The Lesser Joke: book reviews and more

Book Review: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

Book #7 of 2019:

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

This book is hard to summarize without giving away meaningful plot events, but I definitely enjoy the way that its story unfolds. It’s something of a Great American Novel, one of those attempts to distill the experience of a particular place and time in U.S. history — in this case, New York City during the Golden Age of comic books (roughly 1939 through 1954) — into a meaningful examination of the American dream. Author Michael Chabon invents two figures at the heart of that artistic movement, and their evolving relationship over World War II and its aftermath proves continually surprising and illuminating.

Chabon perhaps expects too much from his readers. Although I appreciate an early section about the mythical Golem of Prague, it seems under-explained to a degree that could lose a less familiar audience. I myself am not always sure where the real comics history ends and the writer’s inventions begin. And he somewhat strains my credulity when so many narrative threads just happen to converge on the eve of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Nevertheless, I can readily understand why this novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and I look forward to discussing it with my book club tomorrow night. It’s a lovely look at a bygone era, and an interesting exploration of what it means to be gay, Jewish, and above all, American.

[Content warning for homophobia and antisemitism, including slurs, as well as Nazi atrocities.]

★★★★☆

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TV Review: Friday Night Lights, season 2

TV #1 of 2019:

Friday Night Lights, season 2

After a remarkably grounded debut season — one that I called “practically flawless” in my review — the follow-up for this high school football series tips way over from drama into melodrama. I can only imagine that network interference is to blame for the sudden tonal shift, and I know that the writers’ strike ended the season prematurely, but this just doesn’t feel like a show with clarity on what it wants to say anymore. There are definitely flashes of the same old brilliance, but there are also a ton of plot threads that go nowhere and over-the-top elements like a murder cover-up and several inappropriate older love interests. I hope this season is just a blip and not a sign of the new status quo for this program.

★★★☆☆

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Book Review: Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down by Gina McIntyre

Book #6 of 2019:

Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down by Gina McIntyre

It turns out that the ‘behind-the-scenes’ information promised herein is all pretty surface-level, and the tone is sometimes distractingly twee, as when the characters are described like they’re from a Dungeons & Dragons campaign and not a TV show. (“Joyce Byers. Abilities: Strong intuition, dogged determination, fiercely protective.”) The book’s status as an official tie-in to the surprise Netflix hit also hurts it — there’s no real effort to dig into the flaws of the series and probably not enough distance in time for any true perspective on its place in pop culture. Even the section discussing the inspiration for the program often feels like just a list of movies and books that the creators like from the 1980s.

All the other reviews I’m seeing about this title have gushed about it, so maybe I just went in with the wrong expectations. (Apparently the production values for the printed version are rather nice. I listened to a library copy of the digital audiobook myself.) I do enjoy Stranger Things and would love an actual oral history of its development, but that’s definitely not what this is.

★★☆☆☆

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Book Review: A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

Book #5 of 2019:

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

This #ownvoices novel is a beautiful portrait of a Muslim Indian-American family, and a great example of how a skilled writer can situate intense drama in the quiet relationships of a household without resorting to any larger-than-life action or melodrama. The struggles of first-generation children to relate to the culture of their parents — and of immigrant parents to do best by their children in the face of unanticipated modernity — are achingly presented by debut author Fatima Farheen Mirza, who draws upon her own experiences as a member of that community to write with a clear and commanding authenticity.

Starting with the eldest daughter’s wedding, this story darts back and forth in time over several decades, and although that narrative style doesn’t always work for me as a reader, it succeeds here because by the novel’s end Mirza has truly shown us everything we need to understand her characters. We also end up empathizing with all of them, thanks to the shifting perspectives the author employs to bring us inside the different relatives as their separate dreams draw them into conflict. Fans of Celeste Ng should especially appreciate the nuanced web that Mirza has created, and the way these complex personalities seem like they could walk right off the page to live and breathe. It’s early in the year, but I can already tell this is going to be one of the best books I read in 2019.

[Content warning for post-9/11 Islamophobia.]

