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Cynthia's Reviews > Palo Alto
Palo Alto
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I’m appalled by these stories though there is literary merit in them. Franco writes with exactitude in an adolescent’s voice even to the point of boredom. Some of the stories almost seem soulless. Racism, violence and misogyny are all included. The stories are interrelated with characters leaching in and out as the perspective changes. They are ugly; both the stories and the characters. And then I came to ‘April: A Story in Three Parts’. It’s just as raw as the other stories but without the hardness. I doubt I would have been as aware of its beauty without the backdrop of the previous stories just as I doubt I could have appreciated what Franco was setting up in the first half of the book until reading ‘April’. I sailed through the last half of the book maybe because I knew what I was in for. Also, Franco’s prose opens out and flows. The included Proust quote from “Within a Budding Grove” relating to adolescence is especially poignant. Thank God we only have to endure one adolescence!
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
October 21, 2010
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Finished Reading
October 22, 2010
– Shelved
October 22, 2010
– Shelved as:
books-read-in-2010
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Tara
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Oct 22, 2010 02:19PM
And of course, it is already a major bestseller :-).
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Fame does that doesn't it? Honestly I had no idea who this guy was when I read the book or wrote the review. Though he's bleak there's something really good in his writing. It's desperately frightening though. They had money, affluence.....I kept wondering where the heck their parents were.
Cynthia wrote: "It's desperately frightening though. They had money, affluence.....I kept wondering where the heck their parents were. "Sort of like the kids in Less Than Zero?
When I heard Franco had a book out, it reminded me of Ethan Hawke, who had some novels published several years ago. I haven't read anything by him either, though I do remember reading some good reviews, some mixed.
HAVE I BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK?? T good point about 'less than zero'. I hated that.After I got over the shock I did like the second half of the book. I'm so divorced from testosterone and adolescense that maybe I just don't get it. When Franco opened his voice I felt him as grim as he is.
I've never seen any of his acting/film stuff though.
Cynthia wrote: "HAVE I BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK?? T good point about 'less than zero'. I hated that.I've never seen any of his acting/film stuff though. "
lol
Do you remember the TV series "Freaks and Geeks", C? I only saw bits and pieces of it, but he was in that -- I think that's all I've seen him in.
Interesting. I've been reading various things about this collection and from what You've said, Cynthia, I may need to get a copy.I saw him in the Spiderman films and my first thought was 'here we go again, another celeb writer', but he seems to have taken time out to 'learn' how to write and he seems to be more serious than most celebs.
One to follow.
Teresa wrote: "Cynthia wrote: "Do you remember the TV series Freaks and Geeks..."I'd never heard of Freaks and Geeks until I googled Franco. His pic doesn't spark any memories either though I know I saw the first Spiderman film.
Richard wrote: "I saw him in the Spiderman films and my first thought was 'here we again, another celeb writer', but he seems to have taken time out to 'learn' how to write and he seems to be more serious than ..."I'm glad I didn't know anything about him before reading the book. I'm sure it would have colored my reading. The guy does have an MFA in writing from Columbia and he majored in English at UCLA for his undergrad. How many first time writers get interviews with Pulitzer winners (Michael Cunninghame)????
Cynthia wrote: "I'm glad I didn't know anything about him before reading the book. I'm sure it would have colored my reading. The guy does have an MFA in writing from Columbia and he majored in English at UCLA for his undergrad."He's getting very good reviews for a film that's out right now -- he plays Allen Ginsberg in the movie "Howl."
I didn't know that T. I found that he was just in Eat Pray Love too. I haven't seen it though.....seems a little too schmalzy (sp) to me.
I had to check out who he was, and then discovered that apparently I just saw him in Eat Pray Love (and yes, it's pure light entertainment, but doesn't take itself too seriously thus avoiding the schmalz factor,Cynth). He was eminently unmemorable in the role. Took me a while to work out who it was he played.
Cynthia wrote: "I didn't know that T. I found that he was just in Eat Pray Love too. I haven't seen it though.....seems a little too schmalzy (sp) to me."That's a movie I will not see and a book I will not read. I know both are not my thing.
Thanks for the movie review. I suppose I'll catch it when it hits hbo or netflix. It is a redeeming factor when a movie doesn't take itself too seriously. I wonder why it's so hard to think an actor, memorable or not, could be a serious writer as well and I'm including myself in that. Mostly actors are known for tell all books or silly books like Steve Martin writes (hmmmm as i write that I realize I haven't even read his books) rather than literature.
Cynthia wrote: "I wonder why it's so hard to think an actor, memorable or not, could be a serious writer as well and I'm including myself in that. Mostly actors are known for tell all books or silly books like Steve Martin writes (hmmmm as i write that I realize I haven't even read his books) rather than literature."Hugh Laurie is also an author of fiction, though I haven't read him either.
Is it because we are 'jealous' that they can get their foot in the door of a publishing company much more readily than a 'no-name' can? :) Or that it doesn't seem fair that their talent extends to more than one artistic field? Lots of actors try their hand at music too, some more successfully than others. That is met with skepticism as well, and I think for much the same reason -- that is, that their name is what's getting their foot in that other door.
