Rachel
Kushner, your novel The Flamethrowers is
beautifully written and deserves the many accolades (including
National Book Award finalist) it has received. I admire the power of
your prose, the engaging stories your characters tell, the deft
weaving of fiction with historical events, the subtle skewering of
the art world, the vivid scene you painted early in the novel of the
speed trials in the Bonneville Flats.
And I
really wanted to like it. I know the problem is mine, not yours.
But it just didn't work for me. I'm frequently critical of readers
who insist that a good novel must have a character they like, even
admire. But I now realize I have my own prejudice. I need to feel
engaged. Reno, a young woman from Nevada who enters the New York art
scene in the early 70's, is by nature a passive observer. She is
acted upon but rarely initiates action. This is not a failure by
Kushner – she means for Reno to be a non-judgmental narrator. But
this kept me at a distance from her, and I had trouble staying
interested.
Sorry,
Rachel. I look forward to trying again with you.
No comments:
Post a Comment