About book Ut å Stjæle Fra American Apparel (2000)
There is so much to be said about this book, but at the same time there is not much that really needs to be said. Tao Lin's earnest and honesty throughout this short novel is extremely refreshing, I find his writing to be infectious through its simplicity and at times lack of eloquence. The characters are crafted in a way that many people would find hard to identify with let alone like, yet I found myself drawn to these characters and finding them hilariously amusing and even admirable with their attitudes towards their feelings and emotions. It's not so much a novel that one would read for plot but more so to get an insight into an honest and unfiltered mindset that is a product of our western world and culture. This was strange. It's disjointed and very slice-of-life-y. There really is no plot, no change that leads a character to a new understanding or new path. There's no moral bringing this short read into fable-land. It's just a look into the life of Sam, at several different points - one of which being when he shoplifts from American Apparel. Each section involves a new set of characters, though some characters overlap. And lots of characters always becomes a problem for me - especially in such a short story. This has enough characters to fill a Stephen King novel... not that Lin could keep my interest for nearly as long as King. It was short, and that's a plus when reading this novella. I kept looking at it going, "keep reading, you're almost there", so the length became extra motivation. But the style was not something I'd seek again. Wait, maybe I would. But it would need to be executed in a more logical way. Ugh, just by writing this review I feel like the style has seeped in to my brain and is coming out through my fingers. And it's driving me insane, so I guess I wouldn't seek this out. The biographical info about the author mentioned that one of his books (poetry) had been used in college level psychology courses but I can't imagine anyone can gain insight from his poetry, if it's anything like this. And I'd guess it is, since the style of this book is more like some postmodern poetry than like prose. Overall, I'm very frustrated that I read these 103 short pages and didn't get any kind of resolution at the end. It's a disjointed unsatisfying read.
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"It's got similes and metaphors and stuff," said Dakota Fanning in Gmail chat.
—sangupta33
Fantastic descriptions of every day life and interactions.
—Cindy
The author is a lowlife and self-admitted crook.
—mags2611
