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A review by octavia_cade
The Good Times Are Killing Me by Lynda Barry
3.0
This is an odd but appealing mix of fiction and nonfiction. The first two thirds of the book are a young adult novel, a coming of age type story in which a young girl navigates a difficult family life and the challenges of racism - particularly her own. It can be quite an uncomfortable read, as what Edna understands (or doesn't) about what's going on around her is often much more limited than what the reader understands is happening, so there are parts that just made me cringe... which I imagine is precisely the effect that Barry was going for. As a sort of aesthetic backdrop to the story, set in the 1950s or the 1960s I think, is Edna's appreciation for music, which is pretty much one of the few bright spots in her life.
The last third of the book are sketches - and when I say sketches, I mean page long summaries paired with actual paintings - that illustrate influential musicians and music styles of the early and mid twentieth century. They're interesting, and interesting in a different way than the novel, if only because music isn't something I know a great deal about. Even if I've a bare familiarity with the styles described here, a lot of the people featured are new to me, and I do like to learn new things.
The last third of the book are sketches - and when I say sketches, I mean page long summaries paired with actual paintings - that illustrate influential musicians and music styles of the early and mid twentieth century. They're interesting, and interesting in a different way than the novel, if only because music isn't something I know a great deal about. Even if I've a bare familiarity with the styles described here, a lot of the people featured are new to me, and I do like to learn new things.