You Don't Love Me Yet
Ratings4
Average rating3
15
Ratings4
Average rating3
From the incomparable Jonathan Lethem, a raucous romantic farce that explores the paradoxes of love and art Lucinda Hoekke spends eight hours a day at the Complaint Line, listening to anonymous callers air their random grievances. Most of the time, the work is excruciatingly tedious. But one frequent caller, who insists on speaking only to Lucinda, captivates her with his off-color ruminations and opaque self-reflections. In blatant defiance of the rules, Lucinda and the Complainer arrange a face-to-face meeting--and fall desperately in love.Consumed by passion, Lucinda manages only to tear herself away from the Complainer to practice with the alternative band in which she plays bass. The lead singer of the band is Matthew, a confused young man who works at the zoo and has kidnapped a kangaroo to save it from ennui. Denise, the drummer, works at No Shame, a masturbation boutique. The band's talented lyricist, Bedwin, conflicted about the group's as-yet-nonexistent fame, is suffering from writer's block. Hoping to recharge the band's creative energy, Lucinda "suggests" some of the Complainer's philosophical musings to Bedwin. When Bedwin transforms them into brilliant songs, the band gets its big break, including an invitation to appear on L.A.'s premiere alternative radio show. The only problem is the Complainer. He insists on joining the band, with disastrous consequences for all.Brimming with satire and sex, You Don't Love Me Yet is a funny and affectionate send-up of the alternative band scene, the city of Los Angeles, and the entire genre of romantic comedy, but remains unmistakably the work of the inimitable Jonathan Lethem.
Reviews with the most likes.
I adore Jonathan Lethem, but I couldn't even finish this book. There's no plot, not enough Letham-esque absurdities, and the characters make no sense. Being Jonathan Letham there are interesting word choices and quotable phrases, but not enough to carry the lack of plot. I missed the heart that his earlier books had.
2.75 average? I loved this story! I thought Jonathan Lethem wrote with an impressive grasp of independent alternative rock and (some overlap) the more pretentious niches of conceptual art. I also like that the protagonists occasionally made themselves difficult to like and that some of the initially repellent characters wound up sympathetic and near-endearing. Read this!
