like the island

Let’s talk about A Visit from the Goon Squad, which I just finished reading for one of my classes this semester–my novel-writing course, in fact. I have mixed emotions about this novel in the same way you have mixed emotions watching a dog perform acrobatics: you’re not quite sure what the hell you’re bearing witness to while you’re watching it, but you just know that it’s goddamned brilliant and makes you wonder how the hell anyone ever got the idea to do that.

Jennifer Egan is a master of adopting a character outside of herself. Seriously. She’s writing from a number of perspectives throughout–both male and female, of different ages, all equipped with a different set of psychological quirks. Even the recurring characters in the novel appear at different ages, and they’re in different places each time we see them. I think that’s my favorite thing about this novel; we don’t just get to see what a character’s like for a day, or for a week, or over the course of a few years. We get to see them live–grow old, change their ways, hold onto their pasts, etc. We meet them as other people would have met them, known them. Sasha, a main character sums it up best when she says “I get to know a lot of people. But it never really lasts” (232). Isn’t that so depressing and true and oh, so fucking deep?

Every chapter comes from a different character’s POV, but not in a way that makes you think you’re reading a Jodi Picoult novel. There’s no name printed big and bold at the top of the page and the font doesn’t change because once this character’s done talking, you will not be hearing from him or her again. The first two chapters do a great job of teaching the audience how to read the rest of this novel. In “Found Objects,” time is rubber band-ish. There’s what’s happening in the most present–Sasha’s having a conversation with her therapist–and something being played out in the present-past–she lifts some lady’s wallet while she’s on a date–all the while things from the past-past keep surfacing in the other two “time layers” of this chapter. I just made it ten times more complicated than it actually ends up being, but nonetheless, this chapter prepares you for how the rest of the book will be–overall, and by individual chapter. There is a timeline on which the individual chapters become linked, but we are not given information in chronological order. And right from the get-go, Egan’s like, “BAM. This is how it’s going to be. Deal with it.”

At times, this story doesn’t feel like a novel, and the main reason for that is the inconsistency in narrative style and character POV (but that’s okay because I’m about to explain why I love it). When I think of a novel, I think of a particular character’s journey being documented from start to finish. But this collection really does do that–in one of the most original and clever ways I’ve ever seen, I might add. Because this novel is so wrapped up in what it’s like to change over time, to only know someone for a short while, to remember something by a faint, idealized memory, the mash-up of time and POVs really, really works. A Visit from the Goon Squad‘s form is an extension of its content, and for me, that’s a rare and tremendous accomplishment.

I love that each character assumes a stylistically unique narrative voice. It makes sense that each person would have a different way to tell a story (like Jules, with his journalistic profile of Kitty Jackson, or Alison, through her Powerpoint slides.) It adds another dimension of realism to this whole narrative. And while we’re talking about POV, can I just say that one of the most notable strengths of Egan’s prose is that her characters rarely just “notice” something. They react to it, and in a big way. Whether it’s a piece of art (esp. in “Goodbye, My Love”), a person, object, etc., whatever image the character is presented with always brings about something more insightful. I’m particularly floored by the way Jules Jones narrates his lunch with Kitty Jackson. The way he reacts to every one of her niceties, her appearance, and even her more subtle actions was maybe my favorite part of this entire narrative. I definitely look to Egan’s example in this story as I’m thinking about what I’d like to feature in my own novel.

…speaking of which.

I have this really fantastic character in mind. His name’s Michael Carver. He’s 24, solid build, green eyes, black hair. Kinda looks like this dude.

He’s put together, dresses well, organizes his shit. He’s all Mr. Perfect, and he’s artsy to boot. He earned a BFA in visual media, and now works as a gallery associate (haven’t decided where yet), and is a really smooth talker.

BUT HE’S A HOARDER.

His apartment is filled with old cardboard, glass, plastic, and basically garbage that he started collecting so he could make this recyclable materials sculpture, but he “never got around to it.” He thinks himself this great artist, knows a lot about art, talks a lot about art, but he doesn’t actually produce art. In essence, he seems perfect on paper, but is actually a giant douche. Or, rather, just a loser. (“I guess I can just never tell if guys are attractive in a loserly way, or it’s like they’re just, losers.”–Hannah Horvath 00:24)

There’s a girl, too, and she’s not as well developed yet. I don’t even have an awesome name for her. I was thinking Samantha but she goes by Sam, and Jennifer Lawrence would play her if it were a movie, because I have such a girl crush on her and there is no other good reason.

And I’m thinking that Sam is a catfish–like, she makes a bunch of fake profiles and plays out different lives–not because she hates who she is, she just recognizes that she’s not really doing anything awesome with her life and she wants to know what that would feel like. I recognize that she needs a better backstory, and I’m thinking about it.

Sam has two close female friends who are foils of each other.  One was an overachieving honors student from kindergarten thru senior year of college. She’s has just gotten engaged to her boyfriend of three years; the other has some daddy issues and just had her heart ripped out and she would like everyone to know she is going through a very rough time right now, okay?

Sam has a boyfriend, Jacob–who’s actually made something of himself.  He’s just found out he landed this really awesome job doing a documentary for a legit studio and he’s going to get paid to do it. He’s a filmmaker. He’s not supposed to make it straight out of college, but he’s worked hard and it’s paying off for him and Sam can’t fucking stand it.

Jacob loves Sam.

Sam starts cyberstalking Michael (and probably real-stalking him, too, because that’s just more interesting to read and write about) and some shit will go down between them, but I’m just not super sure about what that will be yet. So far, this love triangle is a little Anna Karenina but I promise I won’t let Sam get knocked up.