★★★★★

Book Review: Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

Book #4 of 2019:

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer (Renegades #2)

I like this superhero spy sequel much more than its predecessor, but I’m still struggling with some of the basic concepts of this series. Nova’s hatred of the Renegades — which continues to be a bizarre name for an official government peacekeeping force — has never made much sense to me, and it feels even weaker here. There are so many legitimate issues about the Renegades’ lack of oversight and their new superpower-removing drug that are barely mentioned in the text, which makes the young villain blaming them for not responding in time to save her family less convincing than ever.

I also think that a few of the characters and artifacts are ridiculously overpowered compared to the rest, although author Marissa Meyer does a good job of showing how capable people can be with a more minimal skill set. And I know secret identities are a beloved trope of this comics-inspired genre, but it’s deeply silly that none of these heroes are ever at all suspicious that Nova and Nightmare (or Adrian and the Sentinel) are never in the same place at the same time.

To the extent that a reader can ignore or embrace that sort of cheesiness, this is a better story than the first novel in the series. Nova and Adrian are sweet star-crossed lovers, and her divided loyalties are well explored now that the undercover agent is more deeply entrenched in the Renegade structure. I have high hopes that the final volume of the trilogy will provide a satisfying conclusion to the ongoing plot, even if it doesn’t alleviate all of the specific concerns I’ve outlined above.

★★★☆☆

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Book Review: The Final Days by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein

Book #3 of 2019:

The Final Days by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein

This 1976 semi-sequel to All The President’s Men continues Woodward and Bernstein’s coverage of the Watergate era, drawing on trusted confidential sources to provide an exhaustive behind-the-scenes account of the events leading up to Richard Nixon’s resignation from the White House. It’s a detailed play-by-play and a good historical record, but not a particularly gripping read. (I think I prefer the excitement of the writers covering their own quest for truth in the previous book over the more straightforward presentation of their findings here.) Still, this is an eye-opening look at the months after the burglary that history books tend to gloss over, and a reminder of how uncertain it was at the time that the ensuing scandal would really bring down a president.

★★★☆☆

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Book Review: A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell

Book #2 of 2019:

A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell

This domestic thriller about a ‘mommy blogger’ whose best friend goes missing aims to be the next Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train, but that effort is hampered by a dull execution. There’s a little bit of tension in the first half of the novel as readers wait for the shoe to drop — Is the friend still alive? Are we not getting the true story from either the main character or the presumed widower? — but when the predicted twists come, they’re not really surprising or engaging for anyone familiar with the genre. None of the characters in this book are as clever as they think they are, and debut author Darcey Bell never really embraces the potential of the blog framing device as an unreliable narrator. Although the recent movie adaptation has been getting good reviews, I have to assume a lot has been changed from this source material.

[Content warning for consensual sex between siblings, drug overdoses, and discussion of domestic abuse.]

★★☆☆☆

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Book Review: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Book #1 of 2019:

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

I can understand why this book is a classic of Russian literature, but it’s a long and digressive tome, and as with author Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s earlier novel The Idiot, it regularly prioritizes philosophical debate over its plot and characters. I would have preferred far less quibbling about interpretations of nineteenth-century Christian theology, especially given the author’s sporadic antisemitic comments throughout the text. (Side note: please mention that sort of thing when you recommend a book like this to your Jewish friends!)

The pace picks up a little after the halfway mark with a murder and the subsequent investigation and trial, and it is a better story than The Idiot, all things considered. When the characters are given a chance to come out from behind all the moralizing, they do tend to shine. Still, I really don’t love the book as a whole, and I think this is where I part ways with Dostoyevsky for good.

★★★☆☆

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Movie Review: Doctor Who: Resolution (2019)

Movie #1 of 2019:

Doctor Who: Resolution (2019)

As with last year’s – okay, last week’s – Black Mirror experiment Bandersnatch, I’m choosing to treat this New Year’s special as a movie, given that it’s built to stand on its own, outside of a proper season of Doctor Who. Like the Christmas specials of Who past, this is a one-off adventure that audiences can enjoy as part of their winter holiday even if they aren’t all caught up on the regular episodes of the show.

