Reviews
2.5 stars for miss lonelyhearts, 4.5 for day of the locust
It's possible to write compelling fiction revolving around despicable characters in hopeless situations. Authors who do so successfully allegorize the morally bankrupt, unlikable world in the lives of their characters, with a healthy dose of humor and cynicism. Nabokov, most famously, has done it, Franzen has done it successfully, Conrad has, Faber has, Wells Tower has, and Shteyngart has made a career of making light of the genre. But there's a thin line between writing sly commentary on our hopeless world and simply describing it. Unfortunately, Nathanael West falls short in Miss Lonelyhearts & The Day of the Locust. His plots meander aimlessly, his characters never become convincing people, his metaphors often clunk, and his satire comes from thinly-veiled anger rather than any sort of humor. West's knack for unique images and descriptions save the novellas from being complete downers, though -- the "futile curl" of partygoers advancing and retreating from an exciting newcomer; a starlet "shiny as a new spoon"; and a sky that is "canvas-colored and ill-stretched" offer a little life among the otherwise gloomy proceedings.
Reviews of the individual books: Miss Lonelyhearts The Day of the Locust I do wish we had a Nathanael West for today. The closest I think is Joy Williams, although I find she is less nightmarish, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I also see Flannery O'Connor foreshadowed here, although I think West and Williams are more relatable to me, considering my very non-Southern background.
Certainly thought-provoking. Looking at it as a criticism of society, it almost reminded me of a more comical OK Computer. The themes of disillusionment with society direction are all there, but the tone is more jocular than mopey. That isn't to say it's not bleak, it's just also kind of humorous. Really I think this does a better job of blending the bleak and the comic than Beckett did.
I don't know how to review this book other than to say it's one of the most beautiful printed objects I've seen in a long time. This is a book that a major publisher would never print. It is why independent publishers like New Directions are so so important and amazing.
