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A Visit From the Goon Squad

by mr. hipster September 25, 2011
September 25, 2011
A Visit From the Good Squad
65
A Visit From the Good Squad
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Author: Jennifer Egan
Publication Year: 2010
Length: 288 pages

I’m always a little skeptical of books about the music biz. Not because I peripherally work in it, and have on and off since the mid-nineties, but because often they’re clichéd and ultimately kind of embarrassing in their quaint rock ‘n’ roll fantasy meandering. This book, written by a 49-year-old white chick doesn’t bode well on that front, as things are inevitably going to feel dated in their understanding and vernacular. And, on this front, the music industry stuff does kind of ring false, feeling at times like a bad made for tv movie script rather than an authentic peek into the world of the rock star and his followers. The whole way Egan deals with the music piece feels overly altruistic and unrealistic on just about every level. But I suppose I can overlook that part of it and try to concentrate on the book as a book and the characters therein.

First, this book, and the reason I refer to it as such, is not really a novel in the traditional sense. I mean, it’s certainly a novel in the ever-increasing mainstreaming of the post-modern novel, but in the linear chapter by chapter world of usual storytelling, it’s more of a group of short stories than a cohesive novel. But I’ve seen this narrative structure play out in book after book in my library, so dammit, I’m calling it a novel. So, this novel involves an ever-widening group of interconnected people throughout about a forty-year chunk of time. The novel has 13 chapters in it, all told during different pieces of time during these forty years by different people in this group. All the chapters are interconnected in that they involve the same people and pick up on storylines from previous or future chapters. Sounds simple enough, right? Honestly, I thought it was going to be more mind-bendingly post-modern, but if you were to reorganize the chapters into chronological order, the narrative would read pretty straight.

Did I also mention this thing won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction between me reading it and writing this review? I know, right? I had no idea anyone had even read this thing, as it seemed to have narrow appeal and even narrower acclaim (outside of some gushing fools on Amazon). I suppose it takes all kinds. Though a lot of the prize-winning books I’ve read have been less than impressive. I’m not even certain what the criteria are. In this case I’m sure the geriatrics judging this thing thought her narrative style was all new and special, but as I mentioned, I’ve read tens of novels with very similar structure, so the whole out-of-order, connected storylines thing is really not very novel. They also seem to think she’s all technically savvy and all this other stuff that I certainly didn’t find. But, again, I know enough about literature to read something award-worthy, but it clearly doesn’t mean I understand it.

There are approximately thirteen or so core characters here (thus thirteen chapters), but the man at the center of the narrative is Benny. He’s kind of the one constant throughout, or at least seems to resonate through most of the narratives. We see him in his youth, in his ascent, in his prime and on the decline in and around the music business. He’s by far the most compelling character, and probably the only one who doesn’t feel completely “written.” What do I mean by that? I mean–and this might be an intentional stylistic choice–all the characters in the book feel like characters written for a book. None of them feels quite real. It’s like back when I worked at an ad agency and we had to put together personas. This is Sasha and she is an aspiring music mogul who has a kleptomania problem and lost her mother at a young age. This is Scotty and he was once the handsome tortured, but incredibly talented, lead guitarist of a high school band with promise who rocketed to fame and then blew it all on booze. Even Benny, as the washed up once idolmaker (who seemed to only sign nuns and weird children girl singing groups), feels like there’s a bullet-pointed character outline in Word looming in the background of every page. Again, maybe this is a conscious choice in making these characters so distinct and sharply focused, but most normal humans have dull edges and their personalities and the life they live because of it don’t fit so neatly together. Essentially each and every character peaks and then crashes and then, based on his or her personality, deals with his or her comeback exactly and perfectly in the way you’d expect him or her to. I’m not saying that I needed the thing to meander and aimlessly throw study after study at us, but putting people in these rigid character boxes felt antithetical to the somewhat loose feel of the narrative structure and writing style Egan presented.

