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Men and Cartoons: Stories |
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| Author: Jonathan Lethem Published: 2004-11-02 |
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List price: $19.95 Our price: $5.47 |
As of: January 07th, 2009 05:27:03 PM |
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Customer comments on this selection. Not Enough HeroesThis little book is curiously insubstantial, both overall and within most of the short stories. Jonathan Lethem's works are usually fascinating, given his unique thematic insights on the big thoughts of average people, and plotlines that walk the precarious edge between the normal and the surreal. Many of Lethem's full novels are highly recommended, and maybe he needs entire book-length plots to really stretch out and realize the subversive points he obviously wishes to make about the human condition. But many of the short stories here seem like quick knock-offs that only introduce ideas that may or may not go anywhere if they were in longer form. While hardcore literary theorists may find subtle insights in some of the more mundane entries here, you may find yourself asking "what's the point?" with 15-page stories about a guy having a dispute with his optician or another guy who lets his washed-up friend move in. The better tales here take a little more time to develop eccentric characters more fully or to delve into social satire, most notably the weirdly intriguing "Access Fantasy;" "The Dystopianist, Thinking of His Rival, Is Interrupted by a Knock on the Door;" and "Super Goat Man." But at just 160 pages of mostly half-baked themes, this book just doesn't offer a true taste of Lethem's talents. [~doomsdayer520~]  An Intriguing Blend Of Fictional Styles, But....."Men and Cartoons" is an all too brief, return visit to the fictional worlds created by Jonathan Lethem in his memorable novels "Motherless Brooklyn" and "Fortress of Solitude", with more than a passing nod to such classic early work from him like his literary debut "Gun, With Occasional Music". Hence it is an interesting, often fascinating, blend of literary styles from quasi-cyberpunk science fiction to hard-boiled noirish detective stories reminiscent of the best from the likes of Raymond Chandler and Elmore Leonard. However, it is not Lethem's most impressive story collection when I can find only one truly memorable tale in this terse anthology; the emotionally captivating "Super Goat Man". And yet there is another tale which almost succeeds as a work of literary art, "The Glasses", which is a fascinating glimpse into racial relations and standards of normal, mentally stable, behavior. If there is one common underlying thread which links all of these stories, then it is Lethem's ongoing fascination with Brooklyn, growing up there as adolescents in the 1970s, and a devout, almost fanatical, love for comic books. Those who are truly interested in reading some brief examples of Lethem's intriguing, often elegant, literary style won't be disappointed with this story collection. One of the best living American writersLethem's novels are superior to his essays and short stories. His essays are superior to his short stories. He has a wonderful way of articulating a particular view in american culture that is sadly lacking in competant literary and critical figures. Most of his published work is far better than the majority of stuff out there. Worthy of the price - at least checking out of the library. Remember those? Some brilliant work....but not all the stories are fantastic. By my count, 3 of these were amazing, 3 of them bland and the last one I'd read before so it doesn't count. My personal favorite is Super Goat Man, which was magnificent. Jonathan Lethem is a very expressive writer, and I can see a bit of noir in his writing. I have to read Fortress of Solitude now. Repetitive, but rewardingI took a long time to finally open this after getting the paperback, and finally read the first two stories on the beach at Sandy Hook, New Jersey -- occasionally glancing up to reflect on the skyline of the author's own Brooklyn. Obviously these stories are not intended to be beach material. Lethem tackles the same themes of loss, misplaced self-absorption, petty jealousy, and very occasionally, redemption. In many ways, "Men and Cartoons" tackles the same basic story in nine different styles and genres -- eleven, if you read the paperback with two extra stories. This can get a bit tiresome if you read all the stories consecutively, but spread out over several days, and best read one at a time, almost all of these stories are inventive, lively, and downbeat. "The Vision" and "Super Goat Man" are both entrenched in the Marvel Comics universe, as told in the first person by a Brooklyn-born adult who's somehow failed to cash in on the promise of adulthood. Both stories climax at an awkward dinner party, and each end on a slightly different note of wistfulness. The last line to "Super Goat Man" is perhaps one of my favorite short story punchlines. Similar to "Super Goat Man" is "Vivian Relf", although the title subject here is an alluring young woman (rather than a retired superhero) whom the narrator may or may not know from somewhere else in his past. The story again ends at a dinner party, with words that would have been best left unsaid. Lethem is in full-on fantasy mode in this story, with places names like Vagary and characters called Vander Polymus. The sci-fi stories are "Access Fantasy" and, in the paperback, "This Shape We're In". The first features an unreliable main character stuck in the perpetual traffic jam that seems to take place in a bloated futuristic Brooklyn. As in the other stories, the narrator almost manages to get the girl, but not quite. "Shape", new to the paperback, is the Trojan Horse of this collection, springing a surprise literary revelation about its main character in the final pages. Neither "The Glasses" and "The Dystopianist" make any sense. They're both very short and end on off-beat "what the heck?" moments. I suppose if I read each of these multiple times, I might grasp the theme, but I'm not going back. Also short, but slightly more to the point, is "The Spray", which first appeared in a magazine called "Fetish" and it's easy to see why. The paperback edition ends with "Interview With the Crab", which on the surface is a satire on the fate of sitcom stars in an "E! True Hollywood Stories" vein. Lethem writes himself as the main character here, although the title subject keeps calling him "Lehman". Picture a drunken ALF interviewed by "Playboy" and you'll know exactly whether or not you'll want to read this. "Planet Big Zero" and "The National Anthem" both concern high school friends who don't quite connect years later. The narrator in "Planet" is a modestly successful cartoonist for an alternatively weekly, who tries to write his drifter friend into his strip, with unintended, slightly paranormal consequences. "Anthem" seems like a submission idea for Open Letters, a defunct web journal to which Lethem once contributed. You'll have to accept the premise that people actually write this way to each other in this age of e-mail -- pouring personal history and emotions out onto the page, breaking down the song "Dark End of the Street", and ending with a prescient comment about the fate of the 2003 New York Mets. In a collection full of genre stories, that makes this perhaps the most fantastic tale of them all. |
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