Friday, August 20, 2010

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

While short stories are one of the oldest fictional genres (if not the oldest), "linked" short stories are among the newest. And it's a bit of a strange genre at that--it possesses neither the depth and development of the novel nor the staccato burst of the short story.

It depends instead, somewhat paradoxically, on omission and inclusion. Characters re-appear at different stages in their lives and in different roles, but the spaces between these appearances are left blank. Often it's difficult to find the strain that connects linked short stories beyond similar people or locations. One might argue that linked short stories best represent our lives as we live them; our lives tend not to have the grand narrative arcs of novels or the disparate, concentrated moments of meaning and action of short stories. It is a genre that balances connection and ambiguity.

As such, it is a genre that can be both beguiling and frustrating by turn. The relationships between the linked stories are often as overt as they are elusive. What does it mean exactly if the main character in one story appears as a bystander in a later story? How are we to connect the threads we see, even as the author creates spaces and questions between them?

Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad embodies much that is interesting and confounding about linked short stories. Like many such collections, the central figures of A Visit from the Goon Squad are not people, but ideas--in this case time, memory, maturation, music and technology.

Egan shows us the effect of these forces on a handful of recurring characters, even as she keeps them at arm's length. For example, the collection starts with a blind date between Sasha and Alex, a young couple living in New York City in what appears to be the present day. Sasha, an assistant to record-executive Bennie Salazar, is a kleptomaniac who is probably the most fully formed character in the work; we see her as an adolescent, as a lost woman-child in Europe, and finally as a reasonably well-adjusted mother of two in a not-too-distant future America. And yet, we don't get to know her. We watch her and follow her, track her and recognize her, but Egan keeps her at a distance. The effect is rather more cinematic than fictional; like a movie character, Sasha's interiority is largely inaccessible, even as we have her square in our sights.

This is one consequence of linked stories; we are not given much insight into cause and effect. Sasha is a kleptomanic at the start and appears not be in the end. What was the source of her compulsion? How did it resolve itself? These questions are left open, even as we know somewhere there are answers.
These narrative particularities aside, A Visit from the Good Squad does contain two especially striking stories, both of which could stand on their own in a more traditional story collection. The most formally innovative "story" in the collection is actually a PowerPoint presentation called "Rock and Roll Pauses by Alison Blake." The presentation is a notebook-cum-diary of a young girl in PowerPoint form. The graphs, flowcharts, tables, and bullet-lists represent Alison's attempt to figure her family out, from her Dad's startling disquient to her probably-autistic brother's obsession with pauses in rock music.

Alison'r project, and that of her brother, share some of the larger questions of the collection: How do you understand people who don't understand themselves? How do you deal with incomplete or ambiguous information? How do you construct the story of your life out of the thing strands of your experience?
Egan's final story, "Pure Language," takes these same questions and turns them upside down. In it, 30-something husband and father Alex (who appears on the blind date in the first story) participates in an elaborate technology-driven promotion for an outdoor concert in lower Manhattan. Essentially, the sceme is viral-promotion masquerading as "authentic" word of mouth: using social networking, well-placed text messages to influential friends, and subliminal messages, Alex and the rest of the concert promoters "manufacture" desire among parents and children to go see a show by a fading rock musician. Or rather, they manufacture the perception that the concert will fill a latent desire for connection, collectivity, and transcendence in this particular population.

These twin stories suggest that Egan sees a choice before us. Either we learn to deal with the incompleteness and ambiguity of our lives or we we look for some kind of resolution, even if that means looking to artificial, packaged solutions to what ails us.

29 comments:

  1. I've noticed a trend toward selling (disguising?) linked short stories as novels. For some reason short story collections are a tough sell--and some writers' talents are most suited to the form of the story. I wonder why readers don't turn to short stories more readily, since our attention-deficit society seems to have shortened the average attention span.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good review. I just finished and reviewed this book myself. While I founds parts engaging and even poignant, the style puts me off. Not sure that I saw the same intent on Egan's part that you did. I'm afraid that I ascribed the incompleteness and ambiguity to style, not purpose. I'm hoping that the "linked stories" is a format fad that passes quickly.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't want an artificial, packaged solution! LOL

    Seriously, I am pretty fond of linked short stories if they are done well. To me, Tim Winton (of Australia) does this very well. The Turning, Scission, and Minimum of Two are excellent examples of this genre. Thing is, I can get one impression of a character on my own, but reading a linked short story allows me to see another character relate to the first and reveals more than I perceived on my own. And it shows consequences beyond what may be implied with only one character.

    Wow, that was way too wordy. What I mean, I guess, is that I like the depth that can be found in some books in this style. I haven't read Egan's book-it didn't appeal to me at all.

    I just read The Imperfectionists, which is similar to this style but still novel-like. It works great, like an ensemble cast in a show.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Came here via blog hopping/Follow me. Have a blast hopping to/following new blogs!

    Do check out my blog, everything distils into reading. I am an eclectic reader!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've read all three of Egan's previous novels and am looking forward to this one. I give her a lot of credit for writing such varied books.

    I have a strong preference for novels over short stories... but seem to have a high tolerance for linked short stories. If they're done well. I don't know what that means but, like Amy, I enjoy seeing an ensemble cast that presents varying points of view.

