Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Review: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan


Title: A Visit from the Goon Squad

Author: Jennifer Egan

Rating: 4.5 Stars

A Visit from the Goon Squad is like reading the first novel in a companion book series. We read about the protagonists, but also about the secondary characters. In fact, our connection to them whets our appetite to read about them as protagonists in their own right in the impending sequel. But imagine reading about those same characters from the angle of a different narrator. And another one, now from a different time period. Just try to picture following a series of characters, all loosely connected, but through the eyes of different narrators who hail from different time periods, continents, and backgrounds.

In a nutshell, that’s A Visit from the Good Squad. Egan follows the tale of Bennie, an old man who once used to discover the best bands and help them hit big. Using multiple perspectives, narrative voices, and time periods, Egan steadily builds a picture of Bennie from his adolescent years to his stardom and beyond. It isn’t solely a novel centered around Bennie, however. It’s about the lives of the people Bennie has touched, whether it be before or after their interaction with him. And the lives of the people those people in turn have affected.

Egan is a definite Pulitzer Prize winner due to her ability to spin such a tight, complex tale in a convoluted manner. A Visit from the Goon Squad never lags in pacing, but Egan’s creativity oozes out the pages, falling just under overwhelming. Jumping from first person to third, second person to distant futures we have yet to experience, even entire chapters told through newspaper articles or a PowerPoint presentation, Egan is a masterful storyteller.

Yet, the reason this novel is so worthy of its accolades and its 5-Star rating is for the raw emotion Egan is able to capture in just a few pages. Every chapter is a short story in and of itself, though they all connect to create a beautiful novel. While we never re-visit a narrator, we manage to grow attached to them in the short span we spend in their heads and grow ever-more anxious and curious to hear about them, even in passing, during other chapters. Although this method could have been used to wring out frustrating emotions, Egan writes tactfully, pulling us into her tale emotionally but enabling us to enjoy the journey she forces us on without becoming too messily involved.

Ultimately, Egan manages to re-create so many small, seemingly unimportant facets of life which hold greater meanings. By the end, it is breath-taking to see all of the minuscule details come together with spellbinding ease. Egan’s writing is effortless, flowing from one page to the next timelessly. While I cannot claim that A Visit from the Goon Squad changed my life, it did garner a greater appreciation for the art of writing. And, most importantly, like a picture, it spoke a thousand words without uttering a sound.

11 comments:

  1. The library might have this one...must check

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  2. "Egan manages to re-create so many small, seemingly unimportant facets of life which hold greater meanings"

    I am really curious about how the author does this! Thanks for putting this book under my radar and lovely review as always! <33

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  3. This sounds really interesting and different from what I usually read -- I'm going to have to check it out.

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  4. "A Visit from the Goon Squad never lags in pacing, but Egan’s creativity oozes out the pages, falling just under overwhelming."

    LOVE that line Keertana! I know just what you're talking about, and I love when an author seems to know when they're approaching the line to overwhelming and then switch directions just in time. Sounds like a truly fascinating read, thanks for putting it on my radar!

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  5. I must say how this whole idea of talking about these characters from different POV and then different time period sounds really appealing to me. It's amazing that the author pulled that off. Characters sound so good here and the pacing as well. Amazing review, Keertana :)

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  6. Oh I wouldn't have even looked at this one if not for the review! Okay, you got me curious. I'm going to have to check out this author!

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  7. Lovely review, Keertana. I wish that I had loved this as much as you do. I did like seeing how all the little stories pieced together but it was so darn depressing that it just left me feeling morose.

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  8. Heidi, I know what you mean. It was definitely a morose tale but I continued to be so charmed by the style of the novel, not to mention curious about how each short story was going to contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole, that the sadness didn't dampen my mood and the depression didn't really hit. It happens with me when it comes to issue books in YA, but I managed to skip over it here.

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  9. I have this on hold at the library, and your review has me anxious to get to it! I love when an author creates wonderfully complex characters and you find yourself hungry for any little extra overheard tidbit about their lives, even when they're not the focus of the chapter/story. What a beautiful line. ---> "And, most importantly, like a picture, it spoke a thousand words without uttering a sound." Stunning review, Keertana!

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  10. Oh, this one sounds absolutely delightful! I would never have expected a novel like this to have such complex and deep characters. Books like that are a real treat because they just push the bounds and surprise you. Lovely review, Keertana!

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  11. I don't know anything about this story, really. But these sentences peaked my interest "Ultimately, Egan manages to re-create so many small, seemingly unimportant facets of life which hold greater meanings. By the end, it is breath-taking to see all of the minuscule details come together with spellbinding ease. " That plus the promise of beautiful writing is very much intriguing. LOVE when an author can create great meaning out of small things, because that is how we see and connect to life in many ways. Great review!

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