A review by cseibs
Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem

2.0

While I appreciated the satire of Manhattanite living, I found little else of interest in this book. The novel read like one long, hazy rant, in which the characters were secondary to Lethem's overwrought, grand themes. I'm especially saddened by the character development, especially after having read Motherless Brooklyn and Fortress of Solitude in which Lethem artfully created such lively and authentic characters. I get that the people of Chronic City are supposed to be empty and self-absorbed, but Lethem took it to an extreme and made me lose interest. There were elements of the novel that were brilliant - I especially loved the scene when Perkus first meets Ava - and if Lethem had focused on those moments and pared down his competing, confusing themes, I think I would have found the novel more enjoyable. Overall, I think Lethem shot for too much and left me with a chaotic, incoherent rant - more Obstinate Dust than Fortress of Solitude.