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A review by undeadletters
The Instructions by Adam Levin
4.0
This review kind of references a lot of stuff that happens in the novel that aren’t entirely central to the plot and certainly aren’t really spoilers or whatever, but I’m guessing a lot of this will make more sense to those who’ve read it (the novel). I also pull some of the book’s vocabulary because it fits and just like Wallace-isms or Pynchon-isms it’s impossible not to be the subject of their osmosis. I'm not going to summarize it. The publisher description does that pretty well and there are other reviews here that touch on it. So instead, here are some things:
1. Something I never remember feeling with any other book. There are so many scenes in The Instructions that should be drawn or painted or otherwise put to canvas, scenes that make ME want to bend the limits of my miniscule artistic talent and just draw the heck out of them - June raising victory fists in Brodsky’s doorway after Gurion proclaims his love for her, Eliyahu breaking the water fountain, pretty much any scene with the Five. I can’t imagine how awesome so much of this book would be as a graphic novel.
2. Something about the characters. As oriana said in her review, the kids are magnificently well drawn, full of emotional weight that I, in my old age, almost forgot middle-schoolers could even muster. And Gurion is the narrator to end narrators. I couldn’t help but realize throughout my reading how much my relationship with him would change from chapter to chapter, from wonder to empathy to pride to envy to disappointment and sadness and on and on. What I would give to have the confidence to tell a pretty redhead I’ve fallen in love with at first sight, that hey, I love you. But I would never want to be the type of person who speaks to others the way Gurion speaks to Call-Me-Sandy. But then there’s also his relationship with Main Man. Ah!
3. Something about the book’s humor. This might be the funniest book I’ve ever read. Since I can’t pull clippings like I’d be able to if it were on Kindle, it would be tough to reproduce a lot of specific examples, but here’s one. My reading of this exchange might not even be entirely as intended, but I love it:
""What's your favorite Palahniuk?"
I've never read him.
"Bro," said Dingle.
What? I said.
"Dude," he said."
There’s a lot of references like that - Phillip Roth actually makes an appearance, characters discuss the meaning of Fugees lyrics, a minor character during the height of the novel’s climactic final chapters offers Gurion advice on where to start with Don DeLillo, the shining example of the stereotypical Jewish-American Princess for the characters is, naturally, Natalie Portman. There’s just enough of this stuff to be funny and interesting without being grating.
4. Something about, uh, just the book. The Instructions at once demands to be savored and to be read so feverishly you start I’M TICKING. It’s unbelievably entertaining and well written and fun (holy shit is it fun) and remarkable and tragic. I haven’t read all of the stuff from 2010 I’d like to, but this novel is such a singular achievement that I’ll be very shocked if anything else so much as approaches its class. The fact that its size and small publisher are hurdles to entry for so many people is suck. Please read this book, people.
5. Something about the guy who wrote it. At this point it goes without saying that I would consider Adam Levin a writer to watch, huh? Well I’m going to say it anyway. This novel has built up enough good will in me that I’ll be in the figurative line for every book he ever releases. I just hope they don’t all take nine years. This is an author who understands he holds a gun. Bring on Hot Pink.
1. Something I never remember feeling with any other book. There are so many scenes in The Instructions that should be drawn or painted or otherwise put to canvas, scenes that make ME want to bend the limits of my miniscule artistic talent and just draw the heck out of them - June raising victory fists in Brodsky’s doorway after Gurion proclaims his love for her, Eliyahu breaking the water fountain, pretty much any scene with the Five. I can’t imagine how awesome so much of this book would be as a graphic novel.
2. Something about the characters. As oriana said in her review, the kids are magnificently well drawn, full of emotional weight that I, in my old age, almost forgot middle-schoolers could even muster. And Gurion is the narrator to end narrators. I couldn’t help but realize throughout my reading how much my relationship with him would change from chapter to chapter, from wonder to empathy to pride to envy to disappointment and sadness and on and on. What I would give to have the confidence to tell a pretty redhead I’ve fallen in love with at first sight, that hey, I love you. But I would never want to be the type of person who speaks to others the way Gurion speaks to Call-Me-Sandy. But then there’s also his relationship with Main Man. Ah!
3. Something about the book’s humor. This might be the funniest book I’ve ever read. Since I can’t pull clippings like I’d be able to if it were on Kindle, it would be tough to reproduce a lot of specific examples, but here’s one. My reading of this exchange might not even be entirely as intended, but I love it:
""What's your favorite Palahniuk?"
I've never read him.
"Bro," said Dingle.
What? I said.
"Dude," he said."
There’s a lot of references like that - Phillip Roth actually makes an appearance, characters discuss the meaning of Fugees lyrics, a minor character during the height of the novel’s climactic final chapters offers Gurion advice on where to start with Don DeLillo, the shining example of the stereotypical Jewish-American Princess for the characters is, naturally, Natalie Portman. There’s just enough of this stuff to be funny and interesting without being grating.
4. Something about, uh, just the book. The Instructions at once demands to be savored and to be read so feverishly you start I’M TICKING. It’s unbelievably entertaining and well written and fun (holy shit is it fun) and remarkable and tragic. I haven’t read all of the stuff from 2010 I’d like to, but this novel is such a singular achievement that I’ll be very shocked if anything else so much as approaches its class. The fact that its size and small publisher are hurdles to entry for so many people is suck. Please read this book, people.
5. Something about the guy who wrote it. At this point it goes without saying that I would consider Adam Levin a writer to watch, huh? Well I’m going to say it anyway. This novel has built up enough good will in me that I’ll be in the figurative line for every book he ever releases. I just hope they don’t all take nine years. This is an author who understands he holds a gun. Bring on Hot Pink.