Yet it’s hard not to view Resolution in the context of Jodie Whitaker’s debut season in the lead role, which after all only wrapped up one month ago. In many ways, this special works even better as a conclusion to that first run of episodes than its actual finale, a lackluster affair that sputters its way through technobabble and a bland villain. Here we have great action thrills, real emotional stakes for some guest stars and most of the main cast, and, yes, a Dalek. (I try to keep these reviews spoiler-free, but the presence of the Doctor’s most iconic foe was included in the promotional materials for this special, and knowing/guessing the enemy’s identity in advance doesn’t really take anything away from the viewing experience.)

I’ve never been the sort of fan who feels that Daleks automatically bring out the best in Doctor Who, or that an incoming Doctor particularly needs to face one down on screen to establish themself, but after a season of brand-new threats, it’s a joy to see Whitaker tap into her character’s long history of battling the nasty pepperpots. The scene where this Dalek scout constructs its own metal casing is also deeply cool, and a wonderful funhouse mirror to the Doctor forging her latest sonic screwdriver back in the Thirteenth Doctor’s first episode. In general, Resolution offers a surprisingly fresh take on the Skaro baddies – a hard feat to pull off after 55 years of Who canon, and a good sign for other classic elements that showrunner Chris Chibnall might bring back next.

The subplot with companion Ryan reuniting with his deadbeat father also works better than expected, with a more nuanced treatment of their family dynamic than this show always manages to achieve. On the other hand, Ryan and his step-grandfather Graham continue to overshadow their fellow “new best friend” Yaz, a lingering issue from the past season that is probably the situation most in need of a course correction going forward.

All in all this special is great holiday fun, and it’s brought to life with panache by the returning Wayne Yip, probably my favorite recent Whoniverse director after Rachel Talalay. There’s still definite room for improvement in this era of Doctor Who, but the move from Christmas to New Year’s hasn’t hurt it at all.

★★★★☆

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Movie Review: Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)

Movie #22 of 2018:

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)

This metafictional choose-your-own-adventure streaming special about a programmer’s breakdown while creating a choose-your-own-adventure game is an odd property to review. Is it a movie? A TV episode? A video game itself? I’ve chosen to treat it as the first option, since that’s what the crowd-sourced wisdom of IMDb and Wikipedia seem to have landed on, but that’s only the first choice facing a reviewer. The next is whether it’s fair to critique the special at all without having gone back and explored every possible permutation, or how much of the potential footage needs to be seen to form a critical opinion.

In the interest of full disclosure, my family watched the special through just once, although that included accepting several offers to go back to an earlier point and choose a different branching pathway (sometimes with different options available than the time before). At some point, the credits rolled, so even though the internet tells me there are other endings that I haven’t seen, I think I can probably say that I’ve watched this movie and thus review it.

Ultimately… It’s weird. As an experimental method of storytelling I appreciate what Netflix and the Black Mirror team have achieved with Bandersnatch, but as an actual story it doesn’t really entertain me. (The clunky interface also leaves something to be desired, especially when the viewer is asked to quickly input a phone number using the remote control.) And it’s frustrating to be asked to decide things like what food for the protagonist to eat or what music to listen to with the knowledge that these seemingly inconsequential decisions will potentially send the storyline off in different directions.

I can handle mindbending fiction so long as it eventually makes some sort of sense — and Black Mirror has been able to do that just fine in previous episodes — but there’s too much in Bandersnatch that just doesn’t add up. Conversations play differently the second time around, the world itself is different based on what choices you make, and flashback memories are apparently mutable. Are we supposed to handwave these unexplained elements as being part of the main character’s developing psychosis? That doesn’t particularly satisfy me in terms of what I look for in a narrative.

I would probably watch another film presented in this style, and I give credit to the creators of Bandersnatch for pioneering the way, but this particular special falls far short of Black Mirror at its best.

★★★☆☆

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