A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

[Melwood]

Looking for my next read, I went online and saw this book was highly reccommended on several lists, and even won the 2011 Pulitzer prize for fiction. I was excited to read it after downloading the sample on my nook. But after reading it, I was dissapointed. Did anyone else read it and what did you think? I'm new here so I hope this post is in the right place and this title is not a repeat. If a discussion has been started already, I would like if someone could direct me to it. Thanks! I'm looking forward to this club!

[Maud Fitch]

Welcome, Melwood.

I've only read her book "The Keep" about two cousins who reunite (after twenty years apart) in Eastern Europe to renovate a medieval castle. It's about isolation and paranoia, the gothic spell of the castle and its horrible history but the plot didn't quite live up to my expectations even though it was nominated for the Orange Prize for fiction.

Egan herself recommends "A Day At The Beach" by Helen Schulman so I may read that instead of the Goons story!

[cgw]

I thought it was excelent.

Side note - Title seemed familiar. I just listened Elvis Costello's third album and realized why.

[bookw0rm]

What was disappointing about it? I read it last week, and I thought it had some memorable transcendent moments, but overall I couldn't say I enjoyed it. I think due to the unlikable characters.

[Maud Fitch]

What was disappointing about it? I read it last week, and I thought it had some memorable transcendent moments, but overall I couldn't say I enjoyed it. I think due to the unlikable characters.

I did finally read this book myself and I can't say I was overjoyed. It wins points for its post-modern approach, the enigmatic Sasha and two ageing rockers Bennie and Scotty but as BookwOrm says 'unlikeable characters' and for the life of me I can't see why it won a Pulitzer Prize.

[Lakelander]

In Post Number:#2, the Orange prize for fiction was mentioned. Isn't that the one which is open to women writers only, for £30,000 no less? I bet our Male authors are peeved and rightly so. I thought there were laws against this sort of discrimination in the UK.

[Maud Fitch]

I'm stepping right into your trolling, Lakelander - In Australia we have the Society Of Women Writers and in UK there's the Society Of Women Writers And Journalists and I see no difference to their competition entry requirements than similar categories for children only, under 18s, over 55s, first-time writers, poets or indigenous cultures.

[tlallport]

I got "visit from the goon squad" for my birthday this year, and I have to say I loved it. I thought it was innovative, I liked the mingling and overlay of the characters; the way that a seemingly insignificant character would pop up and be developed in later chapters of the book. I liked the experimental approaches to narrative voice, though I have heard some people say they found them a bit forced, for me it worked. Maybe it's an age - thing, but I appreciated the cultural and musical references, and following some of the characters as they grow older and go through marriage, babies etc. I am unsure of the other books listed for the Pullitzer that year , but to me the "goon squad" was certainly a worthy recipient.