Book Report: The Subterraneans

I've been meaning to get this one out for a several weeks now.

Title: The Subterraneans

Author: Jack Kerouac

Synopsis:
Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy screws it up due to his self-destructive tendencies. Set against a backdrop of a 1950s bohemian beat San Francisco artistic underground.

My thoughts:
Can you believe that I've been reading for 30 years and I've never read a novel by Kerouac? Well, up until about a month ago, that was the case.

It was a dirty little secret that I'd kept hidden away from my hipster friends. But now I can come clean.

I picked up The Subterraneans because I didn't know exactly what I'd be getting into with a Kerouac novel. I mean, I had some ideas. He is kind of legendary after all. But I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew, so I picked this novel because it's only 111 pages.

The plot is pretty simple. Leo Percepied falls in love with the beautiful Mardou Fox. He woo's her, wins her and then proceeds to undermine their budding relationship with a string of self-destructive abuses. He realizes his love for her too late, after he has already driven her away and into the arms of another member of the San Francisco underground.

Of course in a Kerouac novel like this, the plot isn't the main thing. Kerouac is known for his revolutionary style of writing and this book has it in spades.

Coming to Kerouac from McCarthy's The Road was a bit shocking. The Road is written in short declarative sentences. Anything extraneous is left out.

The Subterraneans on the other hand showcases Kerouac's jazzy, improvisational slang-laden stream-of-consciousness prose. It took a few pages to adjust my internal dialog to the 1950s sub-cultural vernacular and adapt to the pacing and rhythm of Kerouac's writing.

But once made, that adjustment allowed me to appreciate Kerouac's knack for writing. He definitely has a well-deserved reputation of having a way with words.

...the little white woolly particles from the pillow stuffing in her black almost wiry hair, and her puffed cheeks and little puffed lips, the gloom and dank of Heavenly Lane, and once more "I gotta go home, straighten out"- as tho never I was straight with her but crooked..."

The story is told in the tone of a literary genius who knows he's a literary genius but also knows that being a literary genius still doesn't make him any less of a sonuvabitch.

The interesting rhythm and word choices, the pacing and imagery all made this a quick and enjoyable read. I feel better now about taking a bigger bite of Kerouac and plan to in the near future.

Favorite quote:

"... the great tumescent turbulent turmoil alliterative as a hammer on the brain bone bag and balls, bang I'm sorry I was ever born..."

Rating: Recommended.

tagged: books, literature, Jack Kerouac, The Subterraneans, beat, San Francisco, 1950s

Friday Blogthing: My doom

This is your first and final warning. Don't mess with me.


Take the Hecatomb™ TCG What Is Your Doom? quiz.

tagged: Friday, blog, quiz, doom, corruption

We'll always have Paris

Liberal bloggers are all a twitter with affected outrage over the commutation of Scooter Libby's two-year prison sentence for working for a-holes.
But all the rants against Bush and Cheney and Republicans and Christians and drunkards and Paris Hiltonses ignore the true victim in this whole sordid affair: L. Scooter Libby himself.

Put yourself in Scooter's shoes for a moment. He has been robbed of his street cred. He was all set to get that teardrop tattoo near his eye to prove to his peeps that he did hard time. Now Bush selfishly commutes his sentence, stealing away Libby glory.

I mean, how would you like to go through the rest of your life knowing that you're not even as tough as Paris Hilton?

tagged: Scooter Libby, commuted, jail, Paris Hilton, politics, Bush, pop culture

YouTube Tuesday: You're doing very poorly in this war, I might say

A couple hundred years ago, a group of farmers got sick of the King of England bullying them around.

Living on your own on the edge of civilization tends to make you self-reliant, and the American colonists began to realize they didn't really need His Majesty's services anymore thank you very much.

Of course King George had a different perspective, and he sent his red-coated ambassadors to convince the backwards colonists that they were wrong.

Ever since then, Americans (at least the U.S. variety) have tended to root for the underdog. Give us impossible odds, fourth and long, Rocky vs. Apollo Creed, a small group of ill-equipped farm boys fighting the strongest military power of the day.


Hat tip to El Borak

Have a safe and happy Independence Day.

tagged: movies, YouTube, video, Independence Day, Fourth of July, American Revolution, Red Coats, humor

YouTube Special: iPhool and her money

Here's the scenario: You pay some skinny twerp $800 for his spot at the front of the iPhone line. You go in to buy all of the iPhones in the store with the plan of selling them for profit on eBay.

And, ACTION:

Capitalism can be a bitch.

tagged: movies, YouTube, video, comedy, news, culture, ebay, iPhone

Priceless Works of Art II

My absolute favorite local artist has entered her abstract expressionism phase.


tagged: art, abstract, expressionism, family, kids, drawing

Hockey back on in KC?

