Books by Jonathan Lethem
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review 1: Enjoyed Lethem's use of language and his many well-drawn characters. Sometimes the complex structure of the novel, going back and forth in time and involving many characters, interfered with the nuanced themes of this engaging work. The hipster ironic detachment of Lethem's obse...
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review 1: I was kind of surprised I liked this book as much as I did. I found myself wanting to know what was happening with these characters when I wasn't reading. The main character was my least favorite and I think I probably missed the point of all the wacky things happening in this Ne...
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review 1: I am always a bit befuddled at the end of Lethem's novels: the writing is unbelievably good, but I often wish there had been more of a "point" to it. Amazing characters are introduced and then just drift off. Tantalizing plot elements show up and then disappear. But then I think ...
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review 1: This is very much a representative 33 1/3 offering: obsessive fanboy dissecting a seminal work by a favorite artist, poking and prodding it to within an inch of its life. I am a huge fan of Talking Heads; I think they are absolutely one of the best ever American rock bands. That ...
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review 1: Thoughtful and sometimes hilarious essays, especially the autobiographical ones. Unfortunately they do get bogged down in meta-commentary that's supposed to make fun of post-modernism but ends up just being annoying. One essay promises to be a postmodern look at "Who Shot Libert...
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review 1: Reprints Omega the Unknown (Limited Series) #1-10 (December 2007-September 2008). Titus Alexander Island is raised and schooled by his parents, but suffers dreams of a man called Omega. When Alexander’s parents are killed in an accident, Alexander finds they are robots. Placed...
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review 1: Lethem's in-depth criticism of this bizarre, not-recommended-but-to-film-buffs movie is insightful and thought-provoking, if intermittently cursory. He leans on other criticism a bit too much in some pieces, not fleshing out his own opinions enough. Lethem also has a tendency to ...
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review 1: Rampant self-indulgent whimsy. Dude's subjective geeking-out over an album he loves. This is NOT the behind-the-scenes look that we all wished for. Just some moderately successful writer masturbating to a brilliant art-rock album and trying to get us all to watch him. Eewwww, gr...
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review 1: Sumptuous streams of intellectual rattle ‘n’ roll topped off with the ecstatic influence of Lethem’s non-fic idols (notable: David FW and Lester B and Geoff D). The title piece is alas the most ecstatic in the collection alongside the long(u)e(u)rs on James Brown and SF conventio...