Michael
Gun, with Occasional Music is Jonathan Lethem’s mash-up of hardboiled Raymond Chandleresque detective fiction and science fiction, perhaps in the Philip K Dick mold. I believe it was also Lethem’s first novel and sometimes it shows. The dialogue is pure detective fiction stuck in a near (?) future setting in Oakland, California, that gives off 1930s vibes. The vibes may be 1930s but the setting is not. There are evolved animals that take part in society, socially acceptable drugs, and babyheads, the creepy evolved children. It is considered extremely rude to ask questions, so detectives (or inquisitors as they are known) are somewhat disreputable. And there is a very unusual role for karma.
The main character is Conrad Metcalf, a weary, drug addicted detective with a conscience buried deep in his psyche. Of course, there are plenty of villains. Danny Phoneblum, the gangster who controls much of the underworld in future Oakland, California; Joey Castle, an evolved kangaroo working for Danny; and Kornfield, an inquisitor working for the “Office” are perhaps the main ones. As one would expect in a novel like this, there are no real heroes. Conrad and Walter Surface, a fellow detective and evolved ape come closest. The mystery of who killed Maynard Stanhunt drives the plot but seems almost secondary at times.
Sometimes the dialog seemed too hard-boiled, too noirish. It got on my nerves at times. Perhaps due to the genre, it was more than a little misogynistic. Some of the action made me roll my eyes.
On the other hand, I can’t remember when I had so much fun reading a book. Lethem gave his imagination free range, and the result is just wild. I loved reading this. I would recommend this to anyone who is willing to go along for the ride.
How to rate it? For its faults maybe a 3. For its imagination and fun factor maybe a 4 or 4.5. Let’s settle on 3.75.
Gun, with Occasional Music is Jonathan Lethem’s mash-up of hardboiled Raymond Chandleresque detective fiction and science fiction, perhaps in the Philip K Dick mold. I believe it was also Lethem’s first novel and sometimes it shows. The dialogue is pure detective fiction stuck in a near (?) future setting in Oakland, California, that gives off 1930s vibes. The vibes may be 1930s but the setting is not. There are evolved animals that take part in society, socially acceptable drugs, and babyheads, the creepy evolved children. It is considered extremely rude to ask questions, so detectives (or inquisitors as they are known) are somewhat disreputable. And there is a very unusual role for karma.
The main character is Conrad Metcalf, a weary, drug addicted detective with a conscience buried deep in his psyche. Of course, there are plenty of villains. Danny Phoneblum, the gangster who controls much of the underworld in future Oakland, California; Joey Castle, an evolved kangaroo working for Danny; and Kornfield, an inquisitor working for the “Office” are perhaps the main ones. As one would expect in a novel like this, there are no real heroes. Conrad and Walter Surface, a fellow detective and evolved ape come closest. The mystery of who killed Maynard Stanhunt drives the plot but seems almost secondary at times.
Sometimes the dialog seemed too hard-boiled, too noirish. It got on my nerves at times. Perhaps due to the genre, it was more than a little misogynistic. Some of the action made me roll my eyes.
On the other hand, I can’t remember when I had so much fun reading a book. Lethem gave his imagination free range, and the result is just wild. I loved reading this. I would recommend this to anyone who is willing to go along for the ride.
How to rate it? For its faults maybe a 3. For its imagination and fun factor maybe a 4 or 4.5. Let’s settle on 3.75.