I always love reading your reviews, Natalie!! I actually think my answer to your question about the point of the graphic abuse scenes in Fox is right there in your Edgar Allan Poe aside! I think she is trying to ruin for us all artistic geniuses who have abused girls. I think the scenes are so graphic because we are still so accustomed--in literary circles--to say it was a different time or cognitively disassociate about how horrific these acts are because the art is the art! I think she wants to force us to remember those scenes every time we watch Woody Allen or read Poe or Lewis Carroll. I don't know if the degree or amount was "necessary," but I think she achieved that purpose!
Thank you Sara!! You’ve given me something to chew on and my initial reaction is to argue because I simply disliked reading parts of this book so much 🤣also Fox is far from an artistic genius so I didn’t make that initial connection but you’re right, and I did get super grossed out about all the Poe behavior I discovered. I still could have used like a scene or two less
Fair! And I’m with you! I hated reading them—but I think it would have been much much worse to include scenes like this that the reader didn’t hate. And yes so true he is not at all a genius—he’s pathetic as such men usually are. I think for me then the question became how can the establishment keep ignoring this in some men regardless of their artistic ability or degree of genius. As for Poe, I don’t recall learning about that until I was teaching Poe myself so I think it’s not very widely known. Which of course goes to serve her point but also kind of feels like a betrayal for people who love Poe’s work because this should have been discussed sooner!
I, too, am a R.F. Kuang skeptic. Not necessarily a hater, but as a reader I am more intelligent than she thinks I am and I'm getting tired of being talked down to so much.
I borrowed Fox from the library because I loved her short story The Frenzy, which reminded my of her first New Yorker short story Zombie. I like how Fox and The Frenzy gave me a sense of place and class. As a Central NJ resident, I enjoyed the mild shade thrown on the southern part of the state. However, there was a reference to a cell in Attica, which is in central NY and something a south Jersey cop wouldn't likely mention. It felt like a novice mistake in characterization.
There's a lot tension through out, more so than the only other JCO novel I tried. I DNF'd Blonde because I didn't like her characterization of DiMaggio, especially in light of "The Silent Season of a Hero," one of the best celebrity profiles I've ever read. So this was the first JCO novel I finished and I agree it is long! So was Blonde!
I felt Fox's use names mimics Lolita's pattern: Francis Fox paralleling Humbert Humbert, and Clare Quilty echoing Clarence Quilty as well as the allusions to Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee" were too the nose. I agree -- Joyce please let Poe RIP.
The second half of Fox features characters who are less developed. Detective Zwender should have been a more significant character from the beginning, there's more that could have been done with him. And I'm not a fan of multiple POVs because I think it lets the writer off the hook of finding the right voice to tell the story.
But yeah, Fox was something to me because I read it in July and still have a lot to say about it.
A few years go I read Slow Days, Fast Company and loved it. I would love to do more of a comparison between Babitz and Didion.
My favorite August read was On the Calculation of Volume which has the same concept as Ground Hog Day the movie but more introspection. Now I'm going in on Elena Ferrante I finished her second novel on the Neapolitan Quartet and getting ready for the third.
your insights on JCO are so interesting!! I wonder how the novel would have been different if we only got Detective Zwender's POV.... You have great reading taste BTW! I deeply appreciated On The Calculation of Volume I, but I have little desire to keep going - are you going to continue the series?
I have no interest in Fox but really enjoyed reading your perspective and the discussion in the comments, thank you for taking one for the team (me) and reading it. I think I'd really like Babitz, I loved Elaine Dundy's DUD AVOCADO and her books give me a similar vibe so I need to just get to it. Best thing I read in August was Middlemarch, didn't have any bad reads but the one I'm still puzzling over a bit is THURSDAY NIGHT WIDOWS by Claudia Piñeiro, it's just atypical from a crime novel but that seems to be her expertise!
Ok looking up DUD AVODCADO now... Middlemarch was so lovely I'm glad you agree! I've been meaning to read Pinerio so would love to know more of your thoughts
I think starting with her most well known Elena Knows makes sense but she has more straight up (yet still unconventional) crime novels at least with the 3 others I've read. She writes well rounded characters in a few pages (although her latest was too long!)
speaking of Didion, I just finished Griffin Dunne’s family memoir The Friday Afternoon Club. (He is Didion’s nephew). Their family and all the famous people they know…plus, his sister was murdered by her boyfriend and he talks about that and the trial. It was a wild ride, and mostly enjoyable.
that new Lockwood book - I heard it was inspired by her own wild bout with long COVID so I’m pretty curious. Never read anything by her. She good?