There were definitely some parallels here between the Benny character in this book and the washed up rock ‘n’ roll character in Franzen’s Freedom. But, again, it felt like Egan was writing from a place of ignorance. Even just Googling this fact, it sounds like she wasn’t that into music and figured out a bunch of this stuff through research. My question is, why would you write a book that has music so at its heart if it’s not something you feel passionate about? After all, I think an author’s writing is so much stronger when she can embody her main characters. If Egan could live and breathe music as her character, Benny, did, I think this thing would have been so much stronger. Instead it felt like a person who read a few biographies and maybe hit up Wikipedia for what a record producer and a&r person does. I know I’m focused on this, but for me the lack of passion for and knowledge about the subject clouded all else. Additionally, there’s one chapter written completely in Powerpoint. There are two huge issues with this. The first is that it just felt gimmicky and out of place with the more organic structure of the rest of the story. And trust me, I’ve read my share of bizarre attempts to be bizarre (I’m looking at you Raw Shark Texts, House of Leaves, The Tunnel), but in this case it felt completely inorganic. The second issue is that what the fuck high-schooler uses Powerpoint? Seriously. She might as well have been writing with a quill and an ink well. Again, who let the 50-year-old hit the technology button? Anyhow, I’m being overly harsh on this thing because I expected so much more, and had hoped for something revelatory and not just kinda hackneyed and off base.

2010Contemporary FictionJennifer Egan
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      June 3, 2025

      Television Reviews
      The Residence

      May 30, 2025

      Television Reviews
      Zero Day

      April 30, 2025

      Good / Bad Commercial
      The More You Know: How to Pronounce “Comfortable”…

      June 10, 2025

      Good / Bad Commercial
      Bad Commercial: Mattress Firm “Jumbled Up”

      August 10, 2023

      Good / Bad Commercial
      Good Commercial: JUBLIA “Dad’s Toenails”

      February 20, 2023

      Good / Bad Commercial
      Bad Commercial: J.G. Wentworth “Living at Home”

      December 19, 2021

      Good / Bad Commercial
      Bad Commercial: Apple iPhone 12 “Fumble”

      April 15, 2021

      Good / Bad Commercial
      Good Commercial: GEICO “Tag Team Helps With Dessert”

      March 15, 2021

  • Music
    • MusicAlbum ReviewsThe Music ListConcert Reviews
      Album Reviews
      Turnstile: Never Enough

      July 8, 2025

      Album Reviews
      Lifeguard: Ripped and Torn

      June 28, 2025

      Album Reviews
      Cameron Winter: Heavy Metal

      June 17, 2025

      Album Reviews
      Mclusky: the world is still here and so…

      June 16, 2025

      Album Reviews
      Origami Angel: Feeling Not Found

      June 12, 2025

      Album Reviews
      PUP: Who Will Look After the Dogs?

      June 2, 2025

      Album Reviews
      Turnstile: Never Enough

      July 8, 2025

      Album Reviews
      Lifeguard: Ripped and Torn

      June 28, 2025

      Album Reviews
      Cameron Winter: Heavy Metal

      June 17, 2025

      Album Reviews
      Mclusky: the world is still here and so…

      June 16, 2025

      Album Reviews
      Origami Angel: Feeling Not Found

      June 12, 2025

      Album Reviews
      PUP: Who Will Look After the Dogs?

      June 2, 2025

      The Music List
      The Grunge Diaspora

      August 15, 2024

      The Music List
      I Still Own a Lot of CDs

      June 13, 2024

      The Music List
      Top Listens 2023

      January 1, 2024

      The Music List
      In Defense of: OMC’s “How Bizarre”

      July 18, 2021

      The Music List
      Top 25 Influential Rock Albums

      May 1, 2020

      The Music List
      In Defense Of: Ruben Studdard’s “Sorry 2004”

