Early Review: Going to See the Elephant
LibraryThing sends me free books, I read them and review them, and everyone is happy. That, in case you haven't been able to tell before, is the gist of their Early Reviewers program, but it's been rare that an ER book has elicited a purely wondrous reaction from my cynical self.
Until now.
I present for your approval my review of Going to See the Elephant, the debut novel by Rodes Fishburne, published on the penultimate day of 2008. For the benefit of those who don't typically look at my LibraryThing profile, I've reprinted the review I've written below, in the hopes that it might gain a little more exposure for this unassuming but wonderful work.
------------------------
It's often understood that first writers tend to write almost exclusively about what they know. This fact becomes very strongly evident in the first pages of Rodes Fishburne's debut novel Going to See the Elephant, as our intrepid hero, Slater Brown, struggles to find the idea that will capture his imagination and bring him fame as a great writer. Such a metaliterary moment might seem to portend dangerous territory, but Fishburne's novel quickly develops into a charming and entertaining story that flies by almost too quickly.
The novel follows Slater Brown to San Francisco, where he has relocated in search of the perfect story (his "elephant," as the brief Author's Note informs us). He struggles in his first days, lacking inspiration and losing both faith and money at an alarming pace. He eventually finds a job at a low-rent, rundown local paper, the Morning Trumpet, where the disbelieving editor forces him to prove himself by writing a great story. Lacking ideas, he seeks out a local lunchtime mystic who gives him a busted radio and headphones that, unwittingly, allows Slater to overhear telephone conversations on the bus, conversations that give him huge scoops on big stories. Soon, his life takes turns he never could have anticipated.
While that last sentence there was an unapologetically clichéd way of admitting that there's more to the plot I don't want to tell, the novel succeeds by virtue of the fact that it seems constantly on the urge of inviting cliché but never falls into the trap. Fishburne's plot has a certain slapstick quality to it, but it never veers so far off course that it sacrifices plausibility. The tone of his writing is also well-matched to the story being told: the pages flip over at a remarkably quick pace, but the book manages to avoid the curse of page-turners by actually remaining memorable, often due to the occasionally brilliant turn of phrase that Fishburne is prone to.
Similarly, the novel succeeds incredibly on the strength of its characters. Slater Brown is a remarkably relatable figure, even if the reader has no inclination to be a writer. His trials while attempting to manage his dreams with his need to survive are incredibly realistic, and the dismay he feels at his wasted potential in the early pages is remarkably poignant. Many of the novel's characters -- from the chess prodigy Callio to the brilliant inventor Milo -- have quirky characteristics, but do battle with reasonable and expected life issues in a way that never alienates them from the reader's sympathies.
It also helps that, unlike many books that advertise their humor and attempt to be funny, this book actually IS funny. Fishburne has a knack, as I've mentioned, for the well-composed line, and his descriptions are often just wry enough to elicit a giggle at a regular pace. But he also paces the story well, inserting moments of humor and silliness at an appropriate remove from the more emotional moments. Neither the funny nor the serious moments ever feel like cheap shots: they feel like the natural progressions of the character's lives, which is a great testament to Fishburne's young but powerful writing abilities.
If the novel has any weaknesses, they are difficult to identify. Without a doubt, many people will find the novel's absurdity to be a stretch of realism, particularly since Fishburne feels so strongly about setting the story within realistic contexts. The city of San Francisco practically becomes a character in and of itself, and its many moods parallel Slater's in interesting if expected ways. Milo's creations may seem out of place in an otherwise reasonably realistic landscape, but they don't push the bounds of credibility too far. And while the bumbling mayor becomes a parody of himself by the novel's end, the politics really don't matter very much when it's all said and done. It's all in service of a larger narrative about dreams, abilities, and embracing the moment -- and to that end, the novel succeeds with flying colors.
While one typically ought to raise a red flag when one sees fairly unblemished praise of a debut novel, I don't feel like such a warning is necessary here. Going to See the Elephant has no pretense of being more than it is, which is a funny, charming story that has a few nuggets of genuine wisdom hidden within its pages. Like Slater himself, the novel finds its niche and operates masterfully within it; I can't praise it any more than to say it accomplishes exactly what it seems to set out to do. Inspiring, amusing, and heartwarming, it's a novel you'll almost certainly be rooting for -- and best of all, in the end, it ends up being the underdog that wins.