I was actually thinking of you while reading Lockwood because yes it is like a stream of consciousness bizarre Covid dream. I really really love her but I have a hard time recommending outright. You will love love her humor but it does not have a plot. Shes a bit of a pop culturist and a writers writer, and if you don’t know exactly what she’s referencing (especially her previous works) it may go right over your head like it did somewhat with mine. I would start with priestdaddy, I plan to try to read it sometime this year and see if I can go back and catch more.
The Friday afternoon club sounds very intriguing!!
What in the WHUT was that JCO excerpt?! Gold star for making your way through those awful hyphenated words.
Your notes from Hurricane Season 😩
We also finished Wednesday and loved the vibes but could not agree more about the convoluted plot. The Enid/Wednesday switch was hilarious. Really looking forward to seeing what they do with it next season. Weapons was EXCELLENT! I love it when they have comedic moments in horror films. We’ve added it to the espooky staples we watch every year. Some of the best jump scares we experienced in a very long while.
I love Jasmine! I love that she rocks her bald head 😍 I also really love Aaron, Nataliia, Iain, Tom, and Nadia.
Stainless is out! Going to pick it up from McNally Jackson this week.
Loved this roundup per usual. Thank you, book angel!!! 📚👼🏻
I've also foundered in reading An Oral History of Atlantis, in part because the stories I've read don't really have the NYC flavor I was expecting based on an interview the author gave to a local newsletter. It's still on my kindle, so maybe I will make my way through a few more stories?
I always love reading your reviews, Natalie!! I actually think my answer to your question about the point of the graphic abuse scenes in Fox is right there in your Edgar Allan Poe aside! I think she is trying to ruin for us all artistic geniuses who have abused girls. I think the scenes are so graphic because we are still so accustomed--in literary circles--to say it was a different time or cognitively disassociate about how horrific these acts are because the art is the art! I think she wants to force us to remember those scenes every time we watch Woody Allen or read Poe or Lewis Carroll. I don't know if the degree or amount was "necessary," but I think she achieved that purpose!
Thank you Sara!! You’ve given me something to chew on and my initial reaction is to argue because I simply disliked reading parts of this book so much 🤣also Fox is far from an artistic genius so I didn’t make that initial connection but you’re right, and I did get super grossed out about all the Poe behavior I discovered. I still could have used like a scene or two less
Fair! And I’m with you! I hated reading them—but I think it would have been much much worse to include scenes like this that the reader didn’t hate. And yes so true he is not at all a genius—he’s pathetic as such men usually are. I think for me then the question became how can the establishment keep ignoring this in some men regardless of their artistic ability or degree of genius. As for Poe, I don’t recall learning about that until I was teaching Poe myself so I think it’s not very widely known. Which of course goes to serve her point but also kind of feels like a betrayal for people who love Poe’s work because this should have been discussed sooner!
I, too, am a R.F. Kuang skeptic. Not necessarily a hater, but as a reader I am more intelligent than she thinks I am and I'm getting tired of being talked down to so much.
It’s really quite annoying!!
I enjoyed your write up Natalie.
I borrowed Fox from the library because I loved her short story The Frenzy, which reminded my of her first New Yorker short story Zombie. I like how Fox and The Frenzy gave me a sense of place and class. As a Central NJ resident, I enjoyed the mild shade thrown on the southern part of the state. However, there was a reference to a cell in Attica, which is in central NY and something a south Jersey cop wouldn't likely mention. It felt like a novice mistake in characterization.
There's a lot tension through out, more so than the only other JCO novel I tried. I DNF'd Blonde because I didn't like her characterization of DiMaggio, especially in light of "The Silent Season of a Hero," one of the best celebrity profiles I've ever read. So this was the first JCO novel I finished and I agree it is long! So was Blonde!
I felt Fox's use names mimics Lolita's pattern: Francis Fox paralleling Humbert Humbert, and Clare Quilty echoing Clarence Quilty as well as the allusions to Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee" were too the nose. I agree -- Joyce please let Poe RIP.
The second half of Fox features characters who are less developed. Detective Zwender should have been a more significant character from the beginning, there's more that could have been done with him. And I'm not a fan of multiple POVs because I think it lets the writer off the hook of finding the right voice to tell the story.
But yeah, Fox was something to me because I read it in July and still have a lot to say about it.
A few years go I read Slow Days, Fast Company and loved it. I would love to do more of a comparison between Babitz and Didion.
