Lenny Bruce is Dead

Okay, if you're looking at this book you probably know Jonathan Goldstein from This American Life. The important thing to know about this book is it's not a straightforward narrative. It's a novel in fractallized pieces. That said, the pieces themselves are often funny, and sometimes very sad. The book isn't for everybody, but it's not for nobody. Just read it. You can get through it in an hour or so, so even if it's not your favorite it's not like plowing through Ulysses.

I thought this was an absolutely fantastic book. The way Goldstein creates a full characters out of paragraph-length scenes is visionary, and his subject matter is funny, sad, and truthful, without ever giving a damn about a proper plot.

This novel was sent across the continent to me by my best friend, and it's a perfect example of why we get along so well. Like Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son, Barry Hannah's Geronimo Rex and very few others, the protagonist here is a solitary, emotional boy who can't express his emotions outwardly. His voice is one that moves from narrative to something like poetry without interrupting the feel and flow of the story. Every girl he falls for is guaranteed to be a disaster, but he let's it happen anyway, and you'll fall for them too. I'm not jewish and not from the north, but i felt every word of his mangled thoughts like they were my very own. A STUNNING first novel for Goldstein. I can't WAIT for another!!

I picked it up this book because my friends were raving about it and I had heard Goldstein's hilarious radio pieces on This American Life. The narrative voice makes this novel so original and distinct. Goldstein's imagery made me stop reading at times and just think about the power of language. He is a very talented man. He notices everything so tenderly, from a dirty napkin on a table to a girl's funny face. This is an introspective novel about the reflections a man has when his mother dies. It is fragmented, but it almost has to be. It's so beautiful, I could only take it one paragraph at a time. For those who love literature only!

Poignant, hilarious, and original. Jonathan Goldstein, where have you been all my life! Not only did I find myself laughing my head off over the sexual antics of the main character, Josh, but his touching interactions with his widowed father brought a few tears to my eyes as well. Truly unlike anything I've ever read.