Until now.
I present for your approval my review of Going to See the Elephant, the debut novel by Rodes Fishburne, published on the penultimate day of 2008. For the benefit of those who don't typically look at my LibraryThing profile, I've reprinted the review I've written below, in the hopes that it might gain a little more exposure for this unassuming but wonderful work.
------------------------
It's often understood that first writers tend to write almost exclusively about what they know. This fact becomes very strongly evident in the first pages of Rodes Fishburne's debut novel Going to See the Elephant, as our intrepid hero, Slater Brown, struggles to find the idea that will capture his imagination and bring him fame as a great writer. Such a metaliterary moment might seem to portend dangerous territory, but Fishburne's novel quickly develops into a charming and entertaining story that flies by almost too quickly.
The novel follows Slater Brown to San Francisco, where he has relocated in search of the perfect story (his "elephant," as the brief Author's Note informs us). He struggles in his first days, lacking inspiration and losing both faith and money at an alarming pace. He eventually finds a job at a low-rent, rundown local paper, the Morning Trumpet, where the disbelieving editor forces him to prove himself by writing a great story. Lacking ideas, he seeks out a local lunchtime mystic who gives him a busted radio and headphones that, unwittingly, allows Slater to overhear telephone conversations on the bus, conversations that give him huge scoops on big stories. Soon, his life takes turns he never could have anticipated.
While that last sentence there was an unapologetically clichéd way of admitting that there's more to the plot I don't want to tell, the novel succeeds by virtue of the fact that it seems constantly on the urge of inviting cliché but never falls into the trap. Fishburne's plot has a certain slapstick quality to it, but it never veers so far off course that it sacrifices plausibility. The tone of his writing is also well-matched to the story being told: the pages flip over at a remarkably quick pace, but the book manages to avoid the curse of page-turners by actually remaining memorable, often due to the occasionally brilliant turn of phrase that Fishburne is prone to.
Similarly, the novel succeeds incredibly on the strength of its characters. Slater Brown is a remarkably relatable figure, even if the reader has no inclination to be a writer. His trials while attempting to manage his dreams with his need to survive are incredibly realistic, and the dismay he feels at his wasted potential in the early pages is remarkably poignant. Many of the novel's characters -- from the chess prodigy Callio to the brilliant inventor Milo -- have quirky characteristics, but do battle with reasonable and expected life issues in a way that never alienates them from the reader's sympathies.
It also helps that, unlike many books that advertise their humor and attempt to be funny, this book actually IS funny. Fishburne has a knack, as I've mentioned, for the well-composed line, and his descriptions are often just wry enough to elicit a giggle at a regular pace. But he also paces the story well, inserting moments of humor and silliness at an appropriate remove from the more emotional moments. Neither the funny nor the serious moments ever feel like cheap shots: they feel like the natural progressions of the character's lives, which is a great testament to Fishburne's young but powerful writing abilities.
If the novel has any weaknesses, they are difficult to identify. Without a doubt, many people will find the novel's absurdity to be a stretch of realism, particularly since Fishburne feels so strongly about setting the story within realistic contexts. The city of San Francisco practically becomes a character in and of itself, and its many moods parallel Slater's in interesting if expected ways. Milo's creations may seem out of place in an otherwise reasonably realistic landscape, but they don't push the bounds of credibility too far. And while the bumbling mayor becomes a parody of himself by the novel's end, the politics really don't matter very much when it's all said and done. It's all in service of a larger narrative about dreams, abilities, and embracing the moment -- and to that end, the novel succeeds with flying colors.
While one typically ought to raise a red flag when one sees fairly unblemished praise of a debut novel, I don't feel like such a warning is necessary here. Going to See the Elephant has no pretense of being more than it is, which is a funny, charming story that has a few nuggets of genuine wisdom hidden within its pages. Like Slater himself, the novel finds its niche and operates masterfully within it; I can't praise it any more than to say it accomplishes exactly what it seems to set out to do. Inspiring, amusing, and heartwarming, it's a novel you'll almost certainly be rooting for -- and best of all, in the end, it ends up being the underdog that wins.
posted by Dave at 4/08/2009 11:56:00 AM
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