,so selfish,unable to see anything but opportunities for himself. But in the end Mired and Derek were trying to be better,and I wanted them to be okay.So, I didn't "like" this book but it was more than okay.
November 8, 2011
This is an incredibly effective read, especially when you consider how fast-paced it is. By effective I mean, I feel pretty icky about the whole thing. Termite Parade is about Derek and Mired, a superbly dysfunctional, alcoholic couple who gets into a fight at a party. On the drive home Mired half passes out and flings accusations at her boyfriend who later intentionally drops her down a flight of stairs. And then guilt, remorse, selfishness, and a whole slew of deranged feelings sets in and therein lies the story. Another reviewer mentioned how physically effective some of the descriptions and scenarios are in this book and I had that exact same reaction while reading it. The three main characters are wholly unlikeable, with maybe the exception of Mired who seems to be coming around to the idea of change towards the end. Her descriptions and Mohr's style of writing in terms of all of her horrible ex-boyfriends and the effects they've had on her self-worth solidified this as four stars for me as the writing was beautiful and those passages will stay with me for awhile. I really loved it, which is strange considering how dirty I felt when it was all over.
Want to read
July 24, 2010Well I really liked Some Things that Meant the World to Me, and this one sounds like a terrif follow-up.
From the Powells.com review
What comes across most clearly in Termite Parade is the authenticity of the characters' struggles: a desire to be good that conflicts with an impulse to be cruel; wanting to be loved, but not at the expense of being taken for granted. Yes, the characters are all ridiculously self-centered, but they are also self-aware. They are conscious of the fallout their behavior creates and of how frequently they cave when confronted with the work required by healthy relationships. Written with as much heart as brawn, Termite Parade is a sucker punch to literary complacency, without a hint of authorial self-absorption.
From the Powells.com review
What comes across most clearly in Termite Parade is the authenticity of the characters' struggles: a desire to be good that conflicts with an impulse to be cruel; wanting to be loved, but not at the expense of being taken for granted. Yes, the characters are all ridiculously self-centered, but they are also self-aware. They are conscious of the fallout their behavior creates and of how frequently they cave when confronted with the work required by healthy relationships. Written with as much heart as brawn, Termite Parade is a sucker punch to literary complacency, without a hint of authorial self-absorption.
June 18, 2011
SNAPPY. This whole book is fully of snappy... dialogue, one liners, situations, the cover art for chrissakes... ideas all snap, crackle and pop. The story centers around Mired (pronounced like the verb) and her boyfriend Derek - with a twin Frank. When Mired catalogs her "museum of emotional failures" it's not only relatable but laugh out loud funny. When shit happens to them, the main story so to speak, you know it's weird and interesting but not so weird that I couldn't picture it happening. The book is mainly written in point of views of the characters, which is always a fun game and it's based in San Francisco, so there's cool points for that.
I just wish it had been longer.
I just wish it had been longer.
March 20, 2011
So I have this thing about teeth. Damaged teeth really freak me out: cracked teeth, broken teeth, the curb-stomping scene in American History X, the phrase "shards of tooth." These are not things I prefer to see or read about. I finished this book despite the fact that about 95% of it involves, in some way, massive tooth trauma. That's really what stuck with me from this book. Descriptions of what someone's mouth looks and feels like after falling down a flight of stairs and landing on your face.
June 11, 2013
I read "Some Things That Meant The World To Me " by this author a few months ago and loved it. I didn't like this book as well, I found several elements of the story to be distracting and the alternating points of view of the characters a little confusing at times. By the end of the book, I thought it had been a pretty satisfying read, I would rate it as "good", but not nearly as compelling as the book previously mentioned.
August 4, 2010
A story of three morally compromised people: compromised by irresponsibility, by self-deception, by lies they tell others. Of course, a time comes when the debts are called in. The question is whether persons so mired in their own stew can skim off the crud and get to the meat of their better selves.
September 22, 2010
I liked this book a lot, especially the character of Mired, but really everyone seemed completely plausible. It says a lot about the power of redemption, who's worth saving, and what's worth changing. I've checked out several other books by the same indie publisher (Two Dollar Radio), so we'll see how that goes.
January 17, 2012
Realistically, I should give this 5 stars, because .5 rounds up, not down, and this one is a solid 4.5. But I can't quite get myself to give this a 5, because I can think of tons of people I wouldn't recommend this book to. Still, I love it. If I could only list one reason, I'd say, because Mohr conveys how life is painful yet funny, futile yet satisfying, and other strange combinations.
January 25, 2011
Another great novel from Mohr. Again his focus is on hurt, broken characters. He brings them to life well, and their interactions feel true. Sometimes funny, often sad, and usually insightful into its characters and their lives, Termite Parade is excellent. Mohr continues to be a writer to watch.
October 5, 2010
I somehow picked an at-least-melancholy, if-not-flat-out-painful crop of books on my last library visit.
Termite Parade fits in just fine.
The second Mohr book I've read -- and enjoyed even while wincing -- in the last year.
Termite Parade fits in just fine.
The second Mohr book I've read -- and enjoyed even while wincing -- in the last year.
December 28, 2010
I really, really liked this book. Mohr is a wonderful writer who explores the dark side of human nature through optimism and hope. His prose and characters are sad and pitiful and so very human. Maybe that is what is so scary or maybe that is what is so beautiful.
Read
July 27, 2011A refreshing new voice in novels. It's strange to finish a book with thoroughly reviling characters that you enjoyed reading. Mohr has a decidedly black sense of humor and the acknowledgement pages offer up a little chuckle. Will definitely pick up Some Things that Meant the World to Me.
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