I used to review on this blog practically everything I read, but I’ve sort of fallen out of practice of doing so. This is my attempt to return to that practice.
Crossing California by Adam Langer – I stumbled upon a review of this novelist’s first book in the
Chicago Tribune Book section almost a year ago and thought the it sounded like an interesting read. Then I found the book on sale for $5 at a book store that was going out of business. It was a well spent $5.
Langer’s novel is set between November 1979 and January 1981 in the West Rogers Park area of Chicago. There he follows the lives of a few characters who are struggling to figure out who they are and what their place is in the world. The title of the book comes from California Avenue, which splits West Rogers Park in half and also provides the dividing line between the “haves” and the “have nots” of the mostly-Jewish neighborhood. West of California is for the upper-middle class, well-to-do families and serves as the desired destination for those living East of California.
Langer structures his novel as a series of vignettes, rotating around to feature different characters, or collection of characters, each time. This way we not only see one specific character’s view of how events unfolded, but later we gain insight into how others saw those same events. It makes for a fun and interesting read. While we are given a less traditional narrative, there is enough continuity built between the vignettes that the larger story becomes apparent.
The stories are full of cultural references, and at times rely on them to make the point of the vignette. Given the timeframe the story takes place in and my own age, I had a passing familiarity to most of what Langer’s characters were referring to. Even though some references escaped my knowledge, it didn’t prevent my enjoyment of the novel. Langer doesn’t rely on the setting to find the voice of the novel. Rather it is the characters’ lives, and the honest handling of them in this book that makes it so enjoyable. Langer deftly handles switches between light-hearted moments and scenes of more gravity with grace and wit, which fully sells the reality of the fiction.
As in real life, a journey of discovery never really ends, so we aren’t provided a clean wrap up at the end of
Crossing California. However, we do see how these characters have changed, what they have learned about themselves, and can imagine where they might go next. Langer’s characters are engaging and his writing is smooth, although slightly over-wrought at times. A recommend read.
Animal Man (book 1) by writer Grant Morrison and pencilers Chas Truog and Doug Hazelwood – There are certain comic books or series that are held with higher regard within comic book reading circles. Grant Morrison’s run on
Animal Man is one of those series. Not only did his work on the book make a name for newcomer Morrison, his work challenged and pushed comic book writing into a whole new area.
Morrison was a virtual unknown – at least to American comic book readers – when the Scottish writer was given the opportunity by DC Comics to launch a new title here in the States. The main character of the series was Buddy Baker, Animal Man, whose super power was the ability to absorb the abilities and skills from nearby animals. The character wasn’t currently being used and DC wanted to see what this young writer from the UK could do with him.
Morrison transformed Buddy into a super hero concerned as much with animal rights as he is with saving the world. Originally conceived as a four-issue mini-series, DC convinced Morrison to stay on and develop the book into an ongoing series – which he did. This first
Animal Man trade paperback collects the first nine issues of what became a historic comic book run.
The first four issues in the trade read like a four-issue mini-series that was planned to have a definite end. The story is simple and straight forward. We get introduced to Buddy, his powers, and his family. The plot of the story involved Animal Man uncovering immoral testing on animals being conducted by scientists struggling to find a cure for the HIV virus (these comics were written back in 1988). Everything is nicely wrapped up at the end of issue four. However, in issue number five, “The Coyote Bible”, Morrison tells a story that lays down some of the basic themes and concepts the series eventually explores.
What might seem like a story about a man going out into the desert to kill some wolf-demon who he believes is the source of all suffering in the world, really is the beginnings of a post-modern exploration of the relationship between artistic creator and their creation.
Morrison has to detour a bit to incorporate aspects of the “Invasion” mega-cross over DC was had running through all of their titles, but by the end of this first book he is working in more hints as to where he plans on taking the series.
I was already a fan of Morrison’s before reading
Animal Man, but it was fascinating to go back and see where he had come from. Already Morrison was displaying a great knack for dialogue and trippy storylines. But he keeps the metaphysical nicely in check against the narrative, and still spins entertaining comic book yarns. I’ve read enough essays and reports on the significance of Morrison’s run on
Animal Man to know that I wanted to experience it for myself, but I didn’t expect to enjoy it quite as much as I am so far.
I expected to be impressed with the post-modernism of the writing, not wowed with the straightforward entertainment of the book. Now I am anxiously looking forward to picking up books two and three so that I can continue exploring Morrison’s vision.
Every once in a while we all jump back on the radio to deliver our Christmas tunes. Here in Chicago there is a station that goes 24 hours of Christmas music starting in November and runs through December 25th - WLIT 93.9.
In my thirty-five short years, I’ve lived in two major metropolitan areas: Chicago and Cleveland
I'm the Notre Dame fan, Heather is the Ohio State fan. And regardless of how well these teams are playing, we like to watch their games. Usually the games are on at different times or at least on different stations, so we flip back and forth. But that wouldn’t be possible this time. Obviously, only one of the games would be carried on the ABC affiliate here in Chicago. 
“Who wants to watch Notre Dame get the tar beat out of them when they could be watching a real team play football?! Do they really think everyone in Chicago loves Notre Dame?!”
I chew paper – eat it sometimes too. Usually it’s ripping the smallest piece of a paper napkin off at the end of the meal and chewing on the paper for the next hour or so. Like other people with gum, I’ll spit the paper out into a garbage can later. Chewing paper has been a habit for me for many, many years. I remember tearing off corners of paper to chew on in class back in the third grade. On a dare in fourth grade I shoved something like ten straw paper wrappers in my mouth and ate them. I chew paper instead of gum.