It's hard to put too much credence in reports like this, but it sounds like there may be another chance for a hockey team to move into the Sprint Center, which opens later this year.

According to the report, a smoky backroom deal during Penguin-gate last year guaranteed a hockey team to William Del Biaggio and AEG’s Tim Leiweke if they backed off of their pursuit of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

According to the report:

…sources said the league, which didn't want to lose a value market in Pittsburgh, asked the Kansas City investors to back off their chase of the Penguins while indicating to the group it would be next in line for an NHL franchise.

It is believed the commissioner and Leiweke, who was in England yesterday, had an informal arrangement that would have delivered the Predators to Del Biaggio and Kansas City had Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie not stepped in with a richer offer and plans to move the team to Hamilton. Del Biaggio has an agreement with AEG to own and operate an NHL team in the Sprint Center.

The (Canada) National Post previously reported that Balsillie’s deal to by the Predators for $238 million was dead and that Del Biaggio is now on deck for the franchise.

Like I said, it’s hard to get excited just yet. It’s a long way from Nashville to KC. But with this kind of thing it’s sometimes easier to have faith in backroom deals.

tagged: hockey, Kansas City, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sprint Center, Nashville Predators, sports, NHL

Friday Blogthing: American Reality

You remember the album cover to the Grateful Dead's American Beauty? The art is such that you can read the word "Beauty" as "Reality" (I've also heard that you can read the word "American" as "Alternate" but I've never been able to see it.)

Anyway, that has nothing to do with today's blogthing.

You've Been a Little Ruined by American Culture

Whether you live in the US or not, deep down you're a little American. And there's nothing wrong with loving American culture, but it may have negative effects on your life. Slow down and enjoy what you have. Reconnect with life's simple pleasures. You don't need to be in a consumerist rat race. Life's too short to overwork yourself!

Has American Culture Ruined You?

tagged: American, culture, Grateful Dead, American Beauty, blog, quiz, survey

Movie Mini Review: The Station Agent

Title: The Station Agent

Cast: Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale, Patricia Clarkson

Plot summary:
Finbar McBride, a railroad enthusiast living in New Jersey, inherits a remote train depot when his best friend and business associate dies. A confirmed loner, Finbar isn't prepared for the small-town friendliness of rural Newfoundland, New Jersey.

My thoughts:

The story is seemingly simple.

A life of being constantly mocked because of his dwarfism has left Fin to prefer solitude to the derisive laughter other people. He takes solace in his passion for trains, a hobby that allows him to keep his social circle small.

So when his only friend dies and leaves him an abandoned train depot in remote Newfoundland, New Jersey, Fin looks forward to an early retirement alone with his hobby.

When he arrives in his new home, he is unprepared for the overt friendliness he encounters. Despite his repeated hints that he prefers to be left alone, extroverted hot dog vendor Joe Oramas perseveres in his overtures for friendship. Before long the two are sharing lunches together in the parking lot of Fin's train depot.

Fin also meets flighty artist Olivia Harris after she nearly runs him down in her SUV. Twice.

Through a series of simple interactions, the three become fast friends. They come to care about each other deeply and even to depend upon each other.

Joe, who can't stand to be alone, depends on the others for companionship. ("Hey listen, if you guys do something later, can I join you?" "We're not gonna do something." "No, I know, but if you do, can I join you?" "We're not gonna do something later." "Okay, but, if you do?" "Okay...")

Fin, who has had very few true friends, learns that not everyone is out to make fun of him, that friendship is possible and that being a friend to others increase his self-worth.

Olivia, who battles depression due to past tragedy, relies on them both to help her come to grips with her loss.

There's no huge, dramatic climax. Sure, we see the characters go through some strife. All friendships do. But they end up better friends and as a viewer I ended up wanting to be their friends too.

There's no coincidence that the name of the town is Newfoundland. Fin finds himself in a new world where he values more than the mere loneliness and solitude that he thought he wanted.

The characters are compelling and believable. The acting is superb, sincere and understated. The writing is real and strong and at times poetic. The entire film is a study in restraint, and it is better for it.

Some have categorized this film as a comedy, but it really defies categorization. It has funny moments, but it's not really a comedy. It's poignant without being cheesy or moralistic. It's definitely one you should see.

My final rating: Definitely see it again AND buy the DVD.

Favorite quote:
"You said you weren't going to talk to me if I sat here, Joe. "

tagged: movie, The Station Agent, film, culture, Finbar, review, friendship

3 A.M. Poll: Who wants and iPhone?

It's only a matter of hours before the much ballyhooed and very sexy iPhone goes on sale and Apple stores around the country.

Already there are losers people camping out to be the first on their block to invest nearly $2,000 to be the first to have the coolest gadget since The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

I'm interested to know if you'll be one of the proud (but broke) owners of this gadget geek status symbol.


tagged: poll, vote, iphone, gadget, Apple