Status Updates From Caveworld

“Freedom means being in charge of yourself . . . not sitting around doing whatever the hell you want.“

“’No, Peterson . . . listen . . . Martin Peterson was the best editor I had. Ten years ago he was the strongest, smartest . . . he was a fighter, but he fought too hard. He didn’t understand that sometimes, as much as you love something . . . as much as you believe in it . . . you need to find time away from it in order to be yourself again.’“

magnificent

At this point, these characters have outstayed their welcome and I'm becoming increasingly disinterested in their fates. Shame. Still 23% left for it to all change. Here's hoping.

There's a lot of repetition in this book, is it intentional? The cyclical nature of day-to-day life? This includes too many trips to Tijuana with excess drinking and drugging, and privileged caucasians brooding over their first world problems (relationships, life's meaning etc.) and talking a lot of nonsense. I'm now keen to get to the end of the book despite finding much of it quite enjoyable.

Jake tells Merc about his time in 'Nam

Not an easy book to read as it requires attention and focus. The dual narratives, and episodic nature of the writing, mean there's a lot to keep track of, and am not sure what might be significant and what is incidental. At just over halfway, I hope there will be some kind of pay off. It's enjoyable but also starting to get a tad repetitive and needs to achieve lift off in the second half.

Ben Frank to Joey @ Fat Fred Hernandez's party, "You need to put fire into your life"

Book Two - A Book of Lists

Merc gets a job on one of "the big dailies"; and for Joey, Nicole attempts suicide, Chente gets signed to a record label, and Joey, Tyler, Maggie and Jed go off for a drugs fest in Vegas. Had to look up GHB. Tyler going off the rails big time.

The two storylines still do not appear to link however I sense some parallels between the two main protagonists - Merc and Jake. Both are intelligent, disillusioned, and prone to depression; lovelorn (Channy and Maggie); and all to aware of the futility and absurdity of life (whilst those around them appear less troubled/aware).

Chapters interchange between two storylines, one set in the late 1970s and the other in the late 1990s. Are they connected? Not so far. I am having to keep notes to remember the numerous characters and what's happening. Early impressions: the writing is great - echoes of Brett Easton Ellis and Doug Coupland (both big plusses for me) - with convincingly flawed and interesting characters.

My latest real world book group choice, and what a dramatic opening...