My favorite August read was On the Calculation of Volume which has the same concept as Ground Hog Day the movie but more introspection. Now I'm going in on Elena Ferrante I finished her second novel on the Neapolitan Quartet and getting ready for the third.
your insights on JCO are so interesting!! I wonder how the novel would have been different if we only got Detective Zwender's POV.... You have great reading taste BTW! I deeply appreciated On The Calculation of Volume I, but I have little desire to keep going - are you going to continue the series?
Thanks! I think 365 November 18ths are more than enough for one lifetime but I could change my mind. 🙂
Thank you for mentioning my article 💕💗💕
thanks for writing it 😀
You’ve convinced me to read some Eve Babitz so thank you!!
you won't regret it!!
I have no interest in Fox but really enjoyed reading your perspective and the discussion in the comments, thank you for taking one for the team (me) and reading it. I think I'd really like Babitz, I loved Elaine Dundy's DUD AVOCADO and her books give me a similar vibe so I need to just get to it. Best thing I read in August was Middlemarch, didn't have any bad reads but the one I'm still puzzling over a bit is THURSDAY NIGHT WIDOWS by Claudia Piñeiro, it's just atypical from a crime novel but that seems to be her expertise!
Ok looking up DUD AVODCADO now... Middlemarch was so lovely I'm glad you agree! I've been meaning to read Pinerio so would love to know more of your thoughts
I think starting with her most well known Elena Knows makes sense but she has more straight up (yet still unconventional) crime novels at least with the 3 others I've read. She writes well rounded characters in a few pages (although her latest was too long!)
DUD AVOCADO is a fun fizzy shenanigans filled Paris novel so lmk if that seems Babitz adjacent!
I have been seeing mention of this Dud Avocado situation regularly all of a sudden but yours is the one that makes me want to follow up, Ariana.
the semen footnote 🤣🤣😂😂
your comparison of Babitz to Didion *chef’s kiss*
speaking of Didion, I just finished Griffin Dunne’s family memoir The Friday Afternoon Club. (He is Didion’s nephew). Their family and all the famous people they know…plus, his sister was murdered by her boyfriend and he talks about that and the trial. It was a wild ride, and mostly enjoyable.
that new Lockwood book - I heard it was inspired by her own wild bout with long COVID so I’m pretty curious. Never read anything by her. She good?
I was actually thinking of you while reading Lockwood because yes it is like a stream of consciousness bizarre Covid dream. I really really love her but I have a hard time recommending outright. You will love love her humor but it does not have a plot. Shes a bit of a pop culturist and a writers writer, and if you don’t know exactly what she’s referencing (especially her previous works) it may go right over your head like it did somewhat with mine. I would start with priestdaddy, I plan to try to read it sometime this year and see if I can go back and catch more.
The Friday afternoon club sounds very intriguing!!
I’m intrigued now by Lockwood - she sounds very different from what’s out there right now. Will add Priestdaddy to my Solstice list, stat.
hurricane season is an incredible book that i’ve never recommended to anyone because it’s also maybe one of the most upsetting books i’ve ever read?
Completely agree. I don’t know many people who would willingly read it
EVE BABTIZ FOR LIFE ✌🏼
YES!! 🙌🏼
What in the WHUT was that JCO excerpt?! Gold star for making your way through those awful hyphenated words.
Your notes from Hurricane Season 😩
We also finished Wednesday and loved the vibes but could not agree more about the convoluted plot. The Enid/Wednesday switch was hilarious. Really looking forward to seeing what they do with it next season. Weapons was EXCELLENT! I love it when they have comedic moments in horror films. We’ve added it to the espooky staples we watch every year. Some of the best jump scares we experienced in a very long while.
I love Jasmine! I love that she rocks her bald head 😍 I also really love Aaron, Nataliia, Iain, Tom, and Nadia.
Stainless is out! Going to pick it up from McNally Jackson this week.
Loved this roundup per usual. Thank you, book angel!!! 📚👼🏻
Right???? For all of it lol I’m so so glad you guys liked Weapons, and I love them all on Bake Off who am I kidding 😍
Slow Days Fast Company as a LA Breakfast at Tiffany's is perfect! One of my all time favorite California books.
I've also foundered in reading An Oral History of Atlantis, in part because the stories I've read don't really have the NYC flavor I was expecting based on an interview the author gave to a local newsletter. It's still on my kindle, so maybe I will make my way through a few more stories?
Moonbound is insane, brilliant, and gorgeous.
The Babitz/Didion scarf metaphor/analogy made my day. Brilliant. I’m a Didion fan of sorts but who you want to spend an evening with?