      December 29, 2019

      Concert Reviews
      The Get Up Kids @ Starland Ballroom

      February 27, 2025

      Concert Reviews
      The Dirty Nil @ White Eagle Hall

      January 26, 2025

      Concert Reviews
      The Beths @ White Eagle Hall

      September 26, 2024

      Concert Reviews
      Pearl Jam @ MSG

      September 9, 2024

      Concert Reviews
      Cloud Nothings @ (Le) Poisson Rouge

      May 15, 2024

      Concert Reviews
      Band of Horses @ The Wellmont Theater

      February 13, 2024

  • Movies
    • Movie Reviews
      Mountainhead

      July 4, 2025

      Movie Reviews
      Fountain of Youth

      June 24, 2025

      Movie Reviews
      A Different Man

      June 10, 2025

      Movie Reviews
      Problemista

      May 22, 2025

      Movie Reviews
      Flipside

      May 4, 2025

      Movie Reviews
      The Gorge

      March 2, 2025

      Movie Reviews
      A Real Pain

      January 31, 2025

  • Books
    • Book Reviews
      Trust

      June 19, 2025

      Book Reviews
      Razorblade Tears

      May 24, 2025

      Book Reviews
      The Plot

      March 14, 2025

      Book Reviews
      Maximum Bob

      February 17, 2025

      Book Reviews
      The Sympathizer

      January 6, 2025

      Book Reviews
      The Zone of Interest

      July 12, 2024

      Book Reviews
      Klara and the Sun

      April 13, 2024

  • Podcasts
    • Podcast Reviews
      The Wedding Scammer

      March 1, 2025

      Podcast Reviews
      Search Engine

      November 27, 2024

      Podcast Reviews
      Hysterical

      August 30, 2024

      Podcast Reviews
      60 Songs That Explain the ’90s

      March 31, 2024

      Podcast Reviews
      Otherworld

      February 29, 2024

      Podcast Reviews
      Behind the Bastards

      February 13, 2024

      Podcast Reviews
      Time Crisis

      January 26, 2024

  • Booze & Grub
    • Booze & Grub ReviewsBooze & Grub: NYCBooze & Grub: NJThe NYC Booze & Grub GraveyardThe NJ Booze & Grub Graveyard
      Booze & Grub Reviews
      McDonald’s (West Village)

      July 10, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews
      Seoul Bistro

      July 4, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews
      Ralph’s Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant

      June 27, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews
      CAVA – 350 Hudson

      June 19, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews
      Rooster’s Nashville Hot Chicken

      June 18, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews
      Oso Felipe

      June 6, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews: NYC
      McDonald’s (West Village)

      July 10, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews: NYC
      CAVA – 350 Hudson

      June 19, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews: NYC
      Westville Hudson

      April 25, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews: NYC
      Five Guys – Midtown West

      January 25, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews: NYC
      Jaz Indian Cuisine

      December 23, 2024

      Booze & Grub Reviews: NYC
      Just Salad – Hudson Square

      November 13, 2024

      Booze & Grub Reviews: NJ
      Seoul Bistro

      July 4, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews: NJ
      Ralph’s Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant

      June 27, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews: NJ
      Rooster’s Nashville Hot Chicken

      June 18, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews: NJ
      Oso Felipe

      June 6, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews: NJ
      Mambo Cuban Restaurant & Lounge Harrison

      May 23, 2025

      Booze & Grub Reviews: NJ
      SGD Dubu So Gong Dong Tofu & BBQ…

      May 9, 2025

      The NYC Booze & Grub Graveyard
      NYC Booze & Grub Graveyard: Gone Before Their…

      August 9, 2022

      The NYC Booze & Grub Graveyard
      The Press Box Restaurant & Pub

      August 3, 2021

      The NYC Booze & Grub Graveyard
      Natureworks – Midtown

      May 6, 2021

      The NYC Booze & Grub Graveyard
      The National Bar & Dining Rooms

      April 10, 2021

      The NYC Booze & Grub Graveyard
      Hillstone – Midtown

      March 5, 2021

      The NYC Booze & Grub Graveyard
      Connolly’s Pub & Restaurant – 5th Ave.

      February 12, 2021

      The NJ Booze & Grub Graveyard
      NJ Booze & Grub Graveyard: Gone Before Their…

      July 21, 2024

      The NJ Booze & Grub Graveyard
      Scala del Nonna

      February 15, 2023

      The NJ Booze & Grub Graveyard
      Diesel & Duke – Montclair

      January 30, 2023

      The NJ Booze & Grub Graveyard
      Ruthie’s Bar-B-Q & Pizza

      September 14, 2021

      The NJ Booze & Grub Graveyard
      Junior’s Cheesesteaks & Shakes

      December 21, 2020

      The NJ Booze & Grub Graveyard
      Vanillamore

      June 13, 2020

  • Randomness
    • Travel Reviews
    • Video Game Reviews
    • Product Reviews
    • Odd Finds
    • Diary