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No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
208 pages
What’s it about?
This story is narrated by a social media superstar. She makes her living traveling the world to speak to the many fans who view her observations on "the portal". The post that brought her to notoriety was ("Can a dog be twins?"). This novel is split into Part 1 and Part 2. The first section of the book seems to be the narrator sharing her glib, wry observations about humanity while living in "the portal". In Part 2 real life interrupts. The narrator's sharp observations are written in short paragraphs that hit us like a barrage of her thoughts.
What did it make me think about?
This is SO much a novel of 2020. It almost seems like it should be date-stamped and put into a time capsule. I could not help but think that Patricia Lockwood is incredibly talented, and at the same time her talent is so distinctly of her generation. A talent that has come of age on the internet. Her writing is comprised of quick staccato observations that are made for a quick post.
Should I read it?
Someone that I actually know (and can sit in a room with) needs to read this book so we can talk about it! I won't give too much away but I thought the two parts of the novel were distinct for a reason. The first part of the book was funny- but almost in a harsh, irreverent, trying too hard way- maybe like much of social media itself. "Our mothers could not stop using horny emojis. They used the winking one with its tongue out on our birthdays, they sent us long rows of the spurting three droplets when it rained. We had told them a thousand times, but they never listened- as long as they lived and loved us, as long as they split themselves open to have us, they would send us the peach in peach season.
NEVER SEND ME THE EGGPLANT AGAIN, MOM! she texted. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'RE COOKING FOR DINNER."
So I couldn't help but laugh, but at the same time it seems kind of condescending.... Perhaps Patricia Lockwood is highlighting what can happen to the way you view the world when you spend a considerable amount of your life online and posting for the reaction of others (Part 1). It takes a big event to push her towards real relationships and off "the portal", "He looks like he's doing a good job, she decided finally. I bet his mom is proud of him, which is what she thought about most people she encountered these days.". It's the juxtaposition of these two lives that makes the novel worth reading- and worth talking about.
Quote-
"What did we have a right to expect from this life? What were the terms of the contract? What had the politician promised us? The realtor, walking us through being's beautiful house? Could we sue? We would sue! Could we blow it all open? We would blow it all open.! Could we...... could we post about it?"
If you liked this try-
Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet
The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon
What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez
No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
208 pages
What’s it about?
This story is narrated by a social media superstar. She makes her living traveling the world to speak to the many fans who view her observations on "the portal". The post that brought her to notoriety was ("Can a dog be twins?"). This novel is split into Part 1 and Part 2. The first section of the book seems to be the narrator sharing her glib, wry observations about humanity while living in "the portal". In Part 2 real life interrupts. The narrator's sharp observations are written in short paragraphs that hit us like a barrage of her thoughts.
What did it make me think about?
This is SO much a novel of 2020. It almost seems like it should be date-stamped and put into a time capsule. I could not help but think that Patricia Lockwood is incredibly talented, and at the same time her talent is so distinctly of her generation. A talent that has come of age on the internet. Her writing is comprised of quick staccato observations that are made for a quick post.
Should I read it?
Someone that I actually know (and can sit in a room with) needs to read this book so we can talk about it! I won't give too much away but I thought the two parts of the novel were distinct for a reason. The first part of the book was funny- but almost in a harsh, irreverent, trying too hard way- maybe like much of social media itself. "Our mothers could not stop using horny emojis. They used the winking one with its tongue out on our birthdays, they sent us long rows of the spurting three droplets when it rained. We had told them a thousand times, but they never listened- as long as they lived and loved us, as long as they split themselves open to have us, they would send us the peach in peach season.
NEVER SEND ME THE EGGPLANT AGAIN, MOM! she texted. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'RE COOKING FOR DINNER."
So I couldn't help but laugh, but at the same time it seems kind of condescending.... Perhaps Patricia Lockwood is highlighting what can happen to the way you view the world when you spend a considerable amount of your life online and posting for the reaction of others (Part 1). It takes a big event to push her towards real relationships and off "the portal", "He looks like he's doing a good job, she decided finally. I bet his mom is proud of him, which is what she thought about most people she encountered these days.". It's the juxtaposition of these two lives that makes the novel worth reading- and worth talking about.
Quote-
"What did we have a right to expect from this life? What were the terms of the contract? What had the politician promised us? The realtor, walking us through being's beautiful house? Could we sue? We would sue! Could we blow it all open? We would blow it all open.! Could we...... could we post about it?"
If you liked this try-
Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet
The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon
What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez
Honestly, I haven’t a clue what to rate this! If you’re not VERY ONLINE then most of this will not make sense. However, for someone who is going to get all the twitter discourse references, it’s pretty brilliant, unsettling, but also confusing at times. I found it hard to get through, although the much more poignant second half was a quite endearing look at the truly important things in life. Definitely one of the most unique books I’ve read, but clearly for a very specific audience.
A criss cross between the all-consuming internet and reality, how we deal with "portal" life vs. how we deal with real life.
While I understand what the author was trying to do, I struggled to make sense of the disjointed and fragmented sections of the book. I almost felt like it would have been less chaotic to combine the two.
Okay, here's the deal. (1) This isn't really a novel. It's really more of a long poem resembling a story. (2) If you didn't spend most of 2016-2019 on Twitter and similar websites, you won't understand many of the references. (3) This is an amazing poem for people who did live on/in Twitter for those years. It's beautiful, hilarious, and horrifying in just the right ways. (4) I've been in those rooms empty of trivial things-- and life pretty much feels just like this book after that.
Also, this review is a million times better than mine: https://goodreads.com/review/show/4363396075?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Also, this review is a million times better than mine: https://goodreads.com/review/show/4363396075?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
This is one of the most unusual books I have encountered in a while! It was recommended by Blindboy on his podcast so I thought I’d give it a go. I spent the whole of Part One (about three hours of audio) trying to figure out was going on! I am certainly not internet-illiterate, but listening to this made me feel like a Gen Xer - I didn’t understand about half of the references and terminology. It is written in such a fragmented way, jumping from one subject to another with not a lot of clear plot. I did stick with it, however, as I was curious as to where it might lead. If you make it to Part Two, you will then get some kind of context as to what the author is trying to do. Lockwood very cleverly contrasts a life of existing almost purely "online" to one where the main character is suddenly forced to distance herself from "the portal" and to clutch at her real life for as long as possible. It is quite a sobering second half, so be prepared for that. I am glad I made it through, as this has been a much discussed novel, but I don't think I will ever need to read it again!
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