Good synopsis T. I think you're right on all fronts. One of my favorites, Robert Downey Jr., has a music cd out and the comments on amazon are viscious or fawning!!! And don't forget the celebs who are artists. In one of his stories Franco mentions Sylvester Stallone in that category. I think Franco has 'broken' another karma law by not even being a well known actor. I hope you know I'm playing......mostly. lol
Cynthia wrote: "I hope you know I'm playing......mostly. lol "Yeah, I do ... mostly. ;)
You're cracking me up. If you get a chance to read the book I'd love to hear your comments. The stories of teenagers growing up in the '90's in Silicon Valley are horror inducing though. I both hated them and felt sorry for them. I hope Franco was exagerating or that these were isolated instances. It's the oddest thing that his writing suddenly become beautiful half way through. Before that I was beginning to despair. Teenagers can be awfully black and white though I think he got their 'voice' accurately.
Oh and I keep forgetting to mention when I preordered the book quite awhile back it was rated in the millions in sales on amazon and now it's hovering in the 500's and 600's.
Cynthia wrote: "Oh and I keep forgetting to mention when I preordered the book quite awhile back it was rated in the millions in sales on amazon and now it's hovering in the 500's and 600's."Wow, I don't think Ethan Hawke got that! ;)
He was very good in Milk, and I look fwd to seeing him in Howl. Having lived in Palo Alto for 8 years starting at 17, it might be interesting to see how different it has become. Of course I was living in a dorm and then a house with roommates and alone. I have taught many many adolescents and survived 2 of my own, and I often asked myself Where are the parents? too. It astounded me how lackadaisical so many of my kids' friends parents were....They thought I was weird for worrying where my kids might be at 2 or 3 AM...
Merrilee you're kidding? Your kids are a decade or so younger than Franco's little monsters I think.
My kids are 23 and 25. Recently one of my son's high school friends died of an oxy-contin OD (accidental). I went to the very moving funeral and when I introduced myself to James' mother, she said(with a bit of a sneer) Oh you're the one who used to call around to see if your son was here. I knew the woman was hurting so bit my tongue....
That's so sad. I'm sorry you had to go to that funeral. When I had knee replacement surgery 6 years ago they gave me oxy-contin without my know it or anything about it. Jonesing off that stuff was HORRIBLE. I didn't know why I was climbing out of my skin until a friend went to refill my prescription and told me what it was. Strangely it was a relief to know why I wanted to crawel out of my body. That stuff is bad.
Wow. That's scary to be given it without being told all about it. My son's friend had been given it by a guy at work (not a doctor) and he had apparently been "clean" for 9 months and proud and happy about it. He was home visiting his parents and somehow went out and bought some and his mother found him dead in his room. So horrific!! I hadn't known about any of this. Fortunately my son is not at all interested in that stuff and has, one hopes, been sufficiently scared. Soooooo sad!! A sweet,nice kid, too.
My father (together with many other elderly patients) was given oxycontin once in a rehab facility on a Sunday when they were short-staffed, and I got there in time to witness. The stuff is terrifying.Adolescence is terrifying.
Can't go wrong with chocolate!
M iz thes a mizspilling of you? If so what does it mean or is it another language? I'm so lost and sans chocolate.
I meant yup...:-(( If I were a cat, I would now lick a paw;-)
LOL I love how they do that so nonchalantly. 'What's your problem? I'm just innocently cleaning up.'
I stole that expression from Paul Gallico's book about his cat, Jennie. "When in doubt, lick a paw."I remember all the really important stuff...
lolWrite that in your journal of wisdom that you'll pass down to your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Why am I picturing you and your kids and associated SO's debating on which direction to go in the car and all of you licking your paws? Speaking of cats you might have already seen this. A friend of mine posted it on facebook: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/...
Soooo cute.Btw, I always know where I'm going, so rarely need to lick a paw in the car;-)
Merilee wrote: "Soooo cute.Btw, I always know where I'm going, so rarely need to lick a paw in the car;-)"
Lucky you. I'm perpetually lost :(.
Well, almost always - except when Maria's navigating;-)
hehehehehehe Poor Maria. Who would we blame if it weren't for her?
My middle name is "guilt," she sobbed disconsolately, so maybe I should be blamed! I just want to say that I totally agree with Teresa that Eat, etc. is something I won't see or read. Am I being too harsh, Karen? I'll see who Franco is when I see "Howl."
Oh I don't think so, Maria. I certainly had nor yet have any intention of reading this, and went along to the film in order to have a bit of an evening out with three of my students who have become friends. We saw it in the OV, which is nice for me, a film in English yay! and made them feel virtuous that they were practicing their English. But we go to OV Shakespeare too sometimes, when we have our Culture Hats on. And sometimes we go to slushy films.
Here OV is the name of a beer (stands for Old Vienna;-)
I think I'd enjoy the beer version of Shakespeare (!)
