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A daily record of what I'm thinking about what I'm reading

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Sunday, June 26, 2011

Remembrance of books past: Trying to recall a novel I read a month (!) agos

As I continue to read Eudora Welty's "Collected Stories" - noting the unevennes of her 2nd collection, A Wide Net, as suggested in the title - she's trying a number of different styles, and some don't seem to suit her at all - getting ready for book group tonight, which will discuss Jennifer Egan's "A Visit from the Goon Squad," and, hm, how much do I remember of this collection/novel, which I read almost a month ago? It was a challenge keeping the threads of the plot together while reading, and more so in recollection; let me try: Central character is Bennie, a music exec, who starts out in a punkish high-school band in SF, meets a music exec from LA (who its on one of the band groupies?) and that guy becomes his mentor, later goes through a series of marriages, death of son by suicide, people visit him on his deathbed in LA - but back to Benny, he gets established in NYC primarily through one band, has a very effective assistant (Sasha?) who becomes the 2nd central character, she has # of problems including kleptomania, unable to have a secure relationship, Bennie's h.s. bandmate comes to see him (brings gift of fish), peripheral stories involve death of young NYU student by drowning and how this affected S's life and Benny's ex-wife and her attempts to manage am musician and run a PR shop - can't recall right now why that went bust - Egan ties up many loose ends at for a "happy" conclusion as Benny promotes his old h.s. buddy on a reunion concert and S or whatever her name is has left the business and enjoys a comfortable family life in a future-setting desert community. Will recall more by tonight and will see how discussion goes.

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