Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Telegraph Avenue #2

This post covers the first 124 pages, or section 1, entitled Dream of Cream. This readalong is sponsored by As The Crowe Flies (and Reads) and Harper Collins. If you would like to pre-order the book, please visit Odyssey Bookstore here.



Now that I have completed the first section, I am reminded why I love Michael Chabon's novels so much. He immerses the reader so completely in the lives and thoughts of his characters. In the first few pages, you may feel like you are struggling to swim because Chabon likes to drop you right into the deep end of the pool. There are no idyllic chapters that set the scene before the action begins. Instead, you are immediately a part of the events going on in the lives of the characters.

Telegraph Avenue centers around two friends who own a record store in California - Archy and Nat. Archy is expecting his first child and Nat is the father of a teenage boy. Their wives, Gwen and Aviva, are a renowned team of midwives. Archy and Nat are feeling the pressure of being small business owners as a media mogul is developing a mega-store down the street, threatening to put them out of business. To top things off, Nat's son Julius has started to date another boy who might turn out to have an important connection to Archy.

This novel is not one you can read while half paying attention, or just plow through in a day. It is a big book with a lot going on. Before we hit page 200, we have encountered a home birth, the first meeting of a young gay couple, the discovery of infidelity, and an attempted assassination. What I really appreciate about reading Chabon's novels is that he doesn't baby you. He assumes that you are an intelligent reader and can follow along without too much explanation. 


I am excited to see what happens in the next section.Check back next Tuesday for my thoughts on section two, The Church of Vinyl. 


16 comments:

  1. "He immerses the reader so completely in the lives and thoughts of his characters. In the first few pages, you may feel like you are struggling to swim because Chabon likes to drop you right into the deep end of the pool. There are no idyllic chapters that set the scene before the action begins. Instead, you are immediately a part of the events going on in the lives of the characters."

    I never equated Chabon with this sink or swim style - I absolutely agree and I really like it. It does still manage to feel like a lot of set up though, amidst the action. Like - all of these different actions signify what the book will be about, so PAY ATTENTION.

    I'm just waiting for that warm feeling to wash over me.

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    1. I think I get frustrated with authors who spend a lot of chapters setting things up, because I think it's possible to bring the readers up to speed within the action of the plot.
      I agree completely that you really have to pay attention to everything here and I think that is one of the reasons why his novels are excellent choices for multiple reads.

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  2. Yeah, there was definitely a feeling of "Boom! No explanations, just go." There were some things I had no idea what he was talking about, but he doesn't indulge you, which is NICE. I don't like that kind of thing taken to extremes, because it feels like narcissism on the part of the author, but I think it's just enough here to keep you on your toes mentally.

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    1. I agree - it's fine balance between respecting the intelligence of the reader and showing off how smart or knowledgeable the author is.

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  3. Yes, I'm glad you articulated the bit about being thrown in the deep end of the pool. It means it takes a little more effort to get through, but I'm betting the payoff will be commensureate to the effort, if not more so, by the time we reach the end.

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    1. I like a variety in my reading, so I'm happy to intersperse some books that are a bit challenging (like this one) with some that are easy books to read by the pool in one afternoon.

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  5. Dropped into the deep end is so true. I think that it was well worth the swim because I really like how the first part ended. I'm anxious read more.

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    1. I'm working through the second part now. The swimming is good. :)

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  6. I agree: I've just begun the second part and almost feel as if I'm in an entirely different novel. It's grounded more closely in character and situation, less in atmospherics and exposition. Huzzah!

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    1. I'm really curious about how he broke up this novel. This section does feel different. Then I looked ahead to see how long part 3 is and it's maybe 20 pages. Curiouser and curioser....

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  7. Hi, I tagged you with the Liebster Award on my blog. The post is: http://raesamm.blogspot.com/2012/07/liebster-blog-award.html

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  8. Love the comment about Chabon dropping us in the deep end of the pool. That's exactly how it felt.

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    1. I rather enjoy it, occasionally. I wouldn't want to experience it in everything I read, though!

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  9. I agree with you on the dropping us right in aspect. I went back and skimmed through Part I again before reading Part II (and made myself a glossary of characters!) and found there was a lot I had missed because I was trying to keep things straight rather than diving right in to the story... but in the end, I think I like the style.

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    1. I'm not usually a big note taker while reading. I'm more of a 'stick random scraps of paper in pages I want to come back to' sort of girl. But with this book, I have been taking some serious notes to keep everything straight!

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