    A note on the history of the genre: Russians have been writing books of linked stories since the first half of the 19th century. Lermontov's Hero of Our Time is a novel-in-stories, and Pushkin's Belkin Tales are also (more loosely) connected. Sergei Dovlatov wrote some wonderful novels-in-stories: I particularly liked his Compromise, about Soviet-era Estonia. (I've written about all three of these books; links are on the sidebar of my Russian blog.)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks, Ape - you've managed, in your first two paragraphs, to give voice to an idea that I've been unable to fully form for years. Those two grafs explain to me exactly why I'm not a fan of the linked short stories. Regarding the book, though, it sounds just crazy enough to be interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I all the time used to read paragraph in news papers but
    now as I am a user of web so from now I am using net for articles or reviews, thanks to web.


    my webpage ... Authentic Sidney Crosby Jersey

    ReplyDelete
  8. It's appropriate time to make some plans for the long run and it is time to be happy. I have learn this put up and if I could I desire to counsel you some interesting things or advice. Perhaps you can write next articles referring to this article. I want to learn more things about it!

    My homepage :: click here

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'd like to find out more? I'd love to find out more details.


    Here is my web blog Michael Kors Bags

    ReplyDelete
  10. I was recommended this website by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post is written by
    him as nobody else know such detailed about my difficulty.
    You're amazing! Thanks!

    Feel free to visit my blog post; Louis Vuitton Outlet

    ReplyDelete
  11. When someone writes an article he/she retains the image of a user in his/her mind that
    how a user can be aware of it. Thus that's why this article is amazing. Thanks!

    my web site Cheap Louis Vuitton Handbags

    ReplyDelete
  12. Heya i'm for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It really useful & it helped me out much. I hope to give something back and aid others like you helped me.

    Also visit my page; Air Jordan 2013

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you for another informative blog. Where else could I get that
    type of info written in such an ideal method? I have a undertaking that I am just now working on, and I have been at
    the look out for such info.

    Also visit my blog post :: Mario Lemieux Black Jersey

    ReplyDelete
  14. First off I want to say fantastic blog! I had a quick question which I'd like to ask if you don't mind.
    I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your head before writing.
    I have had trouble clearing my mind in getting my ideas out.
    I do enjoy writing but it just seems like the first
    10 to 15 minutes are generally wasted simply just trying to figure out
    how to begin. Any ideas or hints? Cheers!

    my web-site ... Sac Louis Vuitton

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hmm is anyone else having problems with the pictures on this blog loading?

    I'm trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if it's the blog.
    Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

    Feel free to visit my page ... Sidney Crosby Black Jersey

    ReplyDelete
  16. Do you have a spam issue on this blog; I also am a blogger, and I was curious about your situation; we have developed some nice methods and we are looking
    to trade strategies with others, why not shoot me an email if interested.


    my web-site; Www.Tedxyse.Com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thank you for the auspicious writeup. It in fact was
    once a enjoyment account it. Look complicated to more brought agreeable from you!
    By the way, how could we keep up a correspondence?


    Have a look at my blog post - Read This

    ReplyDelete
  18. I just like the valuable info you supply for your articles.
    I'll bookmark your weblog and test again right here frequently. I'm slightly sure
    I'll be told many new stuff proper right here! Best of luck for the following!

    my homepage - Air Max

    ReplyDelete
  19. What i don't understood is actually how you are no longer actually a lot more well-liked than you may be now. You're so intelligent.
    You know thus considerably in relation to this topic, made me for my
    part imagine it from numerous various angles. Its like women and men are not interested until it's one thing to do with Girl gaga! Your own stuffs excellent. All the time maintain it up!

    My web page Sac A Main Louis Vuitton

    ReplyDelete
  20. rosacea laser treatment Primrose

    Also visit my page; Niskayuna laser treatment rosacea

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hello There. I found your blog the usage of msn. This is a very neatly written
    article. I will be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your helpful
    info. Thank you for the post. I'll definitely comeback.

    My web site: http://www.wsmisports.com/

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wow! After all I got a website from where I be capable of in fact
    take valuable facts regarding my study and knowledge.


    Feel free to visit my web-site: www.jenaplan-weimar.de

    ReplyDelete
  23. I pay a quick visit day-to-day a few web sites and information sites to read content, however this webpage offers quality based
    articles.

    Also visit my web site Sac Guess Pas Cher

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on stranglehold. Regards

    my website :: Abercrombie Paris

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks designed for sharing such a good thought, piece of writing is
    fastidious, thats why i have read it entirely

    Also visit my blog post ... Air Max

    ReplyDelete
  26. I really like it when folks get together and
    share thoughts. Great website, continue the good work!


    Also visit my webpage - Kevin Durant Shoes

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hello are using Wordpress for your blog platform? I'm new to the blog world but I'm
    trying to get started and set up my own. Do you need any html coding knowledge to
    make your own blog? Any help would be greatly appreciated!


    Feel free to visit my web-site :: Cheap Jerseys

    ReplyDelete
  28. This text is priceless. How can I find out more?

    Feel free to surf to my site ... Sac Guess Pas Cher []

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hey there! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this website?
    I'm getting tired of Wordpress because I've had issues with hackers
    and I'm looking at alternatives for another platform. I would be awesome if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.

    Here is my webpage - Michael Kors Outlet

    ReplyDelete